Cut & Color?

[Stryder]

Okay as a newbie polisher (although I find the forum ranking amusing :P) I'm still having some issues with the terms "Cut & Color". Cut, medium to heavy pressure, against the rotation; color, medium to light pressure, with the rotation. I can recite it in my sleep.

Where I am confused here is why would the motion (against or with rotation) make any difference? An 8" wheel is moving at approx 120 feet per second with no load.... how would moving the part either way make any appreciable difference? Or is it more a matter of you can control the pressures more one way or another?

Maybe I'm analyzing this too much... it's my nature, sorry. :P

[Matt Harwood]

I've wondered the same thing myself. I'm curious to see what the answer will be...

[tomg552001]

When you are going against the wheel, you are creating more friction and "resistance". When you go with the wheel, its much more gentile. It's a hard concept for me to explain in words but the way i see it is this. Picture 2 cars crashing into each other, and than 2 cars going in the same direction one infront of the other, with the second one going a bit faster than than the first. The 2 crashing into each other, is much more harsh, just like the "cut" action and the 2 cars going in the same direction is less harsh, like a "color" motion. Dunno if that makes any sense, but i think the real key is the amount of friction and resistance created by the motion. I sure hope im right, if im not someone please correct me .

[bhhodges]

tom,

its clear to me ,like you said against makes more friction and with the wheel is much less but its something where hands on is the key as well. the extended shafts on my buffer makes it much easier to cut and color properly as well.

bill

[skiddz]

I don't know the why's and wherefor's, but the technique works for me. I don't think I wanna know why 'cuz if I did, my parts would start coming out crappy 'cuz I'd be thinking too much about it. hehehe

[Stryder]

It's a curse I swear... I have to over-analyze everything. :P

[jhelm]

How fast do you guys "move" the part back and forth? If I have a 6 inch part, do I slowly move the cutting action, or quickly?

[tomg552001]

When im polishing i seem to go slower with the cut, than the color.

[jhelm]

Could you define that a little more? When you say slower on the cut, do you mean 6 seconds as opposed to 3 seconds?

I've never actaully seen anyone do this before, so I'm wondering if I'm moving the part too fast (I probably am) or too slow.

Thanks!

[tomg552001]

Id say i go half as slow on the cut than the color. 1-2 per inch of travel is probally a fair guestimate of speed on the cut motion.