How to Use a Burnishing Spoon
Burnishing is a popular treatment for pottery that gives a piece a glossy, smooth appearance once it has been fired. The treatment is not the same as varnishing and does not offer protection from the elements or staining; but burnishing does add an attractive sheen to a piece of pottery. A burnishing spoon is a tool used to give pottery the glossy effect. Burnishing spoons are often made of bone or wood but are sometimes constructed of plastic or stainless steel.
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Instructions
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Allow the surface of your piece to firm by drying. However, don't allow the piece to dry completely as the surface needs to be somewhat pliable for burnishing to have an effect. The firmness helps prevent the burnishing spoon from leaving unwanted marks on your piece.
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Grasp the burnishing spoon's handle and buff the piece with the smooth side of the spoon. Buff gently in smooth, slow, small circles.
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Continue with this technique until the entire surface of your piece becomes glossy and smooth.
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Allow the piece to dry again, but not completely. If the initial gloss wears off and the surface attains a matte-like appearance, buff the piece again to the high glossy shine achieved during the first burnishing. Use small, soft, circular motions with the burnishing spoon.
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Allow the piece to dry completely, then apply a coat of corn oil to seal in the shine achieved from burnishing.
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Take the burnishing spoon a final time and repeat the burnishing process, applying gentle, circular motions to the piece's surface. Allow the piece to dry completely. It should now maintain a permanent sheen.
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Tips & Warnings
Wear gloves to keep substances such as clay from drying out in your hands.
Don't apply too much pressure to the surface of your piece to avoid scratching or breaking the surface.
