Mirror Polishing CPM154 vs 154CM/ ATS-34?

[flatgrinder]

I haven't worked with CPM154 for approx. 2-3 years due to Crucible's shortage during those years, so I don't remember how it grinds/ polishes compared to 154CM/ ATS-34?

Will you use up a lot more belts mirror polishing it? Or is the difference really not that significant?

I recently made a fighter from CPM S35VN and that was a bitch to polish, I gave up. I couldn't get all the scratches out with my regular belt selection. Grinding wasn't too bad, but attempting to mirror polish it was like pissing in the wind!

Thanks! :thumbup:

 

[james terrio]

I don't have a buffer but I get pretty close to a mirror by handsanding CPM-154 right up to 1000 grit pre-HT then to 2000 grit post-HT. Saves a lot of time that way. Even if you don't do much polishing before HT it goes pretty quick once you get a nice clean 400. I'd like to get some of those real high grit 3M polishing papers and see how close I can gert to a mirror without a buffer... Anyway it's about what you'd expect, a little more work than O1 but not terrible.

Not like 3V, fuggedaboutit, the way that is before HT is pretty much it. Sandpaper slides over it like water on glass once it's hardened and tempered I imagine S35VN is the same way because of the vanadium.

 

[Frank Niro]

No quite as bad, James, but not great. Frank