Silicon Carbide Polishing Wheels | CRATEX Abrasives
This article is part of Metal Polishing (Introduction) series.
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When you bend them you have to polish them. When you polish them you should be using @cratexsandiego products or you are just wasting time. When you are wasting time you are loosing money. #gunsmith #gunsmithing #bolthandle #polish #polishing #cratex
When it comes specifically to CRATEX abrasives, they are made of pure silicon carbide grains that are bonded with special premium grade oil-resistant chemical rubber. Such an abrasive can be used on varied ferrous and non-ferrous alloys and many non-metallics, such as glass, plastic, porcelain and gemstones.
If we were to compare prices, rubber-bonded silicon carbide is more expensive than other abrasives. However, it possesses such a high level of purity that it surpasses other abrasives in performance with ease. For example, although aluminum oxide might be less expensive, you’ll end up using it more as it wears off quicker than the silicon carbide.
Besides, why would you settle for low-quality polishing wheels from hardware megastores? CRATEX delivers professional grade abrasives that are built to last and are designed to give you results that you were looking for and that you’ll be proud of. Whether you need small mounted polishing bits for your Dremel tool or large polishing wheels for bench grinders, we offer premium quality at prices that you can actually afford.
Precisely thanks to their durability, quality and performance, CRATEX wheels are used by modern lapidary , gunsmiths , knifemakers , jewelry makers , ortho lab technicians , deburring companies that specialize in aerospace and military and many other craftsmen. Typical general applications include light grinding, deburring, sanding, smoothing, cleaning and polishing. More specific applications include: smoothing and polishing molds, dies and other production tools, breaking edges, radiusing and polishing out high spots, cleaning and polishing, contact points, jacks and electrodes, polishing engine ports, shafts, turbine blades, smoothing, glass edges and jewelry finishing.
Hey,hand tool lovers! Tag us on your photos!DM your pic/videos while using Cratex tools and We'll post it! @matt_metalguy_reed The widened quarter is now welded and ground. A bit of fine tuning and it's done. Just enough room for a 335 tire too. #marsdenmetalworx #metalfinish #widebody #cratex #therodshopathri #ford #metalguy #cratextools #ustools #qualitytools #handmade #handtools #polishing #powertools #metalcraft
The grit texture you’ll use will depend on the workpiece material and the surface condition. CRATEX shapes and sizes are divided into four standard grit textures easily recognized by different colors.
- Green polishing wheels have the Coarse grit texture and the label C. Great for removing surface starches and material removal. Get higher polish using the wheels in colors below;
- Reddish polishing wheels have the Fine grit texture and the label F. Get fine shine in a second!
- Dark brown polishing wheels have the Medium grit texture and the label M. Use for pre-polish.
- Grey green polishing wheels have the Extra Fine grit texture and the label XF. Use for Ultra-shine finish.
1. Small Polishing Wheel
Cool @deathisnttheend Must be polishing day....thought I'd Sahara one of my favorite shop tools....simple and cheap magnetic bars. I have about 10-12 feet of these all over my shop for holding pliers and hammers, down to my 3/32" rotary bits and polishers for fine work. No sifting through a tray of parts, all my pieces are ready and waiting in a nice row. Most of these are plastic and rubber impregnated polishing wheels for fine detail work. My favorites are made by @cratexsandiego #cratex #polishing #jeweler #detail #tools #rotary #magnets #cratextools #ustools #abrasive #abrasives #gunsmith #gunsmithing #welder #welder
CRATEX small silicon carbide polishing wheels up to up to 1″ are perfect for delicate and precision work operations as they provide high-level of control. Tapered edge wheels are especially versatile and ideal for cleaning and polishing decorative and complex designs. Straight edge wheels provide absolute control of metal removal and ideal for work on sensitive scientific devices, light castings, aerospace components, dies and molds, instruments, electronic parts and jewelry.
Hand hammered copper bracelet
Find step by step project instructions at our Facebook page (facebook.com/CratexAbrasives)
''After drilling the holes I used a gray cratex rubber wheel to clean and polish the holes and to smooth the entire bracelet on the inside. I also ran the wheel over the tops of the texture to smooth and brighten some areas to give a little sparkle.''
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CRATEX small rubber wheels can be mounted on conventional portable motor tools such as Dremel rotary hand tool and used fine and precision smoothing and polishing operations.
Recommended: In case you would like to try our products out, check out the Small Wheel Mini Kit No. 107. It’s a small kit of a total of 10 small wheels in medium, fine and extra fine grits, and 2 mandrels. And since we really want you to have the chance to fall in love with our products, the price is only $36.58 with shipping and handling included!
And in case you want to get yourself a more serious small wheel kit, we recommend . The kit contains a total of 44 wheels (both straight and tapered edge) and 2 wheel mandrels.
2. Large Polishing Wheel for Bench Grinder
An outline of "Ishmael", the model for the Dominguez Cycles logo, is engraved in the seat tube.
The marks on the silver fillets are from using Cratex wheels to smooth the edges of the fillets into the steel - less risk of undercutting of the steel than with sandpaper.
Besides the small abrasive polishing wheels and bits, CRATEX also offers large rubberized silicon carbide wheels for bench grinders and mini bench grinders. Diameters range from 1 1/2" to 6", with 6-inch polishing wheel being the product sold the most often for bench grinder polishing operations.
These tools are perfect for various deburring, smoothing and polishing operations, such as cleaning before welding and soldering, smoothing glass edges, smoothing and polishing castings and punched or sheared pieces, polishing bearing surfaces and raceways, polishing welded seams after rough grinding, removing scratches, corrosion, rust and heat marks. To obtain expected results apply light work pressure and never exceed maximum speed. For best results use 30%-80% of maximum speed.
Recommended: To keep your bench grinder wheel in tip-top shape, remember to order your rubber dressing stick along with your polishing wheels. You can choose between rubber oblong and and square dressing sticks .
3. Silicon Carbide Polishing Points & Cones
Why use points and cones instead of wheels? Sometimes it is hard to polish small areas or curved surfaces using just polishing wheels. You need to use mounted points and cones around cylindrical and inner parts and tight areas.
Simply sharpen a point or a cone and mount it on your hand tool in the same manner as you would a mini rubber silicone polishing wheel and start making magic. They are designed for mechanical and manual operations. Same as for small wheels - you will need mandrels to attach points and cones to your tool as well.
Polishing rubber points are made in cylinder, bullet and tapered shapes and are used mostly for polishing molds, dies, light castings and patters, for cleaning contact points and solder spots and for relieving stress.
Polishing rubber cones are perfect for various difficult deburring, smoothing and polishing operations and are easily contoured and adjusted for specific uses with conventional CRATEX dressing sticks. Their typical usage includes polishing molds, dies, castings, turbine blades, shafts, stainless steel tanks, etc.
4. Polishing Sticks
The last worm carriers are assembled. I discovered that #cratex @cratexsandiego works wonders at polishing up the threads on the worms. They should run smoother that ever now.
#roseengine #ornamentalturning #holtzapffel #woodlathe #woodturning #machinist #machinistlife #instamachinist #metalwhisperer #lifeisgood #lookasquirrel #makersgonnamakeCustomer's Pick: Q6803 (Fine Grit)
Silicon carbide rubber-bonded CRATEX blocks and sticks are excellent hand tools for deburring, polishing and cleaning metal surfaces, smoothing away high spots, removing rust, heat marks and tarnish.
They are designed for either manual or mechanical operations, as they can be mounted in chucks, holding fixtures or cradles. Perfect for polishing shafts, rotating cylindrical parts, cleaning calibrations and reference points.
We mainly hand polish precision ground rods and deburr cutting tools that we make (Tooling for CNC machining centers). Been using your products for a long time.
Customer's Pick: Q6801 (Medium Grit)
NOTE: Your feedback is extremely important to us. If you have any questions about the wheel sizes or you have doubt when choosing a grit, simply dial 800-800-4077, use our customer care live chat or send an email to sales@cratex.com.
