Polishing wheels and compounds--what do you recommend?

[Gwinnydapooh]

Well, on a recent trip home my dad asked me what kinds of wheels (felt, muslin, sisal, etc) I would suggest for polishing steel. I didn't really know, but he kept after me and finally spilled the beans--he picked up two Baldors someplace cheap as my X-mas present and wants to set them up completely. I have no problem with that but don't really know what I need--the little I've done has been by hand.

Should we be looking at felt, stitched muslin, loose muslin, leather-clad, sisal (kinda doubt it, but who knows?) I'm open to suggestions. All I know right now comes from the Jantz and Brownells catalogs . . .

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"It is not criminals who enter schools and shoot children . . ."
--Ann Pearston, British gun control apologist and Moron

 

[george tichbourne]

AS a professional metal polisher and a knifemaker I prefer circular sewn wheels(sewing in concentric circles) with 1/2" spacing between rows of stitches. I glue several together with wood glue until I have a 1" thick wheel.

The 1/2" spacing allows the surface of the wheel to be loose enough to give a high mirror finish but not too loose to catch the knife when you are polishing. The 1/2" spacing is also good at preventing the wheel glazing over when poishing.

Avoid at all costs loose unsewn wheels, they can be killers because they tend to grab knives and pull them out of your hands. Knives flying around the shop tend to be dangerous.

Several wheels, one for each compound, is ideal.

I use a green stainless steel cut and colour compound for all of my metal polishing and a white chrome buffing compound for wood to avoid staining the lighter woods.

I also use greaseless compounds in the shop but the capacitor start motors on the Baldor buffers don't like the start and stop action needed to load the wheels(capacitors burn out).

A Baldor buffer can also be used with a backstand idler as a belt sander.

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george
www.tichbourneknives.com
sales@tichbourneknives.com

 

[T. J.]

If you don't already have a belt grinder, I'd look seriously at buying a contact wheel and backstand idler and using one end of the bigger buffer as a belt grinder.

As for Buffs, I use 4 different concentric sewn buffs, 6x1 inch (but would use 8in if I could) The first is used with grease based black emery to remove scratches, then one for Green chrome for final polishing, one for white rouge for handles and such, and one clean one with no compound for cleanup.
I've thought of swapping the first one for some sisal wheels and a cut and color bar, but haven't got around to it. If you want to use only 3, I'd skip the green, as you can polish steel with the white, it just takes a little longer, or you can skip the clean one and make sure you have plenty of rags around.

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