31:
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Wooden wheels have emery or other abrasives glued onto them and are used to polish flat surfaces and maintain good edges. There are many types of cloth wheels. Cloth wheels that are cemented together are very hard and used for rough work, whereas other cloth wheels that are sewn and glued together are not as aggressive. There are cloth wheels that are not glued or cemented, and instead are sewn and have metal side plates for support. Solid felt wheels are popular for fine finishes. Hard roughing wheels can be made by cementing together
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138:. The cut motion is designed to give a uniform, smooth, semi-bright surface finish. This is achieved by moving the workpiece against the rotation of the buffing wheel, while using medium to hard pressure. The color motion gives a clean, bright, shiny surface finish. This is achieved by moving the workpiece with the rotation of the buffing wheel, while using medium to light pressure.
119:
until the desired finish is achieved. The rough (i.e. large grit) passes remove imperfections within the metal surface like pits, nicks, lines and scratches. The finer abrasives leave progressively finer lines that are not visible to the naked eye. A no. 8 ("mirror") finish requires polishing and buffing compounds, and polishing wheels attached to high speed polishing machines or
118:
The condition of the material at hand determines what type of abrasive will be applied. The first stage, if the material is unfinished, starts with a rough abrasive (perhaps 60 or 80 grit) and each subsequent stage uses a finer abrasive, such as 120, 180, 220/240, 320, 400 and higher grit abrasives,
148:
Polishing operations for items such as chisels, hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches, etc., are given a fine finish but not plated. In order to achieve this finish four operations are required: roughing, dry fining, greasing, and coloring. Note that roughing is usually done on a solid grinding wheel and
219:
Polishing wheels come in a wide variety of types to fulfil a wide range of needs. The most common materials used for polishing wheels are wood, leather, canvas, cotton cloth, plastic, felt, paper, sheepskin, impregnated rubber, canvas composition, and wool; leather and canvas are the most common.
89:
The removal of oxidization (tarnish) from metal objects is accomplished using a metal polish or tarnish remover; this is also called polishing. To prevent further unwanted oxidization, polished metal surfaces may be coated with wax, oil, or lacquer. This is of particular concern for copper alloy
243:
or unbleached. Specific types include: sisal, spiral sewn, loose cotton, canton flannel, domet flannel, denim, treated spiral sewn, cushion, treated vented, untreated vented, string buff, finger buff, sisal rope, mushroom, facer, tampered, scrubbing mushroom, hourglass buff, rag, "B", climax,
101:
to remove microscopic layers of metal from a base surface. This method of polishing can be fine-tuned to give a wide range of finishes, from matte to mirror-bright. Electropolishing also has an advantage over traditional manual polishing in that the finished product will not experience the
1075:, kitchenware, and architectural metal. In other applications such as pharmaceutical, dairy, and specialty plumbing, pipes are buffed to help prevent corrosion and to eliminate locations where bacteria or mold may reside. Buffing is also used to manufacture light reflectors.
70:
applied to the work wheel. Polishing is a more aggressive process, while buffing is less harsh, which leads to a smoother, brighter finish. A common misconception is that a polished surface has a mirror-bright finish, however, most mirror-bright finishes are actually buffed.
34:
A tarnished and unpolished silver bowl (left) and a polished silver piece (right). There is a visible difference in cleanliness and color. The piece held above the two bowls has also been polished. (These pieces are part of an 18th-century silver
123:. Lubricants like wax and kerosene may be used as lubricating and cooling media during these operations, although some polishing materials are specifically designed to be used "dry." Buffing may be done by hand with a stationary polisher or
247:
The following chart will help in deciding which wheels and compounds to use when polishing different materials. This chart is a starting point and experienced polishers may vary the materials used to suit different applications.
149:
for an extra fine polish the greasing operation may be broken up into two operations: rough greasing and fine greasing. However, for inexpensive items money is saved by only performing the first two operations.
141:
When polishing brass (a softer metal) there are often minute marks in the metal caused by impurities. To smooth out the finer marks, the surface is polished with a very fine (600) grit,
74:
Polishing is often used to enhance the appearance of an item, prevent contamination of instruments, remove oxidation, create a reflective surface, or prevent corrosion in pipes. In
86:
under a microscope. Silicon-based polishing pads or a diamond solution can be used in the polishing process. Polishing stainless steel can also increase its sanitary benefits.
1173:
168:, etc., is technically a buffing operation because it uses a loose abrasive, but removes a significant amount of material, like polishing.
1025:= A dryer, almost greaseless wheel - designed to polish without any cutting action. Safe on thin plates. Use on its own wheel.
1045:= Jeweller’s Rouge, designed to polish without any cutting action. Safe on thin plates. Use on its own wheel. Abrasive:
1222:
1241:
1013:= Blizzard compound, used for color and final finish of harder metals, has a cutting action. Abrasive: white
40:
224:
paper disks. Softer paper wheels are made from felt paper. Most wheels are run at approximately 7500
107:
51:
216:
is the abrasive used in green compounds that are typically used to finish ferrous metals (steels).
1213:
1084:
225:
989:
Compound, a coarse abrasive material for removal of scratches, pits, paint, rust etc. Abrasive:
30:
54:
processes for smoothing a workpiece's surface using an abrasive and a work wheel or a leather
1246:
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103:
21:
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Polishing may be used to enhance and restore the looks of certain metal parts or object on
8:
1034:
1001:= Tripoli compound used for general purpose cut and color on most soft metals. Abrasive:
213:
1160:
82:, polishing is used to create a flat, defect-free surface for examination of a metal's
1218:
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62:
refers to processes that uses an abrasive that is glued to the work wheel, while
1211:
Oberg, Erik; Jones, Franklin D.; Horton, Holbrook L.; Ryffel, Henry H. (2000),
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83:
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228:(SFM), however muslin, felt and leather wheels are usually run at 4000 SFM.
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is known as fine glazing or blue glazing. Sand buffing, when used on
1072:
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93:
While used less extensively than traditional mechanical polishing,
67:
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is an alternative form of polishing that uses the principles of
232:
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153:
180:
abrasives are used on high tensile strength metals, such as
236:
192:
abrasives are used on hard and brittle substances, such as
1064:
231:
Buffing wheels, also known as mops, are either made from
130:
When buffing there are two types of buffing motions: the
1140:
The care and preservation of historical brass and bronze
1033:= Used exclusively for Stainless Steel. Abrasive: green
1210:
145:, then buffed to a mirror finish with an airflow mop.
127:, or it may be automated using specialized equipment.
27:
Abrasive process for creating smooth finished surfaces
268:
Copper, brass, aluminium, pot metal & soft metals
110:
traditionally associated with the polishing process.
1217:(26th ed.), New York: Industrial Press Inc.,
16:"Buffing" redirects here. For nail polishing, see
1233:
252:Common buffing compound and wheel combinations
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200:, and low tensile strength metals, such as
188:, tough iron, and nonferrous alloys. Gray
244:swansdown, airflow, coolair, and bullet.
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29:
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1175:Use Of Kerosene In Polishing Metals
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265:Nickel & chrome plating
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41:Indianapolis Museum of Art
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1161:What is Electropolishing?
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39:in the collection of the
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1085:Abrasive flow machining
226:surface feet per minute
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20:. For other uses, see
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1242:Grinding and lapping
1214:Machinery's Handbook
1067:and other vehicles,
1035:chromium(III) oxide
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214:chromium(III) oxide
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1100:Surface finishing
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1095:Knife sharpening
1090:Electropolishing
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274:Stainless steel
271:Steel & iron
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99:electrochemistry
95:electropolishing
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1047:Iron(III) oxide
1015:aluminium oxide
519:Canton flannel
239:cloth and come
190:silicon carbide
178:aluminium oxide
176:White and grey
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121:electric drills
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58:. Technically,
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84:microstructure
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162:German silver
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143:copper plated
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76:metallography
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66:uses a loose
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1247:Metalworking
1212:
1205:Bibliography
1179:, retrieved
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1168:
1155:
1144:, retrieved
1139:
1132:
1062:
1059:Applications
1042:
1030:
1022:
1010:
1003:Rotten stone
998:
982:
392:Spiral sewn
330:Initial buff
321:Initial buff
312:Initial buff
303:Initial buff
294:Initial buff
285:Initial buff
246:
230:
218:
175:
151:
147:
140:
136:color motion
135:
131:
129:
117:
92:
88:
73:
63:
59:
47:
46:
18:Nail buffing
333:Final buff
186:alloy steel
166:white metal
125:die grinder
108:deformation
104:compression
1236:Categories
1181:2009-01-06
1146:2009-01-06
324:Final buff
315:Final buff
306:Final buff
297:Final buff
288:Final buff
222:strawboard
152:Polishing
132:cut motion
80:metallurgy
1069:handrails
279:Buff type
206:aluminium
194:grey iron
172:Equipment
60:polishing
52:finishing
1079:See also
1073:cookware
626:Compound
259:Plastics
241:bleached
212:. Green
134:and the
68:abrasive
629:
570:String
158:cutlery
114:Process
64:buffing
48:Buffing
37:epergne
1221:
868:Green
741:White
690:Brown
634:Black
458:Loose
338:Sisal
233:cotton
210:copper
208:, and
182:carbon
154:knives
1106:Notes
1031:GREEN
1011:WHITE
999:BROWN
991:Emery
987:Emery
983:BLACK
797:Blue
327:Rough
318:Rough
309:Rough
300:Rough
291:Rough
282:Rough
202:brass
56:strop
1219:ISBN
1065:cars
1023:BLUE
919:Red
237:wool
196:and
184:and
156:and
106:and
78:and
50:are
22:Buff
1043:RED
235:or
1238::
1190:^
1114:^
1071:,
985:=
204:,
164:,
43:).
1228:.
1185:.
1163:"
1159:"
1150:.
1049:.
1037:.
1017:.
1005:.
993:.
24:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.