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Standard Polishing Kit
Instructions
What is
Polishing?
Polishing, or buffing, is the process of removing scratches and
abrasions from a surface and creating the desired brightness of
finish on that surface. Polishing, like using sand paper, consists
of procedures each of which is less abrasive than the previous. A
combination of mops and compounds are used with a buffing machine or
a household electric drill (pneumatic tools may also be used but
only at relatively low speeds, 4000 rpm max). It is the particular
combination of mop and compound which gives the desired
cut/colouring action.
For polishing soft metals (copper and brass) there are two processes
which must be followed in order:
Process 1: White stitch mop with Green compound.
Process 2: Unstitched G Quality mop with Blue compound.
For polishing harder metals (Aluminium, Steel, iron and stainless
steel) there are three processes which must be followed in order:
Process 1: Sisal mop with Grey compound.
Process 2: White stitch mop with Green compound.
Process 3: Unstitched G Quality mop with Blue compound.
Important
Please remember to clean and degrease the item you wish to polish.
Unclean/dirty/greasy material should be prepared properly before
being polished.
For polishing soft metals (Copper and Brass) start at 7 on the step
by step guide. There is no need to use the sisal mop with the grey
compound as it is very aggressive and used for Aluminium, Steel,
Iron and Stainless steel.
The polishing kit will not remove metal or if parts are heavily
scratched, marked or scored then suitable abrasives should be used
(flapwheel, abrasive cloth/paper, rubbing blocks, abrasive
compounds, etc).
Step by step guide
to using your polishing kit
-
Attach arbour to
drill and fix tightly.
-
Attach sisal mop onto arbour and screw tightly.
-
Run the drill
and apply Grey compound to the sisal mop for about 2 seconds. As
the compound is wax/abrasive based so the motion of the spinning
mop generates heat which melts the wax/abrasive onto the
polishing mop.
-
Apply the mop to
the item to be polished with medium/hard pressure. It is very
important that you remove all marks/scratches and leave a
uniform finish.
-
Apply more Grey
compound to the sisal mop if needed.
-
When all
scratches/marks are removed and the work piece has a uniform
dull finish remove sisal polishing mop.
-
Attach White
stitch mop onto arbour and screw tightly.
-
Run the drill
and apply Green compound to the white stitch mop for about 2
seconds.
-
Apply the mop to
the item to be polished with medium pressure. This will remove
the dull finish left by the first process and leave the work
piece with a semi-bright finish.
-
Apply more Green
compound to the white stitch mop if needed.
-
When you have a
uniform semi-bright finish remove the White stitch mop. Attach
unstitched G quality mop onto arbour and screw tightly.
-
Run the drill
and apply Blue compound to the unstitched G quality mop for
about 2 seconds.
-
Apply the mop to
the item to be polished with light pressure. This will remove
the semi bright finish left by the second process and leave the
workplace with a bright finish
-
Apply more Blue
compound to the unstitched G quality mop if needed.
-
You should now
be left with a bright finish.
-
Rub the polished
article with Vienna Lime powder and a soft cloth. This will
remove any grease left on the surface after polishing.
Tips
-
Try to
constantly vary the directions of which you polish. This is not
always possible but recommended as some articles may be an
unsuitable size and shape.
-
Use compound
sparingly, black grease marks will appear on work piece if too
much compound has been applied to mop. Remove black grease marks
with cloth. Remember little and often.
-
If it is
possible, polish across marks/scratches not along them.
-
If the surface
of work piece is lacquered you must remove the lacquer before
polishing, use a household paint remover available from you
local DIY store. Remember to wear appropriate safety gear.
-
Use a different
mop for each compound. Do not mix different compounds on the
same mop.
-
If you are
polishing small articles then you can fix your drill into a
vice, this will enable you to polish these small articles with
ease.
-
Sometimes when
you have polished you may see a slight coat of grease or finger
marks on the work piece, these can be removed with a powder
called Vienna Lime. Just rub the powder onto the work piece with
a piece of polishing cloth.
-
Protect polished
articles with a good wax polish, we recommend Belgom Alu.
-
If you wish to
Electroplate or lacquer the polished article please make sure
you use as good degreaser and do not protect with wax polish.
Any dirt or grease/wax will interfere with the adhesion of the
plated metal or lacquer.
Safety
Always use safety equipment - Dust Mask, Safety Glasses and Gloves
should be worn.
Always apply the item being finished to the area of the mop which is
rotating away from yourself. |
