Thread: Questions about combining buffers and hand-sanding

I'd be interested how other restorers combine buffing and hand sanding.

I've hand-sanded a couple of razors and have acquired a buffer, which I haven't used yet.

I got the Eastwood greaseless compounds running from 80 to 320 grit, and the Woodstock finishing compounds (black, green, red, and white).

The gap in between those two sets of compounds is all hand-sanding? Is that correct?

At what grit would you shift over from hand sanding to the finishing compounds?

Also, I know that for the Woodstock compounds, I'd start with black. What is the progression after that?

I was looking yesterday at the Caswell site (Standard Buffing Compounds - Buffing/Polishing - Caswell Inc) and see that they have greaseless compounds at 400 and 600 grit. Does anybody use those?

Does anyone use the buffer alone for restoring, not including any hand sanding?

Thanks for tips! I'm just getting started. I'm very curious to hear what different methods different people use. I got the buffer and the compounds after watching Brad Maggard's 12-part tutorial on restoring a razor. I'm sure there are lots of variations in method among different restorers.

Joe

Be careful with the grease less. You can soften if not destroy edges with it. I have found that after 400 grease less I can use a sisal wheel and grey compound to get those scratches out. This all does not replace hand sanding. Somethings require the detail you can only get by hand. You have to learn what as you go. Your skill level has a lot to do with it. Keep it all cool :<0)

My progression for compounds is grey/black, green, white, then blue. Some of these compounds can be switched with other colors but that is what works for me before I go to 3 different polishes.

I have all the compounds but buff very little. I still do most of my restores by hand sanding. My rationale is that I have little control on the buffer and can easily blow the lines on a razor. By hand sanding I can come closer to preserving the lines. I'm sure that is in part due to my lack of experience with the buffer. I hand sand to get all the major stuff off, I then do some light buffing in the high grits and polish and then finish with mothers and steel wool, and then just mothers. I have also watched Brad's videos. I have to say that when you watch someone that is very good at a highly skilled task it always looks very easy. As my skills develop I will probably use the buffer a little more. Hand sanding is also easy to do and I can set up for hand sanding anywhere.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...lustrated.html


There is a ton more info tucked into the sticky at the top of this forum

http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...wers-here.html

Originally Posted by 10Pups

My progression for compounds is grey/black, green, white, then blue. Some of these compounds can be switched with other colors but that is what works for me before I go to 3 different polishes.

Thanks for that information. If one were using the red compound, where would it go in that progression?

Which three polishes do you use? The polishes are by hand?

I have found that after 400 grease less I can use a sisal wheel and grey compound to get those scratches out.

I gather that the sisal wheel is the most aggressive wheel. I'm inferring that you vary combinations of wheel type and compound type to get fine shades of difference in aggressiveness. Is that correct?

What wheels do you use at the lower grits?

After the grey/black and sisal wheel, what wheels do you use for the green, white, and blue compounds?

Does your choice of wheel in that progression vary by condition of the razor?

I hope all these specific questions aren't annoying. I've got a lot to learn. I know what you mean about learning as you go. The more information I get before I start, the fewer bad mistakes I'll make while learning as I go.

Joe

Joe

Originally Posted by RezDog

I have all the compounds but buff very little. I still do most of my restores by hand sanding. My rationale is that I have little control on the buffer and can easily blow the lines on a razor. By hand sanding I can come closer to preserving the lines. I'm sure that is in part due to my lack of experience with the buffer. I hand sand to get all the major stuff off, I then do some light buffing in the high grits and polish and then finish with mothers and steel wool, and then just mothers. I have also watched Brad's videos. I have to say that when you watch someone that is very good at a highly skilled task it always looks very easy. As my skills develop I will probably use the buffer a little more. Hand sanding is also easy to do and I can set up for hand sanding anywhere.

I'm glad to get that perspective. I did feel the value of precise focus while hand sanding. One can work around a bit of etching, for example.

One thing I picked up from the Brad Maggard videos was the precise, measured hand movements with which he accomplishes all the different tasks. That no doubt takes practice. I plan to watch the videos again to get more of a feel for it, to help along with actual practice.

Joe

Lines, edges, etc:

Learning to carefully buff the same direction as the makers grind will revel tricks to keeping much of everything intact

Now technically razors are mostly ground from edge to spine DON"T try that with a buffer go from spine to edge

Here is another pretty important tip you have to read through the chaff

http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...-question.html



Always remember that the razor dictates what your approach is going to be and one important axiom of restore

"The pits will inevitably be just deeper then any etch you want to save"

Like Glen says the sticky is full of info. I think I remember a list of how the compounds progress. All this you will forget when at the store. I make lists which I leave on the desk when I go :<0) I use loose cotton buffs on most the other compounds with some denim mixed in here and there. I haven't buffed enough to give specific details on how much faster one buff is compared to another. If I was to start over I might buy all felt wheels but I would have to refinance the pick-up to do that.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Now technically razors are mostly ground from edge to spine DON"T try that with a buffer go from spine to edge

Here is another pretty important tip you have to read through the chaff

http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...-question.html

"basically don't push the razor back against the curve of the wheel, the razor edge stays pointing straight down. so that the wheel is never burning the edge off. . . . what you are doing is following the wheel instead of the other way around,,, Most of the time this is caused by holding the toe and the heel and pushing with the thumbs, DON"T do that... I rest my index finger across the back of the blade it is the safest and easiest to control that I have found."

Thanks for that. Really important basic information.

I'm reading the sticky now about walking a W&B through the progression.

Joe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dane_YnrB3w

There is a lot to be careful about with the greaseless as it can put a hole in a full hollow quickly. Keep water close by if you use is and remember that with a lot of junk razors, you can end up with a shiny, unevenly flattened, pitted, but usable razor.

I like to follow the 600 greaseless with hand sanding from 320 up to around 1200 grit. Then I hit the black emory compound or a grey bar, followed by green, white and then a rouge sometimes. For me, the key to getting a mirror finish that you can count eye brow hairs in is to make sure you get all the deep scratches out. I really have found that the Matchless bars work the best for me on the compounds.

Have fun.