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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Heidelberg, Victoria
    Age
    79
    Posts
    2,074

    Default Polishing the shiny bits

    After a question from Derek, this is the method I used to polish all the unpainted bits and pieces, on my Hercus.

    STAGE 1
    Parts that were heavily rusted, and there were quite a few, were immersed in white vinegar to remove most of the rust. Stubborn areas were attacked with a small wire brush, like a tooth brush, then placed back in to soak. This process can take many hours, and it's a good idea to keep an eye on progress. It's possible to turn the part black with an oxide coating that is hard to remove. How do I know.....guess?

    White vinegar will also burn holes in your clothes, so be carefull, I'm still wearing the evidence.

    STAGE 2
    The finish after derusting is that of dull grey metal. Next step was a going over with a brass wire wheel. Using brass minimises scratching.

    STAGE 3
    Each part was given a going over with fine emery and steel wool to remove scratches.

    STAGE 4
    The fun bit begins with a course sisal buffing wheel using grey cutting compound. Rust pits seem to blend out as the shine developes. I used Josco, no affiliation. I believe there are more aggressive brands of compounds on the market.

    FINAL STAGE
    Polishing was done with a soft calico buffing wheel using green compound, again Josco.
    The finish from this is similar to chrome plating, most rewarding.

    No doubt you will have your own methods and preferences, so let's hear them.

    Gene, are you listening?

    Ken

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Adelaide
    Age
    66
    Posts
    151

    Default

    Well Ken here is how I wasted my nights for shiny bitz!!!!!!!


    1st off pictures look better then real life. Please reread this as it is very true. The lathe I cleaned up still has marks in the steel and such, but it was good enough for what I wanted, and is a lot better then factory. Steel can look like chrome, brass well we know how that comes up and cast has a dull finish but still very good. Ali is also great. I tried a few ideas but in the end its start coarse and finish fine, then polish. This is the same when ever you want to get a good finish I have found.
    I have a 8" bench grinder which I put a black polishing wheel on the left had side and a belt sander attachment on the r/h side.

    I have tried Steel wire wheels, on steel it works good to clean up rust and paint. On cast it makes the surface really grainy, I tried it on the motor pulleys and I wasnt happy with the results. I would not try it on brass or ali as I think it will wreck it. I havent got a brass wire wheel so I cant comment on that.

    The beds of the lathe had very slight rust on them, to clean this up its good old 3M Green Scotchbrite. We use this at work for preparing panels and I buy it in boxes of 24. I have found the ones on the roll to not last and so far only the 3M brand lasts we have found. I just rip 1 in half then used prepsol (cleaning agent we wash cars with before we paint them) as a lubricant, kero or anything should do the trick. You could even do it dry. For the pulleys when I 1st got the lathe I just folded up a dry scotchbrite pad turned on lathe (lost a finger LOL) and pushed it into the pulley. The results from the scotchbrite look very nice, it removes bugger all metal but removes all the scale and crap. I have also bought a green 3M belt for the sander simply brilliant.
    This rubbing the bed by hand is slo so dont expect miracles but after 5 mins it will look like mine. I didnt use sand paper on the bed but did use a oil stone on some of the gashes near the headstock to flatten them down a bit. Nothing ever rubbed on them so I dont know why I bothered as there are still gashes there!.

    Now the steel bits, eg tailstock is full of these great to polish bits. This is all the bolts and screws on the lathe everyone of them you can make look like chrome. I tried a few different grades of sand paper but in the end this is the easy way to do it. Very quick results


    • Get a belt sander attachment see pic.About $200.00


    • 1 green scotchbrite belt to suit sander. About $12.00


    • A 3M trizact belt 400 & 600 grit I wish I bought a 800 one as well They use a different numbering system but you want a minimum of 600 grit for getting a final finish. About $12.00 each


    • A stitched polishing mop, I tried the sisal rope one and didnt think it made any difference.


    • A green polishing compound stick. I tried the grey cutting compound as well but always went back to the green, it seemed stickier.I bought a kit from general tools see pic.


    1. Clean up crap on item. e.g. paint,rust and scale.I used the green scotchbrite belt for this it is very quick and dosent distort the surface.
    2. Change belts to trizact belt. The results from this is almost good enough I tried 800 grit trizact discs from work and they do a fantastic finish.
    3. Say good bye to your clean top , apply the green compound stick to the mop and polish the 600 grit marks away.
    4. Get amazed at how easy it comes up, then realise there is lots of steel to polish.
    5. Wipe over and its done!

    I polished the bearing end caps as well but since they had heavy machine marks I used a orbital sander and 320 grit to remove the turning marks then proceeded as above. The small screws and bolts I just trizact them and then compound up.

    I got the gear indicator thingy and for the results I would have spent about 5 minutes. This is going to be painted so I didnt bother with it much. This is cast iron so you wont get a mirror finish, but more of a satin look. I only had daughters camera and it isnt the best at taking close ups.

    1. The unmolested item.
    2. I Green scotchbrited the surface Wow great castings under that paint.
    3. 400 trizact this removes metal as you can see.
    4. 600 trizact looks like a bearing finish, 800 would be great.
    5. polished on buff pad, need hahn light beer to keep me going LOL
    6. Finished

    I now expect Ken and I are going to see lots of pics of everyones polishing. I think I will buy some shares in trizact LOL
    Note I use the back edge of the belt, the top of the sander has a steel support and when using this part there is no flex and you end up grinding flats in the object. The other side is completely flexible and gives away especially for the curved bits. For the flat bits I use the other side.

    Hopefully this has been of some benefit to all. Take care of your fingers and keep a tin of water around to cool off the part and try to remember to wear a dirty top hehe,
    Last edited by footz; 30th Nov 2008 at 07:29 PM. Reason: edit
    Cheers
    Gene

    Holden Hill Crash Repairs
    607 North East Road
    Gilles Plains South Australia 5086
    (08) 8261-3979
    [email protected]

  3. #3
    bitza500 Guest

    Default Where do I buy this grey and green stuff for polishing?

    Hi Gene, Thank you for a step by step instructions to cleaning the dull bits
    1 Question where do I buy the grey and the gren stuff you use for polishing
    I have the use of a Polisher gathering dust in my Mates garage as it was his son's and he left when he moved out
    I am trying to find where I can buy the stuff does Bunnings sell or is it specialised ???
    As I have plenty of polishing gear from my panelbeating and painting days I was going to just buy some cutters and use the Scotchbrite
    But I wait to see who has obtained the correct procedure as I cannot imagine polishing the bed with the bench Polisher just a bit Heavy
    So who is the best place to buy the gren and Grey stuff so I can clean my bed down as it is one of the jobs I have kept putting off till someone gave me some direction to take I now have how to do it all I need is where to buy the green and grey polishing cutters
    So Please let me know as my Headstock is ready to be put back on but I want to clean the bed while it is stripped and metal polishing is one of the few things I have never done
    So can you elaborate on were to go for my good cleaning polish

    My lathe is now had a colour change to Black Gloss Epoxy as the first batch I painted the dark blue was great when it eventually dried same as Ken
    But the second batch failed dismally and could be rubbed off with the palm of your Hand
    So Down to Bunnings looked at their range and went black as it comes in spray cans and The Dulux epoxy sticks like a rock
    I am only going to paint the parts that are not yet on the lathe or were in the second batch that rubbed off after a week

    So Please Tell me were to go

    All The best Derek bitza500

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Vic
    Posts
    5,629

    Default

    Here you go Derek

    Polishing Compound types

    And Bunnings do sell some of their gear, normally located back right corner of the tool shop with all the grinding and cutting discs
    Cheers

    DJ


    ​ADMIN

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Bendigo Victoria
    Age
    80
    Posts
    7,471

  6. #6
    bitza500 Guest

    Default Polishing

    Hi Guys Thanks for the info as I will go to bunnings tommorow and have a look
    all the best Derek bitza500

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Adelaide
    Age
    66
    Posts
    151

    Default

    I bought the trizact from weber abrasives.http://www.abrasives.on.net/ there is probably some one similar near where you live.
    Good luck and as the klingons say
    Live long and prosper

    I just seen the advert for the new star trek woot
    Cheers
    Gene

    Holden Hill Crash Repairs
    607 North East Road
    Gilles Plains South Australia 5086
    (08) 8261-3979
    [email protected]

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    near Rockhampton
    Posts
    6,216

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by footz View Post
    Good luck and as the klingons say
    Live long and prosper
    That would be the Vulcan's who say that... The Klingons would say DIE HUMAN SCUM...

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Adelaide
    Age
    66
    Posts
    151

    Default

    Dam what a silly stuff up I bow my head in shame, I will get a klingon battle sword and decapitate myself LOL
    Cheers
    Gene

    Holden Hill Crash Repairs
    607 North East Road
    Gilles Plains South Australia 5086
    (08) 8261-3979
    [email protected]

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    3,112

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by footz View Post
    I have tried Steel wire wheels, on steel it works good to clean up rust and paint. On cast it makes the surface really grainy, I tried it on the motor pulleys and I wasnt happy with the results. I would not try it on brass or ali as I think it will wreck it. I havent got a brass wire wheel so I cant comment on that.
    I just finished rebuilding an espresso machine and, as you can imagine, there's a lot of brass inside that. I was using a brass wire wheel to begin with but thought I'd try my stainless wheel and it worked fine. Yes it leaves scratches but they actually look quite good and could be polished out if you want. Maybe try a small area first because in may depend on the precise makeup of the brass.

    When polish up the stainless exterior I just used the green compound, but am wondering when changing compounds can they just be laid on to the same mop or should I reserve a mop for each compound?

    Pete

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Heidelberg, Victoria
    Age
    79
    Posts
    2,074

    Default

    Pete F,

    No, no, no. You must not use different compounds on the same mop. If you read DJ's post above, Josco recommend using a sisal buff for cutting back with the appropriate compound, then switch to a calico buff for polishing, again with the appropriate compound. I have no affiliation with Josco.

    I imagine your espresso machine looks terrific.

    Ken

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    3,112

    Default

    Thanks Ken, I imagined that was the case but had never seen it stated as such. One of the reasons I didn't bother with the grey as I only had one mop.

    I'll try and post some pictures of it if you're interested (and I can figure out how to do it!). It was an ebay "bargain" that turned out to be a basket case. Looked half reasonable from the outside, but the deeper I dug the more I found out just how bad the machine was. So I stripped every component and rebuilt from a bare chassis to "as new" condition. It's been connected in the garage via a garden hose for the past few weeks to be sure it's 100% before it gets plumbed in to the kitchen (it's a commercial machine). Passed its tests so hopefully will get put in this week.

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