Home Burnishing Burnishing When metal is machined, microscopic peaks and valleys create surface roughness. You can smooth surfaces through frictional contact between the work and some hard pieces of material such as hardened metal balls. While both burnishing and polishing result in a smooth shine and used interchangeably, they are in fact different. Burnishing often refers to a mechanical process using a mechanical burnisher, whereas polishing is more of a general term that refers to polishing by hand or via machine. < Glossary
