You may have seen the burnishing bone on our accessories page and wondered what it did and when to use it – here’s the answer!
The burnishing bone is the best way to smooth down the very slight lifting, not more than a few raised mountboard fibres, that can sometimes occur along the edge of a cut or groove. Although almost invisible to the naked eye, such slight imperfections detract from the professionalism of the finished mount if not treated.
Different mountboard finishes and textures are more susceptible to raised fibres than others so don’t think a very slight lifting of the board edge is a reflection on your mount cutting skills! It might be just that the mountboard you are using is especially prone to this problem.
Decorative paper tapes are a popular way of adding a border around the window of the mount which adds a little extra distinction and individuality. The burnishing bone is the ideal tool for gently fixing the tape in place without damaging it.
For a particularly subtle effect, a “V” groove decoration can
be applied around the window. Here again the gentle action of
the bone can be used with great effect to treat any slight imperfections
in the "V" groove area by simply running the bone along the affected
area.
If real subtlety is required,
then the bone itself makes an effective embossing tool it you wish
to create a slightly indented line in the surface of the mountboard.
Though usually this is done around the window, it can also make
a neat way of framing a caption or title for a photograph or painting.
And to show there is no limit
to the uses of the humble bone, if you have ever wondered
how cardmakes create a crisp, professional looking crease
in their cards – they use a burnishing bone of course!
