Thread: Cerium Oxide: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

it could be that it's oversharpening

I've tried 5 laps, 10 laps, 25 laps, 45 laps, 90 laps

it would keep getting sharper, but it would lose the smoothness faster if more were done

with 90 passes it got so fragile that I could only do about 2 passes on my head before it started to pull

I've seen better results off cloth

how do you mix the cerium , how much do you put , and do you mix it with water or what?

Originally Posted by ronnie brown

how do you mix the cerium , how much do you put , and do you mix it with water or what?

The instructions say just to put the powder in the quart sprayer and fill to the line with water which is about a whole quart. I poured off about a third of the water after it settled to make the mixture a little thicker. It mixes easily but starts to settle to the bottom right away after mixing. This is a picture from another thread.

bj

how much cerium do you add to the water

I think that maybe there are not only variances in the CeOx out there, but also in the delivery systems....

Something that I have now accepted as a fact

Paste on balsa
Paste on leather
Paste on Felt

These all have different effects on the razor, listed from harshest to smoothest....

I built a 24" leather bench strop specifically for the CeOx I mixed it with Neatsfoot oil and applied it just like I did my CrOx, I got the really expensive stuff from Ocean Abrasives very very white in color...I don't really know if there is any difference between them all....
After using it on about 100 razors now I would still put it as a much finer paste than CrOx I am using 10 laps but it is a 24" strop so adjust to yours....

Glen. A big enough difference where it would be worth me building a leather bench strop to use instead of balsa?

Originally Posted by gssixgun

I think that maybe there are not only variances in the CeOx out there, but also in the delivery systems....

Something that I have now accepted as a fact

Paste on balsa
Paste on leather
Paste on Felt

These all have different effects on the razor, listed from harshest to smoothest....

I built a 24" leather bench strop specifically for the CeOx I mixed it with Neatsfoot oil and applied it just like I did my CrOx, I got the really expensive stuff from Ocean Abrasives very very white in color...I don't really know if there is any difference between them all....
After using it on about 100 razors now I would still put it as a much finer paste than CrOx I am using 10 laps but it is a 24" strop so adjust to yours....

IMHO yes, either leather or felt... Lynn I do believe is using the felt or fabic on the SRD strops, maybe he will jump in here....

Originally Posted by gssixgun

I think that maybe there are not only variances in the CeOx out there, but also in the delivery systems....

Something that I have now accepted as a fact

Paste on balsa
Paste on leather
Paste on Felt

These all have different effects on the razor, listed from harshest to smoothest....

I built a 24" leather bench strop specifically for the CeOx I mixed it with Neatsfoot oil and applied it just like I did my CrOx, I got the really expensive stuff from Ocean Abrasives very very white in color...I don't really know if there is any difference between them all....
After using it on about 100 razors now I would still put it as a much finer paste than CrOx I am using 10 laps but it is a 24" strop so adjust to yours....

Do these findings carry over into the world of CrOx?

Originally Posted by ronnie brown

how much cerium do you add to the water

This place sells Cerium Oxide by the pound if you want to mix this yourself but I bought the quart bottle with I think a 2 1/2 oz package. That is enough to last for years I think. https://www.deltaonelapidary.com/detail.php?id=341

bj