Re: Polishing and stropping compounds

kamagong

kamagong

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I know that chromium oxide is the greatest thing since sliced bread. For some reason though, I've never gotten around to buying any. While walking the aisles of the local Sears today I saw a familiar looking giant green crayon. Upon closer inspection I saw that the product is something called green rouge. Does anyone have any experience with this stuff? Is it the same thing as chromium oxide? I hope so; if it is, I've found a readily available source for the stuff.
 
Green rouge should be chromium oxide. Each manufacturer makes it a little different so you have to experiment with the Sears stuff to see how well it works.
 
Recently came across the following about Chromium oxide--just repeating what I read, can't vouch for it.

Apparently there are several varieties--

one has particles of 2.5-3.0 microns.

the other has particles of 0.5 microns.

Don't have product names.

-----
The stuff I have is sold by Vertias, and is called "micro-honing compound". It is my impression that it has particles 0.5 microns in size, and is the same as the stuff sold by Lee Valley. I purchased mine at a local Rockler's woodworking supply store. If I had to guess, taking the "information" above into account, I would suspect theat the product marketed as "rouge" (green rouge?) is the larger particle size. 2.5-3.0 microns is still a very fine abrasive, unless one is doing optical polishing.

Also, a wood working site says that the 0.5 micron crayons do contain some larger particles--0.5 microns is average size.

http://www3.telus.net/BrentBeach/Stropping/Stropping.html

Supposedly the powder or water suspensions sold by Hand American

http://www.handamerican.com/products.html#Chromium Oxide - .5 Micron Penetrating Liquid

has more tightly controlled particle sizes. The same claim is made for 3M microfinishing abrasives (which go down to 0.5 micron). The same woodworking site

http://www3.telus.net/BrentBeach/Sharpen/jig faq.html#abrasives


says that stropping a plane iron previously sharpened with the 3M abrasives caused a deterioration of the the edge, and has some photos.

"The honing compound was Lee Valley green. Again, the three different areas of the iron are shown on the left. The image on the right has both of the fine bevels well scratched.

This buffing compound is "primarily Chromium Oxide admixed with other fine abrasives (0.5 micron size)" according to the catalog. Checking around the net, I have read that a particular manufacturer produces 6 different green rouges, with chromium oxide content from 5 to 90%."

http://www3.telus.net/BrentBeach/Stropping/Stropping.html

There is a table on the site that says green rouge, white rouge, 1500 US grit paer, and 6000 grit japanese waterstones are 3 micron.

A 15000 grit waterstone is 0.9 micron.

This suggests that using a loaded strop on a fresh properly honed edge (no burr) that has been polished with very fine abasives like a polishing waterstone, 2000 US grit paper, or the finest 3M abrasives may NOT be beneficial. Sadly, the product from Hand American was not tested.

Of course, stropping could compensate for imperfect sharpening technique with the other fine abrasives. Plus, the other methods may less convenient, or unavailable.

Overkill on this topic, probably so. But I just ran across it, and found it interesting.
 
green rouge is not all the same. I have three different green rouges here in my shop and a few clicks around the common knifemaker supply shops, and you'll find at least a dozen more.

In general, (imho) the harder it is, the higher the grit (color being equal).

The best rouge I've found for general stropping (on the rough side) is found at Lee Valley Tools and is only $6, and lasts a long time.
 
I'm pretty happy with the Lee Valley stuff myself. I'm not sure what size the particles are but I'm perfectly satisfied with the results.

I've stropped with several of the Sears compounds in the past, although none of them were green. All worked to one degree or another. None worked as well as the Lee Valley compound.
 
The Lee Valley green stropping compound is excellent. Unfortunately, chromium oxide and I do not go well together. The stuff is toxic and an irritant. I get skin reactions to the stuff.

I have gone to other compounds, but they are more expensive. After a fine Arkansas stone, I use .5 micron diamond paste - it is water based. I also have some 1200 grit Clover compound that I have used in the past.

If the Lee Valley didn't cause me skin irritation, I'd use it. It really works well after a fine oilstone. If I were using waterstones (e.g. 8000 grit), I would not use any strop.

I don't strop knives, only plane irons or chisels. I rarely want such a fine edge on a knife blade - unless I plan to use it for carving.
 
I've heard of someone using "chrome green" artist's oil paint for stropping compound. He was lost in the woods, his knife dull and the only person he could find to help him out was an itinerant landscape painter. I made the last part up ;)
 
Bri in Chi said:
I've heard of someone using "chrome green" artist's oil paint for stropping compound. He was lost in the woods, his knife dull and the only person he could find to help him out was an itinerant landscape painter. I made the last part up ;)
Click to expand...

Years ago all green paint got it's color from chromium oxide, don't know about these days but it might be worth looking into.:confused:
Maybe Dean will see this and check for us?;) :D :cool:
Dean can find the proverbial needle in a haystack!!!!:thumbup:
 
My wife told me yesterday that many toxic compounds have been removed from paint, including chromium and lead. Zinc white can actually cause neurological symptoms - the problem is the excessive amount of zinc that they used to put in paints. A little zinc is a good thing.
It is like drinking - a drink or two is fine, but ....
 
Interesting
search on Google with Chromium oxide in green paint as the subject.
Might be a source for powder for strops, but how to get it to stick?
 
I'd be more worried about the size and consistancy of the chromium oxide particles than anything.

Good point though...improvise, adapt and overcome. A BDU trouser leg doesn't make a half bad strop - nor does a boot, if you're careful. Denim is even better. The edge of a car's window provides a fine hone. Pick the right rock and you'll throw that whetstone away.

Not a belt sander, but I don't normally hump a belt sander when I'm camping. ;)
 
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