polishing help

[hvacman250]

First off, let me say I am having great success polishing. I'm really fishing for tips/tricks. Here are my three steps I'm using, per Caswell's advice:

Sisal - black
Spiral sewn - brown
Loose cotton - white

If the part was gloss pre-stripping, I skip black compound (if there are no scratches)

Is this OK, or should I be always using black?

On a barrel, how long are you polishing it with each compound? I usually spend 2-3 minutes per piece? Enough? Too long?

Main question:

How are you paintball guys polishing tiny pieces? On/off knobs, feedneck knobs, eye covers, etc.
3000 rpms doesnt feel good on my fingers

Like I said before, my gloss looks good, I just think it can be glossier.

[acidrain]

I actually don't go to the mirror-gloss step with white... the ano process dulls it a little anyway, so I stop at brown. Also, it would mean setting up a second machine. I sometimes use mothers mag polish by hand after the brown when I want an exceptional finish though.
I probably spend 10 minutes per part on average when polishing (both steps).
For small parts, try using a holder... a bolt the right size that can be threaded into parts works well. Even a loop of electrical wire passed through a hole for extra grip. I use that method on Shocker eye covers (really tiny).
For added protection, I have a catch-box, which is lined with carpeting positioned under and behind the wheels to catch any flung parts.
For parts that are already gloss, skip the black and go right to brown.
The biggest gloss saver I've found is a degreaser that will not dull the gloss before going in the ano tank. I got a sample from a local plating supplier (and it works great!), but the smallest they will sell is 400lbs. I've thought about asking Caswell if they're interested in carrying this product, but never have.
How are you cleaning your parts, and how is the gloss before going in the tank?

[hvacman250]

Well, I'm experimenting tonight. I just stripped 22 parts that were gloss, and I ran them all through a quick black/sisal step. I've got a feeling Im gonna like the results. I'll have to see after I do brown tomorrow.

That was another thing too, Rick. I cant tell a difference before white and after. Brown seems as high a gloss as I can get.
After polish, I go to lacquer thinner with a toothbrush, then diluted dish soap, then degreaser for as little as possible to pass WB.

I have heard you guys say no toothbrush or soap, but I have the softest toothbrush ever made, and it has been used for cleaning for years. It honestly feels like my cotton wheels.

Anyway, I have never seen a difference in my gloss/shine before ano and after. My main dilemna was getting them to a better shine before ano. Looking through you "pro's" gallery, your gloss almost looks wet, and I cant seem to get to that stage. Mine is shiny, but lacking that wet look.

[acidrain]

Try the Mothers... it seems to give it that wet look.
I use a toothbrush too.

[destroyer125]

Try Black on sisal > Brown on cotton spiral sewn wheel > Jewelers blueish-white rogue on a loose cotton wheel

Then clean up with dishsoap. The blue compound and the loose wheel gives that liquid gloss look


Ive found when edges are slightly rounded, the customer notices the "Wet" look more then they do when the part still had sharp edges.

[acidrain]

BLUBC5? Never used that. That works well, huh?
Very true (the rounded edges). The "wet look" is almost an illusion.

You guys getting massive requests for buffing out dust finishes? I am, and I hate it.
I don't know if it's because a lot of manufacturers are not offering gloss as much (if at all... Dye) anymore, or if what, but I'm basically doubling the ano costs to change from dust to gloss. Honestly, I'm mostly just turning that work away.

[hvacman250]

I think I am on gun #8, with one being dust. I think gloss is a fad now, because everybody sure wants it, and I HATE doing it!

And yes, I'll turn those jobs down too. I priced my gloss high thinking I would discourage people, but they pay it anyway. If I could outsorce my polishing at a semi-decent price, I would in a heartbeat!

Im gonna go to blue this time, skipping white, and see what happens.

This will be my first lime green, so wish me luck

[destroyer125]

Gloss is something people will always prefer over dust, Human nature is to like shiney objects (bling bling) over dull ones. Ive always been getting massive amounts of people wanting polishing jobs. Its to much of a pain to sort out the fact of their gun being dust or gloss now, and then what they want, so I charge high just for someone wanting it to touch a buffing wheel (I hate the mess in the shop and on me too), No matter its previous finish.

As far as outsourcing your buffing for a good price, ive tried paying a few local people to buff stuff here at the shop, they didnt last more then a few hours up to the quality I wanted(The point of it is to smooth it out, not just go over it with the wheel). Metal finishing shops will charge $4-5 per part minumum, those prices being on parts you can buff out in a second, bodies running anywhere in the range of $10-40 each; Not in our price ranges I dont believe. Buffing keeps leading me farther and farther closer to buying tumblers and chemicals that will make it easier and faster. Both have their downsides, and precautions and requirements to become suitable for our needs. Tumblers would involve massive masking of internal bores, and for some wouldnt be cost effective or not fast enough, as some parts may need to go for 24-72 hrs in each medium. Multiple tumblers to house the different steps in the process for our needs would get pricey quick, as the ones big enough to hold a DM body runs about 800 each and run on 220v I believe. Ive checked into electropolishing, Great way to speed things up. Cost effective? No. I checked with a manufacture about selling me some, Taking if I wanted to pay about $18.00 per gallon in lots of 55 gallons of the solution. Also requiring a recitifier of pulling 12v 40amps per sq ft. The process only removes about ~.0003 so the chances of zapping a part is slim to none, and the chemicals are very mildly corrosive and contain no nitric acid or other common bright dip chems like phosphoric or chromic acid at all. Another thing the company noted to me, was that the stuff has a short shelf life, and constantly has to be titrated and replenished when the stuff starts to go bad (They told me on average, every 2 weeks)

[starns]

hey smurf post pics of the pm6 with Ul u did it came out great as far as polish goes...im doing one myself right now(literally) ill post pics and see what yall think too...dust black to gloss teal had no probs with dust to gloss transition...definately a 30$ price increase atleast.

[hvacman250]

Here, look at them all I did a PM6 last week and a PM7 today, both with UL.

http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=5726823

On the latest PM7, I started with brown, then white, then went to blue, followed by a quick rub down with Mothers Mag.

Its still not the liquid gloss Id like to see, but the customer and I are both satisfied.