Temper and burnish OR burnish and temper, that is the question.

[hedgeapple]

I think both tempering and burnishing a bow's belly is a good thing. But, which should you do first?  I've usually heat temper within a couple inches of draw length, then burnished once it's tempered.  One bow I tempered and burnished in that order after it was tillered.  I'd like to get you all's thought.

[Accipiter]

No idea, but I'm very interested to here what people have to say. Good question!

[TRACY]

Clint was just talking about this at the shoot the other day. Maybe he'll weigh in on it.

Tracy

[crooketarrow]

  I'd temper first do a finale sanding STAIN then burnish. You can't stain barnished wood. YOU MUST STAIN FIRST. I haven't banished a bow in a long time. If you use the Right design and length ,to the wood type and,poundage no need to temper or barnish.
 TEMPERING might help with string follow.
 BARNISHING only helps to keep splinters from rising ON THE BACK.
. So if I'd think the bow is going to have some trouble staying together or raising splinters I to barnish the bow. It's usually the back that fails not the belly. The belly will get compression cracks at the ends of untiller stiff spots.

  Indians use to barnish their bows all the time where we barnish, finish and never go back. Barnishing over and over must have a effect (results) on the bow Indians would never do anything that didn't have a good reason for doing it.
  Maybe it was just because building a bow then not as easy as doing it now. They lived by the bow.
 I'D STARVE TO DEATH
 I'D BE A RIFLE HUNTER FOR SURE.

[bubbles]

I usually burnish the backs of my bows, like crooket said, to keep splinters from lifting. I find it also helps with the finish, especially on red oak, to keep all that early wood from sticking up when staining and finishing.  I have been wary of doing it to the belly, because for some reason I thought it might cause chrysals.  You're saying it can increase the performance of a bow by burnishing the belly? I'm interested.

[hedgeapple]

I just read a post where burnishing and tempering was suggested to up the pound of a bow.  I've burnished the whole bow on one osage and one red oak board bow.  I don't remember shooting them prior to burnishing.  But they both shot great.