Thread: Polishing the honing band

In what way is it safe to polish the honing band without fear of damaging it? Specifically, is it OK to lightly polish it with Flitz on the polishing wheel of a Dremel tool?

Using the dremmel should be fine with a polishing wheel particularly if you are focusing around the spine. Use light pressure and keep it moving. Beware, many an unwary dremmel user has chipped the blade when polishing toward the cutting edge.

It is always safe to use any wheel if you use it safely. Common sense, take your time, wear eye protection. no loose clothing, hair or jewelry; pay very careful attention that the rotation of the wheel is such that the wheel runs off the edge of whatever you are buffing (as opposed to rolling onto the material which will catch and pull your substrate from your grip and throw it with enough force to damage whatever you're polishing and your flesh, bones and tendons.) Be certain the wheel is in good shape. Loose threads hanging from a spinning buffing wheel can cause surprisinglly hilarious results including death and destruction. Don't wear gloves! There are differing schools of thought on this but the one that disagrees with me is wrong and dangerous. Gloved hands near a rotating wheel very often result in broken and/or missing fingers.

Bradzilla

Originally Posted by lawman2

In what way is it safe to polish the honing band without fear of damaging it? Specifically, is it OK to lightly polish it with Flitz on the polishing wheel of a Dremel tool?

I don't think it is clear what part of a razor you are trying to polish... When you say "honing band" if you mean bevel, then by all means do NOT polish it with a dremel if you expect the razor to stay sharp. If you mean something else by honing band, then let us know, but trying to polish an already sharp edge with a dremel is like trying to make your fire bigger with water.

Originally Posted by Philadelph

I don't think it is clear what part of a razor you are trying to polish... When you say "honing band" if you mean bevel, then by all means do NOT polish it with a dremel if you expect the razor to stay sharp. If you mean something else by honing band, then let us know, but trying to polish an already sharp edge with a dremel is like trying to make your fire bigger with water.

I think he's referring to the hone-worn facet along the spine which is coplanar to the bevel.

icedog is correct. When I say honing band, I refer to that portion of blade, besides the bevel, that contacts the hone.

Thanks to all.

You don't have to polish it. It will get polished when you actually hone the razor.

Originally Posted by Seraphim

You don't have to polish it. It will get polished when you actually hone the razor.

He maybe doesn't want a sharrp edge but only a shiny flat.

this is tough i am typing with only my left hand because my right flipper is in a sling for six weeks.

Originally Posted by Seraphim

You don't have to polish it. It will get polished when you actually hone the razor.

I understand what you mean now, but I agree with Seraphim here. Why polish it when it will already be polished up to like 8k-16k on a hone? That's a mirror finish already. And why have that part shiny if there's no edge?

Regardless, yes, you can polish it with Flitz and a dremel polishing wheel all you want!