Buffing-- kicked up a notch!

[BKind2Anmls]

Ripples

I tried buffing my CA finish and ended up with a ripple look in the finish. This was after polishing the CA to 12,000. It's nothing you can feel but you can see it in the light. I tried buffing very lightly. Could it be that I am still buffing too firmly or not firmly enough? Too long or not long enough? I hold the blank with my thumb and index finger over the ends and buff it with the blank held parallel to the wheel (up and down).

 

[Quality Pen]

I tried buffing my CA finish and ended up with a ripple look in the finish. This was after polishing the CA to 12,000. It's nothing you can feel but you can see it in the light. I tried buffing very lightly. Could it be that I am still buffing too firmly or not firmly enough? Too long or not long enough? I hold the blank with my thumb and index finger over the ends and buff it with the blank held parallel to the wheel (up and down).

I can't say for sure, but I would say for sure you should hold the blank with something inside it that you hold -- like keeping it on the mandrel or putting it on a screwdriver.

Otherwise, you're probably just waiting to shoot that blank right out of your hand!

 

[nicolanti]

This does really seem backwards. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Edit: To clarify, I use the plastic-glo "ultra-fine" before the plastic "fine" compound. Sounds backwards but after calling Caswell, they confirmed that the plastic "fine" gives a finer polish than the ultra fine. Different manufacturers naming their compounds is a bit confusing.

 

[Skie_M]

Yeah, that seems very backwards .... but why are you digging up a 3 year old thread to chat about it? Feel free to start a new thread conversation!


Now ... in my case, before taking it to the buffing wheel, I sand up to 12,000 micromesh and then hit it with Meguair's Plast-X followed by Turtle Wax Hard Surface ... (the wax also provides some extra lubricant for the buff to work with), and then buff with the white compound only if I see surface ripples and imperfections that need to be taken down further ... the final buff is clean except for the turtle wax that's rubbed on it right before I turn up the speed to max ....


Don't forget to head on over to the Introductions forum and make your presence felt ... we also have a little contest for those that post their intros ... every month there's a free box of blanks headed out to a new turner here!

 

[nicolanti]

Texatdurango uses the ultra fine before the fine. Does anyone else buff this way?

 

[its_virgil]

George (Texatdurango) explained why in his original post. He went straight to the horse's mouth and got his answer. Anyone else use his method? I do.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

 

[thebillofwrites]

Texatdurango uses the ultra fine before the fine. Does anyone else buff this way?

The way I understand the OP's first post is that the two different compounds are manufactured by 2 different companies. And just because one calls his "Ultra-Fine" does not necessarily mean that it is actually more Fine than the other guys compound. In this case, the "Fine" is finer than the "ultra-Fine" )

But then again, I could be wrong?

Bill

 

[TonyL]

This does really seem backwards. Has anyone else had a similar
experience?

Over a year ago, I was on a first name basis with the guy(s) from Caswell. I thought why not try something(s) beyond Tripoli and white diamond. To quote the reps I spoke to (Ya gotta to speak to more than one to ensure the first guy isn't rushing ya off the phone ), "It sounds backwards but this is the progression." I am paraphrasing, but both volunteered the same warnings to me. I'm fact, in "my" article in the library, I indicate the order with the item/product number; I may even note the confusion. Since using Caswell's products (or the ones they distribute), I tried the ones by Menzerna (and proceeded to drive them nuts with questions. Menzerna USA. I like the Menzerna compounds, (concidently, I was having one of my guitars repaired, and the luthier had the Menzerna products laying around; he also had Turtle wax polish.). I like the Menzerna slightly better because I find it to leave a little less compound dust. As I tell all.....there are many folks that achieve an awesome finish with Novus or Tripoli compound. I am just unable to achieve what they can...so I have to do this . In fact, I have two guys coming over next Saturday, and both do not use buffers and I am going to have them show me how they do it.

I hope this helps got tired of wet sanding...so I do this. I do wet sand and use MM with M3 and Tru Stone though, but use the attached, for plastics, CA, and Solarez finishes.

Wayne did a exemplary job editing my attachment for the Library. I would encourage one to give that one a look. I just didn't know how to attach it while replying.

 

[malonjw]

If you like your buffing finishes on your CA finished or acrylic pens and are content with the shine they give you then read no further.

However if you want to kick the gloss up a notch you might consider trying this.....

1. Visit Caswell plating
2. Order a few Canton flannel buffs. These are GOOD, HIGH quality buffs, not your run of the mill Harbor Freight buffs or those found at Lowes or Home Depot.

3. Order a stick of "Plastic" buffing compound (fine)
4. Order a stick of "Plastic-Glo" (ultra fine - dry grade)

Take your tripoli and white diamond and set them in a drawer somewhere out of the way where they will be safe for a long time, because you probably won't use them again! Well, I actually still use mine, I have two buffers sitting side by side and have all four compounds set out with their respective buff. With the buffers sitting side by side, it's easy to see the difference when you do a pen with white diamond then move over to the Plastic-glo ultra fine compound!

I have been using these buffs and compounds for over a year now and am tickled pink with them and think they have improved the shine of my pens tremendously. Another thread about buffing reminded me that someone asked me a while back about the buffs I used.

Edit: To clarify, I use the plastic-glo "ultra-fine" before the plastic "fine" compound. Sounds backwards but after calling Caswell, they confirmed that the plastic "fine" gives a finer polish than the ultra fine. Different manufacturers naming their compounds is a bit confusing.

Texatduragon. Are you using Canton Flannel on both wheels?

 

[jttheclockman]

Texatduragon. Are you using Canton Flannel on both wheels?

Sorry he left this site back in 2016. Maybe read through entire post and find an answer.

 

[mrburls]

Texatduragon. Are you using Canton Flannel on both wheels?

Yes I think he use for both. That is who I learned to use these wheels and compounds. This system works great.

 

[RunnerVince]

For those of you who are buffing, am I right in interpreting that you're skipping the micromesh?

I've been using a sand > micromesh > 4-step polish, and I'm wondering if the polish is doing the same thing as buffing. I'm about to run out of three of my polishes, and it'll be about the same cost as a buffing setup to get new polish, so just wondering.

Has anyone done a comparison of buffing vs. polishing? What about sanding, micromesh, then buffing vs. skipping from sanding to buffing?

 

[jttheclockman]

For those of you who are buffing, am I right in interpreting that you're skipping the micromesh?

I've been using a sand > micromesh > 4-step polish, and I'm wondering if the polish is doing the same thing as buffing. I'm about to run out of three of my polishes, and it'll be about the same cost as a buffing setup to get new polish, so just wondering.

Has anyone done a comparison of buffing vs. polishing? What about sanding, micromesh, then buffing vs. skipping from sanding to buffing?

Somewhere here lately this question came up or something similar within a thread. I had mentioned that I did a comparison and to my naked eye I did not see a difference so I just went back to MM and finish the way I always did. No I did not MM when I polished. I have the Bealle Buffing system.

 

[hilltopper46]

I definitely see an improvement when I buff. If I wet sand a CA finish with 600 and 1500 and then buff, I can't see any difference to working up to 12K Micromesh and then buffing. Same with Acrylics. If I have a very special pen I will use Micromesh and then buff, but for "everyday slimlines" the time savings to skip the MM is significant when making a batch of 10 pens or so.

 

[InkyMike]

In my purely subjective test I did on my last pen I saw a difference at 3x magnification between stopping after the full course of MM and then after buffing. I could not see the difference without magnification.

 

[RunnerVince]

It's been nasty weather here lately, so I haven't been able to get out to the balcony where my lathe lives until this week. But I finally got out, and did a few pens and skipped the micromesh.

My normal process is to sand the unfinished blank to 600 if I don't get a great tool finish. I will occasionally go all the way through the MM grits on a very special pen or a highly figured blank, but this isn't typical. I apply 8-10 coats of CA with activator about every 3 coats, sand lightly with 600 or 800 grit paper, then MM, then the four-step polish (Dr. Kirk's Scratch Free, and then Dr. Kirk's Micro Magic 1-3). I sand and polish right after applying the last coat of finish.

This week, I skipped the micromesh. On one pen, I just did the Dr. Kirk's Scratch Free, and on the other, I did all four polishes. I can't tell a difference between my normal process and either of the two pens I did this week.

Takeaway: I'm going to remove MM from my process. If my very self-critical eye can't see the difference, my customers won't either. I'll use up what I have of the Dr. Kirk's Micro Magic 3-step polish, but after that I don't think I'll buy any more. The Dr. Kirk's Scratch Free will be fine.

It's funny because when I first started making pens, I noticed substantial improvement in my finish when I added micro mesh, the Scratch Free polish, and the Micro Magic polishes. Now, I'm not seeing a difference. I certainly don't think the quality of these products has gone down. That leads me to conclude that my turning and finishing skills have improved substantially. Part of that is of course practice, practice, practice. The other big part, IMO, is the wonderful advice I've gotten on this forum and from my local(ish) turning shop. Thanks to the great folks here and at CSUSA for all the help there!