Anyone use a metal burnishing tool (vs plastic/nylon) are there any benefits?

Also WHERE can I get one, or two, looked around most of the morning with no luck. Even checked (shudder) Mudhole where I pretty much refuse to shop...

Thanks in advance.

I use the round part of a steel crab fork or the lid of a zippo lighter. Occasionally a polished rock my wife has. Never used one of the commercial plastic tools so I can't say if metal is better or worse.

Check out Golden Witch .They were carrying a metal one in their catalog.

I just use a piece of 3/16" Brass bar tapered to a rounded point. You can pick a peice of brass bar up at a hardware store, cut it to lenth with a hack saw , chuck in a drill and file and sand it down to a blunt point. (Looks kind of like a chop stick.)

I did mine on a lathe and it only took 5 minutes or so. Shouldn't take more than 10 minutes with a drill.

Mark

I use a metal spatula from my days as a laboratory chemist. Very smoth with well-rounded edges and corners. Works well for me. I use hte same spatula to apply epoxy.

The best and cheapest I've seen are the clay sculptor's tools in the art department of any of several local craft stores. They come with numerous different tip shapes of polished stainless steel, double-ended in wooden handles, and cost less than $3 each. I found them near the paint brushes and pallet knives.

I use an extra xacto knife handle that I epoxied the end of one of those picks that women use to frost hair. On one end it has what looks like a miniature crocet needle and the other has an @ 1" widw slatula. I cut it in half and mounted the spatula end to use as a burnishing/packing tool. The other end I mounted in the end of a short piece of dowell to pull tag ends through the tie off loop. Works Great!!!!

Bill in WV

Jerry, I use a thick chromed needle (I think it is a wool darning needle). It is about 3 to 4 inches long with a rounded point and about as thich as a ballpoint insert in diameter. Dead cheap, but works beautifully - quality chrome will never burr (even silk) however hard you rub or pack those threads. I've used mine for years. Jim