Polishing tight corners. New guy.

[pickleboy]

Originally Posted by chefboiali

And you are referring to these, correct?

Thanks again to you both for your help.

yes that is what i mentioned. and let me say that is a pretty impressive assortment. as for the jedi knights of polish, it is absolutely something that you get from doing the work. i can explain it all day but there is a feel that you will develop over time of doing it yourself that cant be taught.

[zazzn]

where did you purchase all the tips for the rotery tool I only find polishing tips that have 2-3 felt tips... I Need more and I can't find the seprate.

[chefboiali]

I actually got them on ebay. I don't mean to disrespect Caswell by telling people to look on ebay, however that is where I found them.

[chefboiali]

So I decided to put the vtec solenoid on hold and start on an alternator bracket, and the bracket that holds the power steering pump. I started with a sanding disc on my dremel, lightly on the top just to cut into it. Then like magic, the 220, 400, 600, 1000 went GREAT. Couldn't find 1500 at my local hardware store, so didn't worry about it. Got some black rouge to start and red to finish using felt polishing pads to on my dremel, and I got scratches. You can't see them very well on the pics (the pieces look GREAT at a distance) lol, but how can I NOT get the scratches next time? I'm still saving money so that I can get a buffer that'll last me. I don't wanna get a weak one that's cheap and end up buying another one. I'm done with that.

[thesound]

First off, congrats on a job well done. Those turned out nice. Second, judging by the pics but not actually being able to see the part up close in person, I'm gonna guess that the scratches you have left are buffing marks. Do the scratches only seem to show up when you can see the light reflecting off the part from tilting it at certain angles? Are the scratches totally random, going in a million directions and give off the impression of looking at an aurora borealis? If so, those would be buffing marks.

[chefboiali]

Originally Posted by thesound

First off, congrats on a job well done. Those turned out nice. Second, judging by the pics but not actually being able to see the part up close in person, I'm gonna guess that the scratches you have left are buffing marks. Do the scratches only seem to show up when you can see the light reflecting off the part from tilting it at certain angles? Are the scratches totally random, going in a million directions and give off the impression of looking at an aurora borealis? If so, those would be buffing marks.

Thanks. I'm getting better at it. I really took my time. From your description, the marks are buffing marks. How preventable are they? They're not ALL over, but in certain spots. Very consistent. Almost like the rouge had an imperfection that kept spinning around the area marking it up. But just barely. I'm thinking that if I spent just a little bit more time sanding, it may have been better. I didn't alter my strokes sanding, either. That must be important. Is it also better to alter the direction during the buffing stage?

I also nicked them up pretty good when the dremel slipped. DOH! Being the beginner that I am, I'm more grateful for these errors so that I know what to expect. I've read many warnings from threads about holding that dremel tight.

Thanks for getting back to me. I'll get better at taking pictures of my work. Thanks for sharing.

[jrow]

chefboiali,

You might want to save yourself some grief and get some 4" buffs and use a 3/8" drill motor to buff your small parts. You will have a lot more control over the 4" buffs that your will the Dremel!

John

[chefboiali]

Originally Posted by jrow

chefboiali,

You might want to save yourself some grief and get some 4" buffs and use a 3/8" drill motor to buff your small parts. You will have a lot more control over the 4" buffs that your will the Dremel!

John

I've been thinking about that. To be honest, I live in an apt. with a very small balcony. Polishing has become sort of an escape for me. Taking something so run-of-the-mill and making it absolutely beautiful. Tonight for example, I took one of the pieces from the previous picture, and started over. 220, 320,400,600,1000. Did the same thing I did before, but it looks better. Less swirl marks etc. If I used a drill, I'd have to use a vice to hold the part down, and I don't really have the room. Any other suggestions? I'm still saving for a buffer that's at least 2HP.

Thanks for your suggestion about the drill.

[jrow]

chefboiali,

If your balcony has a railing, I couldn't think of one that wouldn't, you can purchase a vise that will clamp to the railing and your in business! I know it's tough living in an apartment and not having a place to work. I ported and polished a head in an apartment when my wife and I were first married. What a mess.

Try polishing, after you WET sand with 400 or 600 grit, it should cut your finishing time down.

John

[chefboiali]

Originally Posted by jrow

chefboiali,

If your balcony has a railing, I couldn't think of one that wouldn't, you can purchase a vise that will clamp to the railing and your in business! I know it's tough living in an apartment and not having a place to work. I ported and polished a head in an apartment when my wife and I were first married. What a mess.

Try polishing, after you WET sand with 400 or 600 grit, it should cut your finishing time down.

John

Yeah.. no metal railing. LOL It's a shame. Just the sandblasted rough **** balcony.

When I sanded the alternator bracket for the second time, I we sanded down to 1000, it got smoother. I just recieved my hand sander. Little Black and decker mouse model. Got it for a good price. Can I wet sand with it? I figure when I do my valve cover, it will cut my sanding down considerably.