Metal polishing buffs etc?

[Ed]

Hi,

Im trying to buff a timing case, however I can't find an attachment small enough for either a die grinder or drill.

I've been to Bunnings and used the "large" 2 inch wheels for the flat surfaces.  These are great for larger areas such as motorcycle pipes etc.

does anybody know of small tools that can get in and around the webbing etc.

similar products can be found in the "Aladdins cave" in the USA here http://www.eastwoodco.com/  look under buffing and finishing.

suggestions?

Thanks

Ed

[spider]

 :)Hi Ed,
           You can try a metal polishing supplier they will have what you need. I dont know of any down your way, but you can use the accesseries they have for the dremel as in rubber polishing points, or they have little buffs for the dremel which will also fit your drill, or die grinder. They also have different attachments to take out rough casting and deburring before polishing. You can also use an old tappered grinding stone that you use in your drill and tear off stripps of rag and rap around the point of the stone, add your polishing compound and away you go. There is also different types of compound for metal polishing which makes life easier, but if you are only doing one thing it would not be worth buying. But there would have to be a polishing supplier down your way. Also when polishing alloy be careful not to burn it, once the alloy has been burnt it is neer impossible to get out. What have you been using as your polishing compound? Anyway hope this helps, if you need the name of certain compounds or anything on metal polishing, just let me know as i was a metal polisher.
Cheers Spider

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

Back when I had spare time (read- no wife or kids) I used to polish manifolds for a bit of extra cash.
Abrasive Suppliers have tonnes of gear to get the job done, but by far the best bit of kit was a small bit that fits into a die-grinder (or drill). It has tapered pincers at the tip that are locked down on whatever you put in it with a reverse thread. It is made of plastic so it wont scratch, and I used a piece of thick felt (from the Abrasive supplier) cut into a triangle to do the polishing in tight spots. The only worry was keeping the felt cool, if I got carried away it would start burning (well before you would be burning alloy).

If you want I can post a picture of it, let me know.

[Ed]

Hi Spider and Stinky,

Thanks for the advice so far, metal polishing is all new to me.

I called some metal polishing suppliers from the yellow pages, and spoke to a few of them, and I was recommended to go to a place called House of Jewellery.

Looking at their website http://www.hoj.com.au they have a whole host of small brushes, buffs, compounds etc.

cost is yet to be determined...
(the dremel tools are easy to check out as well thanks for the tip, probably cheaper too.. Im waiting on a "technical consultant" to return my call from HOJ.)

im looking also at polishing the inlet manifold, but dont want to start unless I know how to do it right.. nothing quite as hack as a half polished, patchy piece of metal sitting on top of the motor.

I'm guessing first step is to remove the casting marks, with a fairly abrasive tool (compound wouldnt be harsh enough would it???)

thenworking finer until a shiny lustre is acheived?

The compound used at the moment is  a stick of compound applied to the buff, which reminds me of that harsh sard wonder soap. (came with my Bunnings special polish metal like a pro kit)

sorry to bombard you with all these questions!

Cheers

Ed

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

Ed, unless you are a VERY patient person do not start the manifold. Manifolds are a bastard to polish in the first place and once they are on the car they are even harder to keep clean and shiny.
I'd suggest the ceramic heat-treatment for the manifold, if you sand the manifold down to get rid of the cast marks they look great when coated.
On that tack, I have been told to avoid the Vic/NSW mobs, apprently the best one is here in Adelaide.

[spider]

 :)Hey Ed,
               The compound that is like sard wonder soap is called Carborax, it would be dark grey in colour. It is a harsh compound, but will not take out casting marks, but is good when you have a smooth but unpolished surface, or a surface that has been sanded smooth, to get rid of mark's before final polishing. By rights the mop for that would be hard, and full stitched. The finish mop should be soft and like cloth. After carborax, there should be another process in between that you use called grease, it is a brown compound, then your final polish, which the compound should be white dialux. What colours did they give you ED?. To do a inlet manifold is a big job, and to do it you would be better off with a big motor that runs a spindle and has plent of grunt to take the load and pressure without slowing or stopping the motor all together. Then you would use a emery wheel that you make yourself, which is different grades of grit from 300 or lower to 2000. You get your old mops apply this special glue, and then roll the mop in to the grit. When it is dry you go thru the same process again, and keep building it up. When used they rip thru casting marks like you wouldnt believe. I know there is a article in one of my street machines on metal polishing, if you want i can try and find it for you. If you go thru a jewellers warehouse it wont be cheap. There would have to be a supplier down there somewhere. I will see if i can locate one for you tommorrow.
Cheers Spider

[Ed]

Hi guys,

lots of useful info thanks!

I have all three compounds, Carborax, Grease and Dialux, with exactly the "mops" described.  The packet gave me a 2 line description on how to use it, so thanks for all your input.

I had a go at the timing case again, and it comes up pretty good, although there's alot of scratches which may have to be removed with 1200 grit or similar.  In the end it really doesn't matter, as nobody will ever look at this thing closely!!

I was thinking this was a bastard of a job, the inlet manifold would be an abosulte nightmare!  it is no wonder everybody just 2 packs them.

could a bench grinder be used, and mops mounted on them?

Cheers

Ed

[spider]

 :)Hey Ed,
                Bench grinder can be used but you need a good size one. If you have a mulcher, or grab one at a garage sale or secondhand place, you can take the motor out of that, mount it on the bench and just get a spindle turned up to screw onto the mulcher shaft. The reason you will be getting the scratches,  this is without seeing it,  is that you might have to use more grease after the carborax, as the carborax is a harsh compound. Do you keep each mop seperate for each compound? Also make yourself a rake, by belting some steel nails thru a piece of timber, and puch into the mop while it is spinning, this will get rid of any particles from the alloy and the build up of compond.  You will find it easier if you use a motor mounted on the bench, it makes the job so much easier, also you get black s*%t everywhwer, but when you see the end result it is all worth it.
Cheers Spider

[HARKO]

I will look at the timing cover ED !

Bench grinders you can buy already purpose built with one sides main shaft extended to allow greater manuverability around the mop --- Great for rocker covers etc

Spider  I have a Victor Jnr manifold in the shed that hit the too hard basket half way through a polish job all by hand sanding and rubbing so this info is hitting the sweet spot with me too..

[spider]

 :)Hey Harko,
                   Manifolds are fun arent they :-/. I use to do polishing for a mazda high performance specialist up here and had to polish the engine cases, now that was a mongrel. You can also buy the spindle seperate for your grinder. They are good for small jobs but stall the motor most of the time, and takes for ever untill you get sick of it. Get yourself a mulcher motor, just the type for home nothing industrial, and those motors have heaps of grunt, as you would imagine having to mulch up branches etc.
Cheers spider

[Ed]

Spider,

hmm.. I just happen to have a mulcher sitting around idle.. i think u must have been referring to an electric mulcher tho, as I think a 4 stroke 5 hp sitting on a bench is overkill!

Harko,

u polish metals as well,  Is there anything you can't do?

Stinky,

I like that ceramic coat, this must be like HPC coatings etc?

The jewellers tools with 3/32 shank, turned out to be cheaper than the dremel accessories!

Cheers

Ed

[spider]

Ed,
    You are right i am talking about a electric motor, 5hp would be interesting, imagine the damage if it hooked up what you were polishing, it would demolish your shed  . I use to work at a jewellers and did there metal polishing for 6 years and the bits from jewellers wholesale were as dear as buggery, soon as you mention jewellery the price shoots up, so things must of changed.  Ed are they the same quality as the dremel?. If you werent so far away i could of given you a couple of mops and bits and pieces i have left over. The only thing is you would have to use my smaller mop's as my new ones are 12inches in diameter. Also if you want a good final finish there is a rouge made in germany that is a green sausage shape, i cant think of the name of it but the jewellery wholesale would stock it. It doesnt leave black smear marks on the metal and you get a high lustre, more so than the white rouge. There is also a solution that when you finished polishing your item, instead of giving it a wipe down, to get rid of any rouge marks, you soak it in this liquid and when you pull out the item, you hose it down, chamoise it, and it sparkles.. Also a tip : when you are polishing any alloy's and you dont want to clear them, just spray on MR SHEEN, wipe it off and it leaves a wax coating that will last a while. And every time you wash your car just spray and wipe. That goes for everything, like chrome etc.
Cheers Spider