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Fiber Polishing Procedure (view source)
Revision as of 03:20, 20 January 2018
, 03:20, 20 January 2018Adding some tips on polishing
==General guidelines==
==General guidelines==
In all cases, the bundle should be kept near the center of the grinding wheel. This makes it easier to control the bundle, because the wheel isn’t on quite straight, and it wiggles less at the center than at the sides. Always use gentle pressure when holding the bundle against the wheel, just enough to keep it touching the wheel. Even gentler pressure is helpful when using finer grits, so little that the fibers may not even always touch the wheel, because of the wobble of the wheel: as the wheel makes one revolution, it grinds the fibers with the part of the wheel slanted toward them and misses them with the part slanted away. The fibers really do look better after a little time with gentle pressure, because the grit doesn’t dig in as deep. On the plastic grits (at least the five micron grit), it can be helpful to move the bundle around a little bit on the wheel, so as to grind the bundle in different directions. This helps remove striations.
In all cases, the bundle should be kept near the center of the grinding wheel. This makes it easier to control the bundle, because the wheel isn’t on quite straight, and it wiggles less at the center than at the sides. Always use gentle pressure when holding the bundle against the wheel, just enough to keep it touching the wheel. Even gentler pressure is helpful when using finer grits, so little that the fibers may not even always touch the wheel, because of the wobble of the wheel: as the wheel makes one revolution, it grinds the fibers with the part of the wheel slanted toward them and misses them with the part slanted away. The fibers really do look better after a little time with gentle pressure, because the grit doesn’t dig in as deep. On the plastic grits (at least the five micron grit), it can be helpful to move the bundle around a little bit on the wheel, so as to grind the bundle in different directions. This helps remove striations.
As you polish, be sensitive to the feel and sound of the fibers on the wheel. If the wheel gently brushes up against the fibers, that is a good sign, but there should be no gritty feel or sound. If you do sense dust on the sandpaper, canned air can help clean the sandpaper off. It is also useful to realize that as you use the sandpaper, it gets filled up with plastic dust, and in the case of the plastic grits, worn down. This makes it less effective, which can help you achieve a nice shine; but if you need to sand down a significant amount and it is going slowly, consider replacing the sandpaper.
==Light Guides==
==Light Guides==