Polishing 102: How to Buff and Polish Metal

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7 жыл бұрын

In Polishing 102, the second video of this series, I SHOW how to buff and polish metal. This video covers the ACTION behind buffing and polishing. I also share what I use for my setup below:
Some of the supplies I use... (Amazon affiliate links)
Baldor Buffer amzn.to/2JwBqDz
Tripoli Polishing Rogue: amzn.to/2XtENoO
10" Buffing Wheel: amzn.to/2S2P6u2
In this buffing and polishing, I show you a bit about the process and the result of using different grit sandpapers. You can get to the point of buffing metal mirror finish once the pieces has been finely sanded, and you buff with the right wheel and compound. The metal buffing process has a few tricks to it, which I might delve into more in the future. My metal buffing machine of choice is a Baldor Buffer, as mentioned above. I hope you found the tips for buffing and polishing metal handy.
Some of my products, I polish metal to mirror finish (for things such as polished bowls). I learned polishing techniques metal from Wayne Apgar, one of the blacksmithing instructors I studied under.
Sandpaper polishing is a good way to work down the surface of the metal. Polishing metal with sandpaper is a standard polishing technique and requires very little supplies.
You can use what I cover here as copper polishing tips, or use it to polish steel as well. If you're a blacksmith, you may not need to polish copper to mirror finish, but I hope you still find the polishing techniques handy.
If you'd like to see more about blacksmithing, make sure to check out my channel! I have lots of forging videos at Christ Centered Ironworks. And make sure to watch for my upcoming videos on the topics of "how to buff and polish".
Video Polishing 101: • Polishing 101: How to ...

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@JamesDutka 5 жыл бұрын

I enjoyed the fact that the entire process was shown and simply put. I'll definitely appreciate my 600 grit more now!

@webneko9842 3 жыл бұрын

This was very helpful in learning how far to go on the belt vs the buffing wheel. Thank you.

@RandyColby 6 жыл бұрын

This is a great illustration of reflection and lighting. I like the way you talk about the light on the grits. It helps me realize we are seeing very similar things in video format.

@chucktamburello7760 4 жыл бұрын

Watched both your videos. I appreciate the way you broke it down. Made sense to me so I applied it the very next day. Improved my work 100%. Thank you so much for taking the time to break it down like that.

@jaxxonkoethler3001 7 жыл бұрын

Thank you for yet again a great video.

@keithwhipple9048 7 жыл бұрын

great follow up video showing the action

@blademan6075 5 жыл бұрын

Very good video. Thank you!

@Tymaster 7 жыл бұрын

who else heard the fly land on the mic and stopped the video lol

@yosiaplays6040 3 жыл бұрын

LoL

@rafaelmoral8053 3 жыл бұрын

Shit, I was wearing headphones and I did shake my head 🤣

@rafaelmoral8053 3 жыл бұрын

Shi*, I was wearing headphones and I did shake my head 🤣

@graemebroderick1020 6 жыл бұрын

Hi two great videos thank you. What safety gear to you use and also what compounds.

@ryankirk22 5 жыл бұрын

thanks for the videos, very informative and helpful. If I were to sand with the crosshatch pattern would you recommend I still buff horizontal and polish vertical? or is there a different technique for that?

@gregoryarbuckle624 2 жыл бұрын

Very good description

@CNM_EDC 3 жыл бұрын

Outstanding.

@WilliamMCarnes 3 жыл бұрын

This is a great video, thank you. Do you reccomend a finish for copper after polishing?

@dragan3290 2 жыл бұрын

Most informative video on this topic! Damn I'm moving to America!!! You guys are extremely helpful! Subbed and liked! Awesome tutorial! Thanks!🙂👍👍👍👍

@gameofdeath69 3 жыл бұрын

Awesome. Helped me 👍

@tim7076 2 жыл бұрын

BTW thank you for this video I found it extremely educational.

@cliffordjones460 2 жыл бұрын

Great job

@ChristCenteredIronworks 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you

@jimmyjam57 4 жыл бұрын

I enjoyed this video. Thumbs up. I enjoy the science behind making metal shine. Can you distinguish polishing compounds on another video. And how long should you spend grinding on the metal between grits. Thanks.

@WELDINFORALIVIN 3 жыл бұрын

Awesome video. Hey if used the same process only with using a DA, would that help with scratches? Because it’s essential essentially cross hatching.

@bobgereaux9138 4 жыл бұрын

What type of buffing wheel are you using? Brand? Arbor size? Nice tutorial! Thanks for sharing.

@porko882 5 жыл бұрын

Can you use heat to melt scratches in metal?

@davidmartin1015 Жыл бұрын

Interesting video, as a budding knife maker I am learning bit by bit. What I observe is that even after the 600 grit and the buffing there are still visible 80 grit lines there, my conclusion is that you won’t ever buff them out but have to remove them in step down process with finer and finer grits. I don’t think you can move from one grit to another without cutting out the lines of the previous grind. I may be wrong and would welcome being corrected if I am. Davox. (Oz).

@kelnoone1087 Жыл бұрын

Been a knife maker 40 years now, you are not wrong, if you want an acceptable polish, you must, remove scratches from each coarser grit completely before you move to the next or you end up having to go back, this video has some good points but the execution needs a few pointers, that being said you can get away with different cheats with different metals, softer annealed metals 'flow' and hide scratches easier than hardened steels, part is like a math equation 60g-120g-220g-400g-600g = secondary polish = 600 cork belt- loaded cork belt - loaded felt belt or buffing progressions which there are several AND you want to keep your grinding lines crisp........... good luck it's as much 'feel' as science also magnification old eyes like mine need more and have your other half look over your 'product' women folk have a better eye for detail often than we do, (that was a compliment people save your comments)

@alexrowdy2718 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the informative video. Now I'm bit confused - the only difference between buffing and polishing is the compound ? - the same machine, the same wheel ? - is that correct ?

@Baronstone 3 жыл бұрын

Yeah I don't know any knife makers that use 60 grit belts unless they are shaping a large piece of steel. You would have been better of adding 1000 grit.

@CellanKnight 6 жыл бұрын

Damn, loved the shape of the kn... opper lol

@callanwilliams4569 2 жыл бұрын

What compound did you use ? I am polishing steel. I also use this process but use the grits in between and tend to get a better result when I reach 600.

@vunit8213 2 жыл бұрын

I have a question. Did you use ONLY one grit on each section or did your go up on grits as you got higher and higher? For example: did you do just 60 grit and then in the second section you did 60 grit then 180, and then the 3rd section you did 60/180/400 and so on 60/180/400/600 and then cut out and then polish???

@humeanity2393 6 жыл бұрын

As Salam Alaikum brilliant a d informative Roy keep up the good work

@bodo5896 6 жыл бұрын

Hume Anity waalaikumussalam

@tim7076 2 жыл бұрын

If you were to progress with grits all the way to 3k keeping grains going 1 direction would those fine lines eventually disappear to the naked eye?

@-Gunnarsson- 3 жыл бұрын

but if I start at 240 for example what numbers should I use up to 800?

@krdzanin 5 жыл бұрын

HI. I think you did to big leap from 80 to 180, and from 180 to 400. There should be at least 2 more G in between. 120,150 and 240 and 320. That way you would not have so muck sand markings, so you would have marks free metal.

@ChristCenteredIronworks 5 жыл бұрын

It's all I had on hand but couldn't agree more :-)

@pinolec 6 жыл бұрын

I'm Polish 😀 Nice video 👍

@ChristCenteredIronworks 6 жыл бұрын

+pinolec I'm glad you enjoyed the video God bless

@MrChugar45 6 жыл бұрын

Oh and wheel types, compounds, etc. !!

@donaldmatthies6026 4 жыл бұрын

Wow! It removed Sharpie! Rotflmao Actually I watched both your videos, nice work explaining that, and clearly showing the steps. Thank you! What kind of buffing/polishing machine is that?

@Themayseffect 6 жыл бұрын

Good tutorial, but you left out a crucial detail about material hardness. A soft metal like the copper you have there will smooth out significantly easier than a hard steel. A harder material will also chew up your sanding and buffing material a lot faster than a soft material.

@swaranashekar3878 5 жыл бұрын

@MrChugar45 6 жыл бұрын

Can you do a video discussing buffers? I noticed yours is really big. I have a cheap harbor freight and honestly I couldn’t tell you what the difference is between and crappy one and a nice one. Please share some info!! Thanks!!

@bwayne4479 6 жыл бұрын

MrChugar45 Baldor is a very good brand. Very reliable

@dEnimlAb27 5 жыл бұрын

is it possible to buff with random orbit sander?

@13bravoredleg18 5 жыл бұрын

nico miranda Any sander will work. It's all about the grit of the sandpaper!

@michaelrs8010 2 жыл бұрын

A little late to this party, but if you're still there I have a question. Oh, first, I thought it was a great and well-presented, informative video. 👍 Okay, the question: If I understood you correctly, If I'm trying to bring my 1060 steel knife blade to a mirror finish (which I'm trying to do by hand sanding), each grit I use I want to rub it horizontally AND vertically, and before moving to the next grit. Yes? And and then, at the end, if I buff it horizontally, I want to polish it vertically or vice versa. Yes?

@bronsonstephens5799 2 жыл бұрын

I think you’re supposed to rub the following grit at 90° to the previous one. But that’s just what I heard somewhere else.

@nlmetalhead 6 жыл бұрын

13:15 , actually reflect and not refract. second, it's not the light that's been absorbed, but reflected at different angles. For the rest of the video, great example thanks.

@donmcdonald4347 2 жыл бұрын

I'm a bit confused. In the first video you talk about grinding one way and then buffing at 90 degrees to that to "bend over" the grinding marks. But then you also seem to say that you should grind at 90 degrees to make a grid of grinding marks. If you did that how do you buff? The marks are already at 90 degrees so what direction would you buff in? Also you seem to use the same wheel for buffing and polishing. How do you get away with that? I understand that you have to use a dedicated wheel for each grit size. You can't mix them up on the same wheel.

@trapperdan1953 6 жыл бұрын

what about if somebody starts processing with a orbital sander rather than the belt sanders..... (by the way, very good videos/pointers. Thank you for sharing

@13bravoredleg18 5 жыл бұрын

Maria Myrback Try it and find out, that's how you learn!

@earlgray1710 4 жыл бұрын

I polish plastic injection molds for a living such as Cadillac emblems lettering trim pieces all sorts of parts that need high gloss finishes in the plastic some of them get chromed those are the hardest ones because they need to be perfect mirror finishes with very little imperfections I use 600 stone with a light cutting oil Shaped which ever way I need,flat stone and cross out EDM scale and or cuter marks, then use a series of diamond paper 320 ,400 ,600 and1200 to cross out my 600 stone scratches And finally a diamond polishing paste I believe I use a number nine and number 3 Micron either with a spinning brush on a pencil grinder or a stitch by hand balsa wood or felt works very good also for my final stages and Wala mirror finish.

@gregoryarbuckle624 2 жыл бұрын

The buffing machine is one of the most dangerous tools in the shop

@NiceTubeAccount 6 жыл бұрын

+1, indeed, more polish, more scratches from lower level, it is annoying if You not clear them out before so You can't do it on polish level

@midnighttutor 2 жыл бұрын

I don't think 600 is fine enough before buffing or polishing if you really want a mirror finish. I made a sissy bar out of 1/2" square stainless bar stock and took it from 36 (to get the surface pitting out) up to 2000 wet sandpaper all in the same direction. Then used the Mothers metal polish with one of those foam balls that is essentially omnidirectional -- you can orient it to get every direction. At that point it was as shiny as a stainless steel watch band. It turns out that using the finer grits of sandpaper only take seconds so the additional effort from 600 800 1000 1500 2000 is really trivial compared to the improvement in the result.