Thread: Greaseless polishing compound?

Have the gluetite, but don’t use it, you don’t need it.

The greased compounds I use most are Brown/Tripoli Green/stainless and White or blue for final. You need to make the jump from 600 to polish, Black or Brown to green, then white or blue.

Castwell’s has a good chart.

There are all kinds of other compounds that are combinations, like Black Magic, Fabuluster, Zam and some of the Castwells whites, you really have to try them, everybody has their favorites.

Another thing that works well is a clean lose 6 inch wheel for final buffing, really makes it pop, after dusting with talc, to wick off the grease.

I turn mine around and work off the top and back side of the wheel. Blade edge facing away. I can see better and better manage angles that way. But then, I am left handed and do most everything bass-ackwards LOL.

I have to say that if I could run mine the other way and work off the top of the wheel but still have the shut off switch facing me I would do it in a heart beat. The part I really don't like about turning the machine around is having to reach and fumble for the switch. Incidentally I am backasswards handed too. I have thought about using an electric motor with and extension and a buffing wheel just to het the top grinding action but having a closely located switch. All things in good time. No sense farmering everything up all at once.

There are many ways to buff, a lot depends on what your goal is and what you are starting with.

I have all the grits of greaseless and boxes of greased. Most of the razors I buff are not in that bad of shape and would be considered clean up.
Typically, I start with 600 greaseless, I keep 3 wheels of 600, full load, half and almost nothing. I rotate them and when I load the almost nothing wheel, the others move up in the progression. The almost nothing is great for clean-up especially cleaning Jimps, but that takes the grit out of the wheel fast, all the edges eat the grit, so do those last.

If it needs more, I will go to 400, then hand sanding if needed. It is amazing what a little hand sanding will do to a finish, even 1 or 2k.
Then I go to green greased, sometimes Tripoli then green then white. Hand polish and buff on a loose clean wheel with talc. I use Green the most of all the greased compound and buy the big sticks.

When I load, I cover the wheel with a cereal box and load with the edge of the stick, greased or greaseless and run the stick across the wheel like a lathe chisel. Rotate the stick 90 degrees so you have a fresh edge.
For greased you don’t need much, for greaseless run it across the face on way then back. Let the wheel run for a minute or two then apply another coat and let it dry fully.

When using greased and it starts to load up on the razor, rake the wheel and re load. Pins will make the wheel load, so do those last.

Black Magic works well after a light 600 wheel for scales, sometimes the blue works well on plastics and horn.

You really have to experiment a lot depends on the pressure you use and how much prep you do to get the finish you want.
Do Buy a wheel rake and rake your greased wheels, when new rake the wheels then stop the wheel and trim all the long threads with a sharp pair of scissors. If you don’t the threads will ruin your finish.

If I was to start over, I would buy a HF buffer, 400 & 600 greaseless, and a set of small stick, black, brown, green and white greased, 2 wheels for each, 4 in sewn and a couple 6 in sewn and 6 in loose. I like the finish on the green with a 6 in wheel, think they need a little more speed. I like Castwells greased, but have other brands also.

Then add as needed.

Originally Posted by kelbro

I turn mine around and work off the top and back side of the wheel. Blade edge facing away. I can see better and better manage angles that way. But then, I am left handed and do most everything bass-ackwards LOL.

Thanks for that hint. I too am in my right mind.
I'll see if this helps me too.

The greaseless will dry. Keep the tubes in zip lock bags. I keep the bags in a fridge when not in use.

I don't use mine a lot. Too many bad things can happen.

But, when needed, they are very handy.

In the fridge? I dont know if the wife would go for that in her fridge. I'll just have to seal them up and keep in my shack. Its always warm anyhow.

Thanks for the details Euclid. Im still kicking around some ideas on what to buy but ill get something ordered today. Hope they can get stuff shipped in a week as id love to give this a go next week. And this will give me a chance to make some kind of stand to use outside. Cut down on the mess in my garage that the wife vacuumes and dusts. Crazy old lady but i love her. And my house is always spotless so i shouldnt complain.

Now if anyone else want to post up the materials they use, im still watching. The more info i get the better chance ill have of having the right steps of stuff.

Yes fridge too warm they kinda, I would say melt down for no better of a word, kinda turn soupy, wont stick on wheel, i learned that the hard way, Ty

I have the full selection of greaseless and cakes. I follow the whell recommendation on the Caswell site. Which I believe has the emery cake matched with a sisal wheel. There are other recommendations on the site, such as cake progression. I do not keep my greaseless in a fridge, I keep mine in a plastic container or ziplock with a damp rag, and keep them in a cool spot in my shed. The greaseless that gets the most use is the 600, followed by the 400, and I am not sure if I have every used anything below 240, and the 240 got used a couple of time and it had nothing to do with razors. I use 3" and 4" wheels on my buffer. I think my progression goes 600, emery, tripoli, white, red. I do not use it very often so I always have to refer back to my charts. I have some red polish cake that I use for scales in my drill as well as white. I do a lot of bone scales so I have a cake of white and a wheel that is bone only, because bone is easy to stain.

Yes, good point, on greaseless.

You want to keep consistently moist and soft. The consistency of greaseless will affect how it will stick to a wheel.

The good thing is, it can be adjusted by adding or removing moisture. They come in plastic tubes, just remove enough plastic to apply. Recover and store in a zip lock plastic bag, a 1 gallon bag holds 3 tubes nicely.

I then store the plastic bags in a good, air tight plastic container. If you feel the material getting hard, fold a paper towel into quarters, soak the towel and store in the bag with the compound. I do this in the summer, in winter just a plastic bag and plastic container is enough to keep moist. You want it as soft as a tube of liverwurst, maybe a bit harder.

If too soft, leave in open air about an hour, if too hard add a table spoon of water to the bag with the paper towel and it will soften in an hour or two. Do not leave in the sun, it will melt, on a hot day. If left open it will get rock hard, just add water, it’s not ruined.

I do not refrigerate, keep sealed and out of the sun. Wear safety glasses and Do Not stand in front of the wheel when applying…