Hello,
Im going to purchase some chrome oxide powder and some balsawood. What is the best way to apply it to the wood?
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Hello,
Im going to purchase some chrome oxide powder and some balsawood. What is the best way to apply it to the wood?
Flattern the balsa to remove any high spots,
Dip your finger in some mineral oil then into the Chrox powder and rub onto your balsa wood top.
I made a mix of about a half teaspoon of powder then added some singer sewing machine oil, just a small amount and let the oil soak into it, if it looks wet it is to much paint and then takes a week to dry what applied like paint,
Either way apply let it dry a couple of days then rub off any excess and let dry more
If you do not want to wait for oil to dry, use isopropyl alcohol as the carrier for the CrOx. If you can get it, use the 91% version as there is less water that might affect the balsa. The alcohol will allow you to spread the CrOx uniformly and then will evaporate quickly.
Yes, mix with oil, it will absorb into the balsa quickly. You don’t need much and don’t need to coat the whole slab of wood.
3-inch X’s the width of your finger, work well.
Make sure to wipe the blade well after use or you will contaminate your leather strop.
And do not use too much pressure. Lots of folks say balsa and Chrome Oxide is harsh, usually from too much pressure. If you have that issue, try pasting a piece of cardboard and see if the same thing happens.
I used to mix with a 50/50 solution of mineral oil/rubbing alcohol. The mineral oil helps to keep the CrOx on the wood after drying and the alcohol thins it out so you can spread it more evenly. After an overnight dry I take a paper towel and wipe off any excess because if you have too much in there it really is counter productive.
Now I take a 3/1 3 parts alcohol to 1 part mineral oil and put in a small $1 spray bottle from Walmart. I add enough powder to make a nice deep green and then lightly spray it on. Very lightly. Easier with less mess. The 3/1 ratio makes it thin enough to spray. I only reapply once a year roughly and maybe 3-4 sprays at 6" away with paper towel behind it to catch any stray mist. Simple.
Many ways to do it but as elucid says only very little. You do t have to "paint" the balsa green and a light touch.
I would suggest experimenting with it as it is very cheap and fun to try different methods to see which you like the best.
I had good luck using a bit of shave soap and small throwaway brush to make a lather in a throwaway salsa cup from a fast food place.
First, build lather then add the Chrome-ox and mix well. The tallow/ saponifier in the soap will not cause a problem to your razor.
Worked well for me and the balsa strops are still going strong.
YMMV
~Richard
PS. I did not invent this process, but found it along the way.:chapeau
Man, I just block sand a piece of 3/16 balsa with 100 grit wet/dry, sprinkle a tiny bit of the powder up and down and start rubbing it around with the green finger. It spreads nicely all around.
When done, hold it over the bin and rub it briskly and lightly with a paper-towel to get the excess off.
Same with FeOx as well.
What are the advantages over the simpler method of just using a leather paddle strop with a crox crayon?
For me, sanding the balsa roughly will ensure even powder retention and is less messy, in the long run.Quote:
Originally Posted by gcbryan
Oil will often stay and makes for a pasty mess to remove from your blade.
Dry and dry is easy to remove. Also, as-stropping, the balsa will absorb the powder down into the grain and will work smoother and better with use. I have never felt the need to repaste mine. JMO
You can order a bottle of CROX already mixed in a spray from SRD other vendors & not have to worry about mixing & making sure you got the mix right.. No fuss or muss!
Slawman
Euclid has it right, mixing the powder with oil, it does permeate into the balsa. As far as powder versus spray or crayon. I find the powder goes a very long way. I bought a jar containing 100 grams for $8. And believe me it is enough for hundred of strops. I bought mine from a pottery supply company, as they use it as a glaze and colouring for clay stuff.
I vote for Tom but would do it outside knowing how I generally make a mess.
JTMke made several balsa blocks with SRD spray-on CROX and leather on the other side. The blocks were about 4 inches (~10 cm) thick. They were quite nice. Several guys at Dinnermint's meet got them.
Any of you guys do know where to source the CrOx powder? some place like where you can order immediatelly?
and also, any of those places do sell 0.3 micron CrOx? it would be nice to put in the middle of the progression betweenthe 0.5 CrOx and the 0.1 FeOx
thanks!
Wow that's what I call chasing an edge!. 5. 25 and. 1 of a micron. Go get em, let us know how it all shaves
Whipped dog! He has exactly what you are looking for and he uses kremer pigments which are very pure. A .3 CrOx and a .1 FeOx. Excellent value too. I think around $3 and you get enough for two life times.Quote:
Originally Posted by gabrielcr78
wow thanks man! i'm right abou to place an order to Larry for a knot and some some neatsfoot oil! i'll just throw that in. i thought his CrOx was actually .5! i0'll go check for the .3 micron!Quote:
Originally Posted by Steel
thanks again!
Yeah not visible easily... its on the strops section. If you contact then on FB they can just assemble the order with that :)
BTW, it'll be powder... get one of those spray bottles in wallmart and slme 90 degree alcohol ans mix it in the bottle.with a small part of the bad content... maybe just a pinch or two for 2oz... easy to apply, dries quicky and not messy... it is my new favorite way to apply the powder version of crox and feox....
I spoke to a mate who has experience in lapidary work, reckons Cerium Oxide powder bought from lapidary suppliers at a reliable. 3 of a micron is the good gear, and is treated the same as the other powdered substances re application. I'm going to track some down, although I feel it's a bit of edge chasing, I mean. 5 micron is same as a gok 20k, so what can be the noticeable difference when you are looking to go finer than a gok 20. It would have to be a risk of the edge collapsing on itself. Anyone tried a.
.1 micron edge? Is there any difference from. 5 crox?
Yup, a big difference between .5um/30k grit and .1um/160k grit.
few razors and faces can take it.
CBN is faster and more consistent than Chromium Oxide. Kremer Pigments has all the natural pigments, they are not expensive.
Abrasive size in microns (μ) Grit Size (JNS)
80.0 #180
45.0 #320
30.0 #500
16.0 #1,000
8.0 #2,000
4.0 #4,000
2.0 #8,000
1.5 (1 1/2) #12,000
1.0 #16,000
0.75 (3/4) #24,000
0.50 (1/2) #30,000
0.25 (1/4) #60,000
0.125 (1/8) #120,000
0.10 (1/10) #160,000
I wonder about the "Grit" ratings of natural pigments, "pure" Chrome Oxide and Iron oxide finishes are different, from CBN synthetic finishes of about the same size, so I wonder about the .3 and .5 ratings of Chrome Oxide.
A .10um CBN edge is too sharp for me and will exfoliate skin, where a ".10um" Iron Oxide edge will not, it is comfortable, but not "sharp".
But, pure Chrome Oxide is very capable of providing a smooth finish, calming most edges and has been used for at least a hundred years for razors. I have tested most of the razor quality Chrome Oxide and they all perform about the same.
It can, and has been stropped on daily, for over a year on the same razor, with no ill effects to the razor, and will eventually remove all the visible stria from a bevel.
It is a good paste to begin experimentation, though remember that substrate make a big difference. A piece of cardboard is a good medium to experiment on.
Where do you get your CBN from Euclid? I didn't see it under polishing powders at Kremer Pigments.
Ken Schwartz, Chef Knives to Go. Sharpening Accessories.
There are several old thread about Kremer Pigments complete with the stock numbers if you want the natural pigments.
And what media do you use for CBN? I saw a folk o youtube that recommended kangaroo leather, but i guess there might be other mosre... cost effective?
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http://straightrazorpalace.com/strop...ond-paste.htmlQuote:
Originally Posted by gabrielcr78
Page 1, post 7.
In retrospect, If I had thought to look there I'd have found the answer to my question as well. :gaah:
I remembered the mention of CBN pastes and stropping mediums, didn't recall any mention of sources.
CBN, will work with most conventional substrates, but like with Diamonds, the performance will vary. For razor finishing a softer substrate, will polish better, for comfort, in my opinion.
CBN and Diamond works best when the substrate is misted wet, so that rules out leather as the “best” substrate.
I like Pellon because it is a paper/fabric with a weave similar to hand-made paper, but remains flat, holds the CBN or Diamond very well, can take repeated wetting without molding dries in a few minutes, and cost pennies.
But CBN will work with leather, cloth and felt. Each will produce a different result.
A yard of Pellon from any fabric store is 3-4 dollars and will make a bunch of strops.
I need to get myself some of that to experiment 🙄
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