Buffing Wheels for Brass

[WinDancer]

I have three wheels set up in my shop. One is used with the white stick, the second is used with Tripoli, and the last wheel is used with Carnuba wax. I never mix the polishes between wheels. They are each only used with the single polish. I wipe the knives down well between wheels.

Whenever I try to polish up brass bolsters, the wheel [no matter which one I use] turns immediately black and very dirty, and leaves a dirt line on the bolsters at the edge.

I tried to clean the wheels up with a dresser, and also with a hach saw blade on a board.

Why are the wheels fouling like this? How do you clean all the black gook off the wheels so they don't transfer the mess to the bolsters and blades?

Any help will be welcomed. Thanks in advance!


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Regards, Dave

WinDancer@OlyWa.net

www.olywa.net/windancer/webknives.htm

 

[george tichbourne]

This is going to be hard to believe but stick with me.

The black is unavoidable, it is the colour of oxidized brass and will rub off on any wheel used for polishing brass regardless of the compound used.

Black streaks on the part are spent compound and brass which haven't been cleaned off by the buffing wheel. They are NOT excess buffing compound transferring to the piece.

The fix is to use MORE compound not less. This will result in a cleaner piece. There will always be a haze line left where the buffing stops unless you back off pressure and just kiss the area with the loose nap of the buffing wheel. The little that is left now is easily removed with a brass cleaner like Brasso.

I know that logic goes with the idea that there is too much compound but just the opposite is true if black streaks are being left.

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george
www.tichbourneknives.com
sales@tichbourneknives.com