What am I seeing - swirl marks?

[mpierich Metal Finishing Guru Find all posts View Profile Close mpierich]

Hi,

My process so far has been greaseless 120/220/320, then spiral emery/loose white/loose red. I get a nice deep shine with no directional scratches.

BUT, when a point souce of light hits it (light bulb, reflection of the sun), it is full of microscratches in a circular pattern surrounding the point light source.

Tried the powder, no joy. Going to try the kerosene I read about in one post but in the meantime: what are swirl marks and how do you get rid of them?

Thanks

Mike

[thesound Amateur Metal Finisher Find all posts View Profile Close thesound]

Try going a little higher in grit range with your sanding before you start in with the emery. Most say 400 grit will suffice but I always go to 600 just to be safe. Those "swirl marks" that you're seeing are the scratches left by the 320 grit that the emery compound wasn't able to buff out because they were too deep.

[mpierich Metal Finishing Guru Find all posts View Profile Close mpierich]

Thanks. I'll buy that, although I have gone as high as 600 wet, with the same results. Perhaps I didn't give it long enough.

So, can anybody describe a true swirl mark for me? I assume they are not mythical since much literature mentions them.

[Guest Close customandsound]

dump the sisal /emery and try sprial /emery then you will be fine

[mpierich Metal Finishing Guru Find all posts View Profile Close mpierich]

dump the sisal /emery and try sprial /emery then you will be fine

Thanx, but I generally don't use sisal on aluminum.

[Guest Close customandsound]

this was done today sprial black and white loose ;


this was before i cleaned it and coated it with carnuba

[Guest Close customandsound]

as you can see in the first pic the hazy that was just blow off sprial black

this pic is the finished

[mpierich Metal Finishing Guru Find all posts View Profile Close mpierich]

as you can see in the first pic the hazy that was just blow off sprial black

this pic is the finished

So the diff between the first and 2nd pic is just that it was cleaned and waxed?

[Guest Close customandsound]

nope !!! i hit it with red on a loose then cleaned and waxed it ..
i only used the black sprial and red loose not other compounds