Polishing Bearings

[Mosey]

How do you polish your cam shafts and cranks
I have 3m diamond sticks, and emery cloth.
How do you get those shiny glass-like surfaces?

 

[Don1966]

Mosey I use a hone on my shafts. Get it to as close of a finish you need leaving about .001 to .002 over and hone it smooth the rest of the way. The link is a hone I had made. http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=18581.0

Don

 

[stevehuckss396]

How do you polish your cam shafts and cranks

I use 320 grit paper.

 

[idahoan]

Craytex after the 320 grit paper.

Dave

 

[Mosey]

Thanks guys, Cratex is new to me. I am getting a stick, which should be very useful as I finish all of the bearings. I like shiny.

 

[idahoan]

Hi Mosey

Craytex comes in different grits; be sure to get one of the finer grits. I think what I have been using is the medium; it is dark gray in color. Also I prefer the rectangular bars as to the rods.
It also works great for polishing up threads; be sure to cover your ways.

Dave

 

[Mosey]

calling Enco today for the ultra-fine stick.
Thanks.

 

[Mosey]

Received the ultrafine Cratex today. Use it with oil or dry?

 

[idahoan]

Hi Mosey

I prefer to use it dry but you can experiment and see what works for you. Sometimes I will put the stick to the belt sander to create a knife edge needed to get down into a corner. The Craytex is pressed into the spinning part (please exercise caution if you do this) and held in one spot until that area shines up. Then slowly move it down the shaft at a traverse speed that leaves the desired finish.

As with any polishing operations in the lathe please be "extremely careful" and cover your ways.

Dave

 

[Mosey]

I am liking Cratex as it gives a very smooth polish with not too much work, and it is relatively clean. See the piston on my ER 32 Collet posting.

 

[idahoan]

Piston???

 

[Mosey]

see the last picture on the "ER collets in South Bend lathe" post. It's right over there on my left right now at the bottom of the Recent posts.

 

[idahoan]

I was looking at the ER collet adaptor that you had made and never noticed what was chucked in it; looks nice! What material is the piston made from?

Dave

 

[Mosey]

Thanks.
7075 Alum.