Ortega/ACS

Ceramics and Sculpture

Notes on Burnishing
Burnishing
Burnishing is the process of rubbing a smooth object, such as a pebble or the back of a
spoon, over the clay surface using a gentle circular motion.
If done at the right stage of dryness, the clay will take on a polish.
The stage at which the first burnishing is done is crucial.
If the clay surface is too soft, the tool will leave marks on the surface and not bring up a shine.
lf the surface is too dry, the tool will scratch the clay instead of smoothing and polishing it.
The first burnish can help to smooth the bumps on the surface out and bring up a slight shine.
The pot is then allowed to dry a little more, and a second burnish is done to bring out a strong
shine.
The pot is allowed to dry out and then the surface is coated with corn oil (ordinary cooking
stuff), which is allowed to soak in to give a dry surface.
This stage is a bit disconcerting the first time you do it as the shine disappears completely.
The pot is then polished with a soft cloth for the last time and a deep lustrous shine is
developed which is brought to its final finish by rubbing gently with the hand or fingers.
Firing
The burnished, dry pots are fired slowly in a kiln, taking about eight hours to reach a top
temperature of 850 C.
This is hot enough to bring about the chemical changes, which turn clay into pottery, but not
hot enough to destroy the smooth shiny surface so laboriously achieved.