Thread: Dremel Buff=blotchy... why?

Occasionally I have tried out those felt buffing pads on my dremel with MAAS or polishing compound to polish up a blade. Whenever I try this, it always seems to leave a blotchy/cloudy/spotted finish. Why is this? Is the speed too slow/fast? Am I not polishing long enough or maybe too much? Anybody come across this?

Could be too fast, but the main culprit is too much pressure. If you go lightly over the blade in even strokes, you should get a nice smooth finish.

I use them unless i am doing a final polish. And I can press pretty hard. When it comes out splotchy or dull it is usually a cutting compount. a white polishing compound is a good polish but sometimes needs to be followed up by a hand polish to clear the last scratches. My final hand polish has green compound in it. I use the fine stainless polishing compound for light cutting followed by chromium oxide and then i the hand polish uses calcined aliuminum oxide. the Stainless leaves swirls, the chromium is a mirror finish usually and the aluminum adds the bright lustre.

The compound that comes with the dremel kits is tripoli which is coarse and greasy and will leave marks. It is a cut not a polish.


compounds
http://www.englishcustompolish.com/usca/abrasives.html
finish polish
http://www.englishcustompolish.com/usca/showmans.html

For hand polishing go in sequence based on how nasty it is
Heavy duty hand polish
http://www.englishcustompolish.com/u...lrestorer.html
General purpose polish
http://www.englishcustompolish.com/usca/general.html
then the finish polish


And here is a polishing tutorial
http://www.englishcustompolish.com/usca/howto.html

I've used the Dremel compound and still got a nice even finish. If you're gentle on the pressure, it'll be ok. However, for the next batch of resto projects, I'll use a mix of 0.5 micron chromium oxide powder and mineral oil. Results to be posted

Good info here, thanks guys!

If I use a Dremel I use the large muslin wheels. Heat is something that can cloud a finish quickly so I move the wheel steadily and with very little pressure. I hand finish to make sure I don't mess it up.

I usually use simichrome polish (or equivilent such as MAAS) with a medium felt wheel on my dremel for polishing. I rarely go with much speed, and, I've never had a splotchy finish. As it's rather rare that I get a blade that only requires polishing, I usually refinish the blades before polishing, so, there may be the possibility that polishing a blade that doesn't have a 'fresh' surface may be more likely to leave a splotchy finish. Also, once the felt wheels start to get that waxy substance all over them, I throw it away and start with a fresh one. Once they get that waxiness, they seem to be less effective and start to leave a pitch like substance on the blade that is abit of a pain to clean off.

Toxik- I'm only talking about this showing up on blades that have a polish of 2k grit sandpaper plus. It happeded using MAAS as well. The finishes look better IMO with the 2k wet finish that with anything I've gotten from the dremel buffing wheels yet. I might try those oxides Chris mentioned.

The black waxy is a combination of the wet lap (the binder that holds the abrasives), the protectant, the abrasive, and the metal/rust(also a great abrasive) caking on the blade and is actually good. If it seems less effective that is because the cut or polish is finer. A buffing wheel can be used until it falls apart or wears away to to small. They are designed that way. A felt buff is the same. You just can only use 1 abrasive on it. It is the same reason you should not turn a polishing cloth when it turns black in a spot cause the oxide is a good abrasive and will help the polish

Originally Posted by The Topher

The black waxy is a combination of the wet lap (the binder that holds the abrasives), the protectant, the abrasive, and the metal/rust(also a great abrasive) caking on the blade and is actually good. If it seems less effective that is because the cut or polish is finer. A buffing wheel can be used until it falls apart or wears away to to small. They are designed that way. A felt buff is the same. You just can only use 1 abrasive on it. It is the same reason you should not turn a polishing cloth when it turns black in a spot cause the oxide is a good abrasive and will help the polish

Cool, now I know. I still think I'll keep swapping out wheels once the stuff really accumulates. I just seem to get better, more even results when I do so.