The Woodworker & Woodturner – August 2019

http://www.getwoodworking.com August 2019 The Woodworker & Good Woodworking 67

Veritas bullnose plane

Burrs on the trunk of an old oriental plane tree

on the Trinity College campus in Dublin, Ireland

Burnishing the interior of a turned bowl using wood shavings

A burr elm board

H.Slater gunmetal bullnose plane

Bullnose plane
The small, hand-held plane, with a rounded
‘bull’ nose, which is used for cleaning up corner
joints, etc.

Bullnose step

This is the shaped, bottom step of a flight of

stairs. The shaped section, on one or both ends,

wraps around the newel post with a curve to

finish it off.

Bull’s eye window

The common name for a window with a round,

fixed or opening. Generally used as a decorative

feature. Old glass can also have bull’s eyes, which

are usually in the centre of the pane. This round,

obscure section is created when glass is spun

to create a flat section at the outer edges. The

good stuff was flat and clear; the cheap stuff,

from the middle, was thicker and obscure.

Bull’s eye window in castle Bull’s eye window at Hammond-Harwood House, Maryland

Burnishing

This is the process that can help prepare a surface

for waxing. Usually on hardwoods a tool with a

rounded face is rubbed on the wood surface and,

through friction, helps to seal the surface before

the wax is applied. Some restorers will burnish

and mark corners to imitate wear.

Burl or burr

This is an abnormal, knobbly, often rounded lump

growing on the outside of a tree trunk. The tree

has laid extra layers of wood onto an area of its

trunk that might have been damaged or affected

by, say, insect attack. The extra mass is created

to protect that area and is made up of densely,

interwoven cells. The wood produced from a burr

is prized for its character and beauty, especially

for veneers.