How to polish casting resin

[Lyle]

Can anyone help me with instructions and the grits/sandpaper/polish to polish casting resin.
In the job I am doing I am getting fine scratches, like the old.phonograph records.
I have tried grits down to 1200 and plastic polish but....
I have even tried adding a clearcoat on top but I am not satisfied.
Anyone have suggestions.
The resin is a two to one mix.
Any help appreciated

Lyle.

[bowl-basher]

I found the following gave me the best results
240 wet sand(automotive wet & dry Paper very wet) to remove tool marks
600 wet sand
1200 wet sand
Micro mesh pads starting at the tan colour
PLASTIX polish (not sure of the spelling but it is made by McGuires
The pads are available from most turning supplier

s327999 I pinched this pic from TIMBERBITS

The pads must be used wet or you will burn the pad
I had an old towel that I put over the bed of my lathe while wet sanding
Hope this helps
Regards
Bowl-Basher

[ian]

I suspect you will need to go to finer than 2000 grit with the abrasive paper before you start with the polish.

You can readily buy abrasive films that are approximate 9000 grit (0.5 micron)
0.1 micron films are also available -- in Japan I've seen films marked as fine as 30,000 grit and described as for polishing plastics

after 0.1 micron you may need to move into the realm of car polish on fine linen

[brendan stemp]

Have you tried UBeaut's EEE
http://store.brendanstemp.com.au/collections/ubeaut-finishes
I have used it before with good results.

[dai sensei]

I start with 100/120/150 as required, then go through the grits without missing any, ie 100/120/150/180/240/320/400/600/800 dry sanding. It is important to sand by hand with lathe stopped after each grit. Then go to wet sanding with Micromesh, again hand sanding between grits. There is no point going to higher grits before the Micromesh as the course grit pad is equivalent to the 600/800 dry grit anyway. Then hit it with EEE and finally Plastic Polish.

For timber or timber/resin combination I continue dry sanding after the 800 with 1000/1200/1500 then use NCL finish

[Ianwood]

Resin is readily polished by pumice -(as included in EEE) followed by rouge. Any Dental Technician can provide the ideal polishing materials as the technique required is the same as polishing denture base materials.

[Lyle]

Thanks all for the advice. I have contacted the sandpaperman (Michael?) from here and we had a good talk. I had sent him a photo of what I am attempting. He suggested some sheets of micromesh grirs and some polish. He talked me through a process so we'll see how it goes.
Ordered them from his website and received an email confirmation and delivery status this arvo. Should have the gear by the weekend.
Fingers crossed I can achieve the finish I want.
Lyle.

[hughie]

Have you tried UBeaut's EEE
http://store.brendanstemp.com.au/collections/ubeaut-finishes
I have used it before with good results.
Would be where I would go, failing that automotive polish especially the finer grades. Cornucopia who is a member here who makes hybrid casting with burls and resin finishes his boxes with automotive finish polishes. The finish he gets is superb.

[Sawdust Maker]

I essentially do the same as Dai Sensei

but finish up with a buff using my version of the beall system

I've found that by looking at the finished blank with a loupe disclosed fine scratches so ecided to use the buffing wheels

[Allen Neighbors]

Don't know if you can get Johnson's Paste Wax in Oz, but something one can use in a pinch is Baby Talcum Powder (not the cornstarch variety) mixed with Johnson's Paste Wax. I think it is just slightly finer than Tripoli rouge, but far softer.. I've used it on the inside of small boxes that were too small for the bowl buffs to go into, and when used with a small piece of thin suede leather, it works pretty well for taking fine scratches out of acrylic pen blanks. Just thought I'd throw this in to try if you want.
Al