Thread: Greaseless compounds

I was just wondering if any major chain stores carry it. If not, where else should I look(hobby stores, jewelry stores, etc.)? I picked up three little gems at a gun and knife show earlier today and they need to be cleaned up a little. Would .5 CrOx work if made into a paste and applied to a buffing wheel?

For power wheel buffing, you want your abrasive in a wax base. There are many you can pick from, animal fat based, petroleum based parafins or even beeswax. Once your wheel is charged it will stick and not be flying off all over. I use a large wheel charged with CrO in wax and it works great for buffing out stains, light pitting etc.

Is there a specific type of wax or will pretty much any kind work.

I looked at my local Home Depot, Lowes and Ace Hardware for greaseless compounds and couldn't find any. Ace Hardware had some buffing compounds/rouges, but I didn't see anything that indicated the grits, nor could any of the employees tell me. I don't know, but is there some sort of 'standard' grit or progression for black, blue, red, and green rouges?


Anyway, I eventually wound up ordering from Caswell:


Caswell Inc. - Standard Buffing Compounds


They seemed to be reasonably priced with quick shipping. Although the shipping costs for the compounds, like anything else to Hawaii, where a little steep.

Originally Posted by bulldog

Is there a specific type of wax or will pretty much any kind work.

I mix all my buffing abrasives in beeswax. I only do that because I use several different kinds of pigmented abrasives for burnishing wood finishes. I am sure you could use any type of wax that is more cost effective or you can buy the CrO buffing compounds that are already prepared. The idea is that the buffing wheel melts the wax and that is how they are charged. Easy to make and easier to buy.
Also, I pour the mix in pvc pipe than just cut off a in or so of the pipe with band saw and slide off to expose fresh clean wax.

Eastwood also sales greaseless...

McMaster Carr in Chicago, IL sells greaseless.

McMaster-Carr

It is not listed as "Greaseless Buffing Compound" but rather as "Satin-Finish Buffing Compound". When you actually get it, the tube does say Greaseless Buffing Compound. It is made by a company called Kocour and the tubes weigh about 2.75 lbs. each. One drawback is that McMaster does not have a 600 grit. That you'll have to get elsewhere.

Best,

Mark