Thread: Which Polish Compounds? Which buffing wheels?

I have an 8 inch Ryobi bench grinder and I'm new to buffing/polishing razors. Which compounds do I need and where do I buy them? Not sure if the different colors have standardized grits and ingredients that make them the same so I choose based on the color? Also not sure if I need a particular cotton wheel or if one type has advantages over another?

Try here :
https://sharprazorpalace.com/worksho...wers-here.html
Safety first is a good tip.

That thread ∆∆∆∆ is the right place to start learning the basics.

It also depends on what you are trying to achieve and the condition of the steel to begin with.

Are you looking for a mirror, satin, rust or pit removal, is the steel sanded and to what grit? Or are you cleaning up a razor, what is the condition, rust, pits or just polish?

Typically, I use a 600 grit Scotch Brite radial wheel to clean or from a 600-grit sanded finish to Green Stainless compound bar then a finish compound red or white on a loose wheel.

Not all compound is alike, in both composition/formula and performance. Neither are wheels, you get what you pay for. So, spend a bit more and buy good wheels, the difference in price is about a dollar more, but they will last longer and give you better performance.

Wheel size is important, not just what fits on your buffer or grinder. Which by the way there is a difference, buffers have longer shafts and motors are thinner, so you can access the wheels easier without hitting the motor housing. It is not just convenience. I use spacers made from PVC pipe to move the wheel as far out from the motor to give me more clearance, even an extra ½ inch makes a difference.

You will be holding a straight razor in your bare hands with a wheel spinning at 1700 to 3500 rpm, any bump or unexpected disturbance can send the steel flying. Invest in a buffer, You can buy a Harbor Freight buffer for about $40, on sale. They are good buffers, many of us have them and have used them for years. $40, is cheap insurance.

Buffers come in 1750 and 3500 rpm, I have both, you just have to understand the difference and use less pressure with a faster buffer as it will heat material faster.

Wheel size will determine the wheel speed, larger faster, smaller slower, but can you get to the material with a smaller wheel and your buffer/grinder.

Generally, use a spiral sewn wheel to cut, (remove metal) and a loose wheel to buff/shine. I use 4-inch wheels and finish on 6-inch loose wheels.

I use WD40 and paper towels to clean polish and swarf from razors. Invest in a good wheel rake. Raking is dangerous, so buy a good large rake that you can hold with 2 hands, clean it with WD40 and a toothbrush. Also, you do not need to tighten the bolts on cloth wheel, hand tight is good enough and easy to quick change wheels.

I buy all my wheels from Castwell Plating, they also have a great buffing polishing tutorial., (How to buff and polish) in the upper left-hand corner of the buffing wheel page.

You cannot change grit on a wheel once you use it for a specific grit or compound. It will always carry that compound, so buy more wheel than you think you will need, at least one for each compound.

Write on the side of the wheel which compound you are using. Write high enough on the wheel that you can read it over the stabilizing washers.

The link to the library is a great resource, Glenn’s post (Walking a WB through the buffers) in Cleaning and Polishing, is a great primer. There is not a lot of buffing information in the library, but if you search “buffing” in the Advance search, tons of good buffing threads are available.

Go slow, be careful, think about what you are about to do, wear eye and dust protection, do not wear gloves. Watch for heat, bare hands will tell you. Always have the edge away from rotation direction, a razor will rip from your hands in a fraction of a second.

There is a learning curve. Buy some true junk razors off of eBay and use them to figure out how it actually works out. They can very easily round off the lines on razors, and they look terrible compared to properly hand sanded and buffed razors. Take your time.

Here is also a great video tutorial by Brad (Undream) on restoration and buffing.

I rarely use Greaseless compound anymore, because it washes out the sharp lines and prefer to hand sand.

Though 600 greaseless is great for cleaning jimps. For Greaseless compound use 2 wheels, so as Brad recommends, one is drying as the other is in use, (Make sure to mark your wheels).

A 600-grit scotch Brite radial wheel can take the place of 600 greaseless for jimps, they are a bit pricy, but last a long time and are performers.

If you are doing a lot of restoration, Radial wheel are the way to go, they also sell smaller radial wheels for Dremel’s for detail work, cheap and super effective, huge time savers.

(Straight Razor Restoration Start to Finish Video Series)

https://shavelibrary.com/w/Straight_...h_Video_Series

Originally Posted by RezDog

There is a learning curve. Buy some true junk razors off of eBay and use them to figure out how it actually works out. They can very easily round off the lines on razors, and they look terrible compared to properly hand sanded and buffed razors. Take your time.

hand buffed?

I would be hand sanding up to 3k or 5k grit, possibly 7k.

Originally Posted by RezDog

There is a learning curve. Buy some true junk razors off of eBay and use them to figure out how it actually works out. They can very easily round off the lines on razors, and they look terrible compared to properly hand sanded and buffed razors. Take your time.

What do you mean by "round off the lines?"

Rounding the lines refers to the edges/corners of the razor that don't include the cutting edge. Like the tang, spine and indentations on the tang stamp.