Polishing 102: How to Buff and Polish Metal

Тәжірибелік нұсқаулар және стиль

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 ...

Пікірлер: 72

  • @JamesDutka
    @JamesDutka5 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
    @webneko98423 жыл бұрын

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

  • @RandyColby
    @RandyColby6 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
    @chucktamburello77604 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
    @jaxxonkoethler30017 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for yet again a great video.

  • @keithwhipple9048
    @keithwhipple90487 жыл бұрын

    great follow up video showing the action

  • @ryankirk22
    @ryankirk225 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?

  • @blademan6075
    @blademan60755 жыл бұрын

    Very good video. Thank you!

  • @graemebroderick1020
    @graemebroderick10206 жыл бұрын

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

  • @Tymaster
    @Tymaster7 жыл бұрын

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

  • @yosiaplays6040

    @yosiaplays6040

    3 жыл бұрын

    LoL

  • @rafaelmoral8053

    @rafaelmoral8053

    3 жыл бұрын

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

  • @rafaelmoral8053

    @rafaelmoral8053

    3 жыл бұрын

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

  • @cliffordjones460
    @cliffordjones4603 жыл бұрын

    Great job

  • @ChristCenteredIronworks

    @ChristCenteredIronworks

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you

  • @WilliamMCarnes
    @WilliamMCarnes3 жыл бұрын

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

  • @gregoryarbuckle624
    @gregoryarbuckle6242 жыл бұрын

    Very good description

  • @CNM_EDC
    @CNM_EDC3 жыл бұрын

    Outstanding.

  • @davidmartin1015
    @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

    @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)

  • @WELDINFORALIVIN
    @WELDINFORALIVIN3 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
    @bobgereaux91384 жыл бұрын

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

  • @dragan3290
    @dragan32902 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!🙂👍👍👍👍

  • @jimmyjam57
    @jimmyjam574 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.

  • @gameofdeath69
    @gameofdeath693 жыл бұрын

    Awesome. Helped me 👍

  • @alexrowdy2718
    @alexrowdy27183 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 ?

  • @tim7076
    @tim70762 жыл бұрын

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

  • @callanwilliams4569
    @callanwilliams45692 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
    @vunit82132 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???

  • @krdzanin
    @krdzanin5 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

    @ChristCenteredIronworks

    5 жыл бұрын

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

  • @tim7076
    @tim70762 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?

  • @humeanity2393
    @humeanity23936 жыл бұрын

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

  • @bodo5896

    @bodo5896

    6 жыл бұрын

    Hume Anity waalaikumussalam

  • @earlgray1710
    @earlgray17104 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.

  • @donaldmatthies6026
    @donaldmatthies60264 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?

  • @porko882
    @porko8825 жыл бұрын

    Can you use heat to melt scratches in metal?

  • @CellanKnight
    @CellanKnight6 жыл бұрын

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

  • @Themayseffect
    @Themayseffect6 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

    @swaranashekar3878

    5 жыл бұрын

    .

  • @MrChugar45
    @MrChugar456 жыл бұрын

    Oh and wheel types, compounds, etc. !!

  • @nlmetalhead
    @nlmetalhead6 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.

  • @michaelrs8010
    @michaelrs80102 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

    @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.

  • @pinolec
    @pinolec6 жыл бұрын

    I'm Polish 😀 Nice video 👍

  • @ChristCenteredIronworks

    @ChristCenteredIronworks

    6 жыл бұрын

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

  • @MrChugar45
    @MrChugar456 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

    @bwayne4479

    6 жыл бұрын

    MrChugar45 Baldor is a very good brand. Very reliable

  • @-Gunnarsson-
    @-Gunnarsson-3 жыл бұрын

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

  • @donmcdonald4347
    @donmcdonald43472 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
    @trapperdan19536 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

    @13bravoredleg18

    5 жыл бұрын

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

  • @dEnimlAb27
    @dEnimlAb275 жыл бұрын

    is it possible to buff with random orbit sander?

  • @13bravoredleg18

    @13bravoredleg18

    5 жыл бұрын

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

  • @NiceTubeAccount
    @NiceTubeAccount6 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

  • @Baronstone
    @Baronstone3 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.

  • @midnighttutor
    @midnighttutor2 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.

  • @gregoryarbuckle624
    @gregoryarbuckle6242 жыл бұрын

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

  • @honestinsincerity2270
    @honestinsincerity22706 жыл бұрын

    Your G's look like 6's!! Where do you even get a 6006 grit sandpaper?!?

  • @sethlogan9724

    @sethlogan9724

    4 жыл бұрын

    Nagging old lady. Your husband must be the luckiest guy in the world to have you.

  • @moh.al-shamieramier9965
    @moh.al-shamieramier9965 Жыл бұрын

    New sub here buddy.. can you please try higher grits? 1000, 1500, 2000 & 2500 grits.. thanks

  • @random55912
    @random559125 жыл бұрын

    I wanted to see how you get rid of the vertical marks but realize you never did the effort to remove them. Too bad

  • @boediethebuilder918
    @boediethebuilder9187 жыл бұрын

    He made a knife😮 ish

  • @ChristCenteredIronworks

    @ChristCenteredIronworks

    7 жыл бұрын

    +BTB Presents lol !

  • @hypernova3527
    @hypernova35272 жыл бұрын

    Advise for headphones users in minute 1:25 : It's not in your house.

  • @icycreed79
    @icycreed793 жыл бұрын

    Thought I had a 🐝 in my damn house

  • @llovescake15
    @llovescake155 жыл бұрын

    It pisses me off that you have so much content in one video and have 0 ads??? Why don't you put ads over your hard work?

  • @jejomareustaquio9356
    @jejomareustaquio93565 жыл бұрын

    You talk to much😪 work on it bro

  • @ElessarEstel

    @ElessarEstel

    5 жыл бұрын

    Nobody forced you to listen. Work on it bro.

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