cleaning a balsa strop

D

davek14

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May 30, 2009
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I've sharpened on emery cloth for years and I'm branching out a bit and learning a bit about other methods. I hope you will all tolerate my rookie questions.

Lately I've been using Flitz metal polish on balsa for a strop. I've got some diamond paste on the way. With the Flitz I get grey streaks of metal as I polish which look like the streaks on a ceramic rod when you use it. I'm assuming I will get the same with the diamond paste.

With a ceramic rod you need to clean it when it gets loaded with the grey metal dust (whatever). Do you need to do anything to dress or clean the balsa? What do you do? Will it interfere with the polishing?

Thanks for all the help y'all.
 
Just wipe clean with some WD-40 sprayed on a paper towel. Reapply compound in an XXXXXX pattern the length of the strop.
 
If you're going to put a different compound on it, I'd sand it or get a new piece.
 
cbwx34 said:
If you're going to put a different compound on it, I'd sand it or get a new piece.
Click to expand...

Oh my yes. I suppose you go from fine to less fine. But from course to more fine would be a disaster waiting to happen...at best you results would be very disappointing.
 
Balsa and bass wood are relatively inexpensive. I have a line up with both sides treated. In either clean with wd40 or occasionally re sand them and re apply the slurry.
Russ
 
At present I'm using a few small strips of balsa about 1"x8". (I do intend to get more) One gets quite dark all over polishing one blade.
 
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