Wheel dressing

[Jim Dorin]

My spiral/tripoli wheel is looking kinda gooped up. It has an almost solid looking buffing surface that is a black/aluminum color. (Aluminum is what I've been polishing). How do you know when the wheel is properly dessed and what can I do to get/kepp it that way?

It leaves deposits of compund that I have to remove with varsol. Help!!

[mcaswell]

Use a wheel rake.

http://www.caswellplating.com/wheel_rake.htm

Offer the jagged blade to the edge of the spinning wheel, and work it across the face until the wheel looks bright and fluffy once more. This action, done periodically, will remove entrapped metal particles, which could scratch a more delicate part. Or take the blade from an old rough cut log saw, or large hacksaw, and cut it about one foot long. Wrap several layers of duct tape around each end to make a handle similar to a bicycle handlebar grip.