90 Degrees

[CASBEN]

I know its been a while since i last posted, but you know how it is, you got work to do
So far Ive had pretty good luck, Polished some pieces that i am really proud of. But I have run into new problems and need professional help.

I have learned that the best way to get previous grit marks out is to sand at 90 degrees with the next grit. But there are some parts that are almost impossible to do. I have had to do it at the same angle, so when i go to buffing the scratches show up. I usually start at 220 (it has worked the best for me), then i move up to 320 and then 400g. Could anyone tell how this is done?

PS: Does the white rouge work for anybody? I have tried it after the green but have not noticed any improvement. I purchased a fine green compound from Home Depot that works better than the white, it really brings out the shine.

[baz]

Originally Posted by CASBEN

I know its been a while since i last posted, but you know how it is, you got work to do
So far Ive had pretty good luck, Polished some pieces that i am really proud of. But I have run into new problems and need professional help.

I have learned that the best way to get previous grit marks out is to sand at 90 degrees with the next grit. But there are some parts that are almost impossible to do. I have had to do it at the same angle, so when i go to buffing the scratches show up. I usually start at 220 (it has worked the best for me), then i move up to 320 and then 400g. Could anyone tell how this is done?

PS: Does the white rouge work for anybody? I have tried it after the green but have not noticed any improvement. I purchased a fine green compound from Home Depot that works better than the white, it really brings out the shine.

buffing at 90 degrees is a good practice , it makes it easier to see scratches left by the previous grit ,however it is not a must . most places even if you can t sand 90 degrees you can have a slightly different angle then previous grit that way if you still have scratches you will know wich step needs more sanding by looking at the angle of the scratches

[Rasper]

You don't say what metal you are polishing. If you are using green, I am guessing it is stainless.

I polish a bit of stainless. I have experimented with emery, green, white, and with blue as a finishing touch. I find that emery works great with felt bobs, but it just won't cut stainless very well on a sewn buff. And the white seems to leave a bit less shine than the green. I final sand stainless with worn out 400 and then go with the green, all the way. If you get it hot and press down on it, that green really cuts. Then some light passes to get a polish. I have tried blue as a final polish, and I think it shines a little more, but I may be dreaming.

Richard

[mpierich]

Originally Posted by CASBEN

I know its been a while since i last posted, but you know how it is, you got work to do
So far Ive had pretty good luck, Polished some pieces that i am really proud of. But I have run into new problems and need professional help.

I have learned that the best way to get previous grit marks out is to sand at 90 degrees with the next grit. But there are some parts that are almost impossible to do. I have had to do it at the same angle, so when i go to buffing the scratches show up. I usually start at 220 (it has worked the best for me), then i move up to 320 and then 400g. Could anyone tell how this is done?

PS: Does the white rouge work for anybody? I have tried it after the green but have not noticed any improvement. I purchased a fine green compound from Home Depot that works better than the white, it really brings out the shine.

Doesn't have to be 90, any variation will help. A strong light is best.

I use black then white almost exclusively for production polishing, and yes there is most definitely an improvement with the white.

Green is usually recommended for stainless I believe. I've used it on spiral wheels after cutting down with black on sisal.

[CASBEN]

Yeah the green is for the stainless. For stainless i usually go from the black to the green and then to the white on a spiral sewn. it is from the green to the white that there is no improvement. Sometimes it even makes it worse.
For aluminum i use the black to brown and then some fine compound from home depot. I found that the green doesn't work well on aluminum.

Thanks for the sanding tips, i usually sand under sun light but ill try to get a strong light and see if that helps.

PS: Has anybody stopped at 320g and gone to the black compound? Do you still get the same results from 400g?

[mpierich]

Originally Posted by CASBEN

PS: Has anybody stopped at 320g and gone to the black compound? Do you still get the same results from 400g?

Yep, I usually stop at 320 unless I happen to have 400 in the tool I need to do the work. I do have 400-grit belts so I use them on wide flat surfaces like valve covers and primary cases.

[Rasper]

When I go from green to white on stainless I have the same thing: sometimes it gets worse. I think green is the best final compound for stainless. I use it with light pressure and less heat for the finish. I haven't found anything that finishes stainless better.

[CASBEN]

Yeah, sometimes I stop at 320 because I get lazy and dont feel like sanding no more. Just wanted to ask and see if it is a good thing or not.

I haven't found anything good for stainless after the green either, but what i do is just rub it with some mild cutting polish to clean it up and done.