Thread: Chromium Oxide for Lapidary Polishing

I wonder how long a full pound would last us mere mortals that might have 4-6 razors..

I just got my chromium oxide. And I've pasted my balsa wood strop. Using a strop conditioner as a base. I let it dry over night, but it still feels wet. Will this stuff always have a wetness to it, or did I just use too much and it needs more time to dry?

Also, it was kind of funny. I used so little of the chromium oxide I feel I literally may never have to buy any ever again.

It shouldn't feel wet, perhaps you used too much conditioner and it needs a while longer to dry?? And it does take VERY little to paste a whole strop. I'm sure what you have will last you a LOOOONNNNG time!

Dave

Okay, I believe I'm going a bit crazy. The paste is still moist. When I touch it, it still comes off a little on my finger. I feel that I've screwed up somewhere.

Well, if you used strop conditioner on a strop and it dried out a few days later, you'd probably be ticked. So if you use strop conditoner on balsa and it doesn't dry out, then you shouldn't be surpirsed! It is what it is.

I don't see the need to use anything as a carrier for the chromium oxide. It takes very little chrome ox to be effective, and since it's half of a micron, I don't think it would have any problem settling into the gran of the balsa all by itself.

For dry chromium oxide, I wad up a piece of paper towel, dab it in the dry chrome ox, then dab it onto the strop, putting little dots all over, like this: :::::::: Then, once I've blotted it all over, I wipe over it in circular motions to even things out. After that, i take a clean piece of paper towel, and wipe the strop until very little green comes off. What's left on the strop is more than plenty.

Good luck!

Just take a tissue or old t-shirt and lightly rub go over your balsa paddle. Just make sure not to use to much pressure as balsa is very fragile. I had the same thing happen once. It will take forever for it to dry if you don't remove the excess wetness. Just rub back and forth. Do it again the next day if it still feels moist.

Thanks. I'll do that. Now I kind of feel silly for complaining. Of course it should still be moist.

Pure should not be wet? That stuff is made for tumblers so it has to have something in it to help it spread through the media.