Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ
The authoritative public forum
for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Vibratory finishing of steel
Q. I manufacture silver smith stakes. These are made from hot forged mild/medium carbon steel. My process is as follows after the part is forged and bent it is rough ground with 100 grit belt to remove any flaws or pits. It is then descaled in a steel shot drum tumbler. I sand the parts with a 220 grit belt on a soft cloth contact wheel. Then I buff with a 300 grit latex bonded abrasive then use a steel cut and color compound. I achieve a near mirror finish with this process but it is time consuming and grueling. I am wondering if I can use vibratory finishing to cut out the second or third step of the process. The parts are basically long steel tapers bent in a squiggle shape.
Timothy Millerforge shop - Bayport, New York, USA
July 15, 2009
A. Just from your process description, I would definitely think you can eliminate a lot of time using mass finishing equipment. If nothing else, you will be processing a lot of parts at one time. To get the finish you require may take a 2 or 3 step process, but again, it is machine time, not hand work.
AF Kenton
retired business owner - Hatboro, Pennsylvania
July 21, 2009
Q. I need to polish a t-type flange with radius of 0.5 mm; its width is 3.2 mm can you tell me what media to use and polishing compounds.
Fahad Farooq- Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
September 12, 2018
? Do you know what the surface finish is now? Ra or RMS? Also do you have a vibratory or centrifugal system?
AF Kenton
retired business owner - Hatboro, Pennsylvania
September 13, 2018
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