Polishing Stainless Steel Moulds
Polishing stainless steel moulds is a crucial step in the manufacturing process, as it helps improve the overall quality and appearance of the finished product. Polishing stainless steel moulds requires patience, attention to detail, and a delicate touch. By following these steps, you can achieve a mirror-like finish that will improve the overall quality and appearance of your finished products. Remember to take your time, avoid high speeds and temperatures, and always clean your tools and surfaces thoroughly between each step.
Step 1: Stone out the EDM Burn - The first step is to remove the hardest and worst of the EDM burn using a Gesswein EDM 320 grit stone. This will help remove any rough spots or imperfections caused by the electrical discharge machining process.
Step 2: Finish Stoning out the Pits Next, use a Gesswein OT 400 stone to finish stoning out any remaining pits or imperfections. This stone is finer than the EDM 320 grit stone and will help remove any remaining roughness.
Step 3: Cross Stone with MF 600 Grit Stone - Once the pits are removed, cross stone the OT 400 grit with a Gesswein MF 600 Grit stone. If the steel you are working on has a ground finish, you can probably skip the first two steps and start with the MF 600 Grit stone.
Step 4: Cross with Wet/Dry Paper - After cross stoning with the MF 600 Grit stone, use 600 Grit wet/dry paper to further refine the surface. In some instances, you can then use 1,200 Grit wet/dry paper.
Step 5: Polish with Rotary Felt Bobs or Cup Brushes - Using Rotary Felt Bobs or Cup Brushes with Kemet Diamond Compound 6-KD-C2, polish the surface, avoiding excessive speed and temperatures. This step requires a delicate touch, as high speeds can produce high temperatures that may damage the surface.
Step 6: Hand Rub with Felt Bob or Felt Rectangular - Next, hand rub with a Felt Bob or Felt Rectangular Kemet Diamond Compound 6-KD-C2 in one direction. This helps remove any remaining scratches or imperfections.
Step 7: Check for Scratches - Check for scratches, and if necessary, go back to the fine Wet/Dry paper stage (step 4: 1,200 Grit). If the scratches cannot be polished out with Kemet Diamond Compound 6-KD-C2, severe scratches will have to be stoned out using soft 600 Grit stones or finer.
Step 8: Polish with Kemet Diamond Compound 3-KD-C2 - Repeat step 5, but use Kemet Diamond Compound 3-KD-C2 instead.
Step 9: Clean with Kemet Cleaning Fluid - Finally, clean the surface with Kemet cleaning fluid, CO-42. It is important to keep cross-contamination between different diamond compounds to a minimum with thorough cleaning between diamond compound grades. Also, avoid high speeds that produce high temperatures, especially with the felt bobs.
