Cliff Posted May 14, 2016 Report Share Posted May 14, 2016 Anyone have metal knowledge that I can yank out of your brain and utilize? To the best of my limited knowledge, there are maybe 4 ways of polishing mild steel - bench grinder, air/angle grinder, dremel, and sandpaper. I have no clue what is best, I just know I need it to be cheapish. Buying a bench grinder appeals to me because I will want one at some point to grind tools that require it. I suspect this will not happen often. I'm looking at this at the moment: http://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-6-in-150-mm-Bench-Grinder-DW756/203164097 Not sure if I should get a slow speed one or not. I found a thread from a while back that Eric started on this but his price range was about triple what I'm looking to spend and he had different requirements with the turning tools. I also saw an intriguing video with an air grinder, using scotch-brite pads but I couldn't find these scotch-brite pads for sale online that go with 1/4" air grinder. Anyway, appreciate any knowledge someone could drop on my lap about this. My google results are a bit confusing, as they assume a level of knowledge that I don't really have concerning metal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted May 14, 2016 Report Share Posted May 14, 2016 You looking for stuff like this ? http://www.nortonindustrial.com/uploadedFiles/SGindnortonabrasives/Documents/Catalog_PDFs/NortonCatalog-NonWoven-Discs(2).pdf I have used it with a cheap HF air drill and gotten ok results. Those air drills do gobble up the air so go another route if your compressor is small. Or work in small bursts then wait for the pressure to build back up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceHoleInOne Posted May 14, 2016 Report Share Posted May 14, 2016 Just like wood. The higher grit you sand the smaller the scratch, the easier to polish out. Just like rubbing out a topcoat. So sand the steel to 600 grit or higher. I have a bench top grinder with a buffing wheel. What I do is load the wheel with automotive rubbing compound and polish away. You want the wheel to turn super fast. A drill motor is handy with a small buffing wheel for hard to handle pieces. From time to time as your wheel becomes loaded with compound and gets nasty. Take the back end of a box wrench or big screwdriver and clean the pad. It can be a dirty job polishing steel. I'd suggest you remove the buffing operation outside your shop so not to contaminate the wood stuff. -Ace- 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted May 14, 2016 Report Share Posted May 14, 2016 Cliff, is there a particular object you need to polish? Size and shape may dictate how practical a grinder will be. Whaterver the tool, be sure to progress through the grits in small steps. I sometimes hone with sandpaper, and find that the surface has a nice shine at 2000 grit, but really looks mirror-like only after stropping with "white rouge" compound. Just saying that multiple media may be required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted May 14, 2016 Report Share Posted May 14, 2016 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Baldor-333B-3-4-Horsepower-3600-RPM-Heavy-Duty-Industrial-Buffer-/121981870439 with your choice of buffing wheel, and compound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted May 14, 2016 Report Share Posted May 14, 2016 Cliff, I just saw the other thread about steel number / letter cut outs. I'm afraid hand sanding, or maybe a dremel are in your future. At least if polishing the edges is important. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceHoleInOne Posted May 14, 2016 Report Share Posted May 14, 2016 Letter cut outs? Shoot easy, just hand sand the edges with oil as a lubricant. Kiss the flat tops with ROS. Chuck a drill motor buffing wheel into your drill. Carefully tighten your drill motor in a vice, go to town. -Ace- 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Posted May 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2016 7 hours ago, wtnhighlander said: Cliff, is there a particular object you need to polish? Size and shape may dictate how practical a grinder will be. Whaterver the tool, be sure to progress through the grits in small steps. I sometimes hone with sandpaper, and find that the surface has a nice shine at 2000 grit, but really looks mirror-like only after stropping with "white rouge" compound. Just saying that multiple media may be required. These Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted May 14, 2016 Report Share Posted May 14, 2016 You have your work cut out for you, Cliff! See what I did there? ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Posted May 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2016 Well, I'll just do whatever and see what happens It's not like it's going to be the glue that holds our house together, so if I have to redo it or something later - it's all good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted May 15, 2016 Report Share Posted May 15, 2016 On ebay, search for "surface conditioning disks". The little ones for a 1/4" air grinder work good, and fast. You can also buy them in auto parts stores. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.