Polishing mops

[DanielParticipant @daniel]

[DanielParticipant @daniel]

Hello All,

Browsing through RDG's site, I see that they offer polishing/buffing mops in either white or yellow.

The product description makes no difference between the two.

Does anyone know if there is a difference ?

TIA

All the best,

Daniel

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

My guess is that it's just a colour-coding thing … so that you can have two mops for use with different grades of abrasive.

But I'm sure someone will be along to put me right.

MichaelG.

[DanielParticipant @daniel]

Hello Michael,

I was wondering that.

But, I would be sure to quickly forget which was which.

[Dave MartinParticipant @davemartin29320]

Posted by Daniel on 28/04/2018 07:21:49:

Hello All,

Browsing through RDG's site, I see that they offer polishing/buffing mops in either white or yellow.

The product description makes no difference between the two.

Does anyone know if there is a difference ?…

Daniel, although the underlying material and dimensions are the same, there is a subtle distinction in the description in the advertisement. They describe the yellow ones as "Impregnated and especially stiff. For preliminary…." and the white ones as " soft ….For high shine polishing ….Adapts to the workpiece contour. "

Re Michael's comment about using colour-coding to distinguish between grades of polishing compound, you would almost certainly use different grades with the these two wheels. I actually use more grades, and more wheel types including sisal to start sometimes, so I use a 'sharpie' to mark each wheel as to what compound I use it with.

I have no connection with any vendor, I personally buy mine from the range sold by Caswell UK, they also have a useful guide to buffing and polishing, including wheels and compounds.

Edited By Dave Martin on 28/04/2018 09:28:06

[AJWParticipant @ajw]

I think you will find ‘hard’ mops are sewn nearer the edge making for a more solid buffing wheel.

Alan

[VicParticipant @vic]

I use these folks.

**LINK**

They provide lots of information about their products, the prices are good and postage is very reasonable.

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

My mops are dirty grey and black ! I didn't know that they came in different colours.

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

Posted by Vic on 28/04/2018 10:17:29:

I use these folks.

Seconding that. I use the Menzerna range of polishing compounds, which are fairly new and have been widely adopted by the jewellery trade. I've never used a pre-impregnated polishing mop, and I don't know anyone who does.

Another basic principle of good polishing, besides choosing the right mop for the material you're polishing and compound you're using, is never to let a coarser grade of compound contaminate a finer grade. This means that before you switch to a finer compound (on its own dedicated mop, as with all the compounds you're using) you should thoroughly wash both the item being polished and your hands. For the item, I use an ultrasonic bath.

Getting a flawless mirror finish on metal with polishes alone is a lot harder than people imagine, and polishing was once a trade in its own right. Manufacturers often take shortcuts: the mirror finish on much of the immaculately polished silver or white gold jewellery we see for sale has simply been plated, usually with rhodium.

 

[DanielParticipant @daniel]

Thank's everyone for the speedy & informative replies.

Much appreciated.

The posted links have certainly opened up a, hitherto, unkown

world to me.

Many thank's, once again.

Daniel

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Dave Martin on 28/04/2018 09:18:44:

I have no connection with any vendor, I personally buy mine from the range sold by Caswell UK, they also have a useful guide to buffing and polishing, including wheels and compounds

.

Thanks for that link to Caswell's guide, Dave

MichaelG.

[the artfull-codgerParticipant @theartfull-codger]

Quite a dangerous business polishing, I never ever wear gloves when polishing,I prefer black fingers to missing fingers.

[Gary WoodingParticipant @garywooding25363]

Posted by Bill Phinn on 28/04/2018 12:42:57:

Posted by Vic on 28/04/2018 10:17:29:

the mirror finish on much of the immaculately polished silver or white gold jewellery we see for sale has simply been plated, usually with rhodium.

 

Not so. As far as I'm aware, silver is never rhodium plated, and white gold is plated only to enhance its colour. When compared to truly white metals such as silver or platinum, white gold has a distinct yellowish or greyish tinge. Rhodium, whilst not as white as silver, is a member of the platinum group and is certainly whiter than white gold, as is obvious when the thin plating wears away to reveal the true white gold below. People get quite upset when they believe their white gold ring is going bad and changing colour, and are usually willing to spend the £50 or so to have it re-plated.

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

Posted by Gary Wooding on 28/04/2018 22:16:19

Not so. As far as I'm aware, silver is never rhodium plated.

Sorry, but it is, and frequently:

http://www.hsamuel.co.uk/webstore/l/jewellery/material%7Crhodium+plated+silver/

[JonParticipant @jon]

Posted by the artfull-codger on 28/04/2018 18:17:17:

Quite a dangerous business polishing, I never ever wear gloves when polishing,I prefer black fingers to missing fingers.

Same here you want the feel to be able to react to it. Done my time mop polishing hate it. Still got a 3hp 10" pedestal outside last 8 years that spins oppsite direction and 5500rpm – just hang on to the job, worst case just skates off unless clip bottom edge.
Need a powerful motor if using 60grit, sparks fly.

Hard mops are stitched almost to the outer circumference.

[DanielParticipant @daniel]

Thank's again for the input everyone.

Ended up with the Polishing Shop, as Caswell's were out of

stock on the items I chose.

It's only low level, mutli purpose shop polishing, that I'm after.

+1 for not wearing gloves. Much safer without.

Have a good day,

Daniel

[Tim StevensParticipant @timstevens64731]

Its a good idea to hang a heavy long curtain or similar a metre or more behind the polishing wheel. Then if you do have the work grabbed it has a good chance of not ricocheting around the shop, and could even fall quietly to the floor undamaged.

Tim

[VicParticipant @vic]

Posted by Daniel on 30/04/2018 07:22:37:

+1 for not wearing gloves. Much safer without.

Have a good day,

Daniel

It’s a good idea to wear eye protection and a face mask though.

As a point of interest I’ve been misquoted above. I never mentioned anything about silver! I just happened to mention the Polishingshop.co.uk was a good supplier that I’ve used in the past.

[DanielParticipant @daniel]

Posted by Vic on 30/04/2018 22:49:43:

As a point of interest I’ve been misquoted above. I never mentioned anything about silver! I just happened to mention the Polishingshop.co.uk was a good supplier that I’ve used in the past.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

I've always used smaller mops mounted in the pistol drill or more recently on my 4" angle grinder. Job is firmly held in the vice (outside the workshop). I've found this is all that's needed for motorcycle sized jobs, up to full engine casing sidecovers etc. Roughing of badly corroded ally is done with wet-rub paper by hand before final polishing with the mops.

[thaiguzziParticipant @thaiguzzi]

Posted by the artfull-codger on 28/04/2018 18:17:17:

Quite a dangerous business polishing, I never ever wear gloves when polishing,I prefer black fingers to missing fingers.

Really?

I doubt you've ever polished commercially then. ie 10" mops with a 3 phase 3 HP spindle.

Without wearing welding gauntlets you aint gonna be able to hold the component for more than a few SECONDS at a time….

[Tim StevensParticipant @timstevens64731]

How odd, and in my view, unhelpful …

Artfull-codger says what he prefers, and gives his reason, and thaiguzzi slags him off for not having done the job professionally.

Well, I have polished 'commercially' and I agree with Artfull-codger. Yes, really. But it does depend on the size of the articles, and the intended quality of the finished surface. In model engineering (see the title of this forum) it is not likely that many of us have, or need, 3HP polishing spindles, after all.

Cheers, Tim

[colin branniganParticipant @colinbrannigan54160]

Wm Canning made top quality polishing mops and soaps for many years, their items still pop up on ebay from time to time.

[Nick HulmeParticipant @nickhulme30114]

Posted by Tim Stevens on 18/05/2018 10:54:01:

and thaiguzzi slags him off

Although he made a fairly blunt point that's an over-sensitive view of it, and he's perfectly right about polishing and gloves not being the anathema that turning and gloves or milling and gloves are.
For small parts gloves may help even more as much or more as small parts heat up very quickly

[the artfull-codgerParticipant @theartfull-codger]

Posted by thaiguzzi on 18/05/2018 10:25:45:

Posted by the artfull-codger on 28/04/2018 18:17:17:

Quite a dangerous business polishing, I never ever wear gloves when polishing,I prefer black fingers to missing fingers.

Really?

I doubt you've ever polished commercially then. ie 10" mops with a 3 phase 3 HP spindle.

Without wearing welding gauntlets you aint gonna be able to hold the component for more than a few SECONDS at a time..

I'm afraid your making assumptions that I've never polished commercially thaiguzzi,when you really know nothing about me, whether it's 3 phase or single phase 3hp is 3hp, but just to put you in the picture I have polished at work but only a 2hp machine & yes things can & do get hot & I once wore gloves but never again, ever since one of our club members was polishing some steel parts & he lost his thumb when his glove got caught, & it was ripped off, & he is not a beginner or an amateur but a very capable engineer & accidents sometimes happen.

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