Polishing Hobo Nickels??

[Neo Dutch]

What do folks use to polish up their Hobos? I have looked at the Gesswein stones on the Net, however the shipping price for one of their micro stones in nearly $90.

 

[Sandy]

Where are you that it shipping would cost that much?

 

[monk]

dutch : good lord, man ! i hope that's a typo, and not for real. i never used stones, rather i bought
some graded ceramic thingys from chris decamillis. there are several different grits available, and they are the size of the leads one puts in a mechanical pencil. check his site, he may also have stones as you seek

 

[mrthe]

I had bought it from DeCamillis too time ago and shipping to Spain was very cheap, now i had to say that i don't use they very much, i make all the work with sculpting punches and a scotch stone sharped with a piramidal point

 

[Ron Spokovich]

Depending upon your detail, you may want to try a product made by The Eraser Company (still in the business) that's used like an eraser and comes in brass, stainless steel, plus coarse and fine fiberglass. I've used their products, and a similar German product that I can't find. My use was in electrical and watch endeavors. Looks like I'll execute a seek-and-find mission, as I liked the texture these products provided, although I only used the coarse and fine fiberglass brush material.

 

[mrthe]

Ron i had used too the fiberglass eraser , and i love it, but i had to stop to using it, because is a little dangerous, the broked microscopic glass fibers caught the fingers like a knife through butter and are very difficult to remove even with a microscope because going very deep in your skin and are transparent, after a day of using your bench is converted into a minefield , take care!

 

[RDP]

Neo,this may be of some help to you and the gals/guys, I have used these,
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/10-Pcs-Assorted-Color-Ceramic-Fiber-Abrasive-Polishing-Stone-/400355487640?pt=AU_Power_Tools&hash=item5d370bef98
I don't know how they compare to the others but they are very hard wearing and you can shape them, and they hold very well, and free postage ,

Richard.
I noticed this is the last one they have, but there are others, watch the price, I know one seller has $94.00 on them,
the size of them are 1mm thick x 5mm wide, and different grits,
cheers.
Here,
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/10-Pcs-A...4328601?pt=AU_Power_Tools&hash=item2c6b093d19

 

[Neo Dutch]

Thanks heaps for that link RDP.

 

[mrthe]

square type micro stone are used in pencil to hold it, the one of the link i don't know if is possible hold it in some way, considere that before buy because are very easy to broke and very thin

 

[RDP]

Paolo, this are very strong and not easy to break, they are not stones, they are more like a fiber, (as described, "Ceramic fiber"), you can hold them just with your fingers or they fit in some handles of craft/hobby knives, that's what I use,
Richard.

 

[mrthe]

Ok thank you! if are 1mm all the way maybe is possible hold it in 1,2 mechanical pencil

 

[leo]

ok my first question to u is do you have rotary tool like a Dremel or similar if you do American jewelry supplys or ajstool.com sell some silicone abrasive disc they fit in a screw mandrel there perfect for polishing hobo to a mirror finish but if you are looking for something so when u finish them give them that nickel look I would ask Keith Pederson hi has a trick that is unique to his hobos that make them look like they came like that

 

[mrthe]

Why try to make a mirror polish finishing in a Hobo Nickel?
Personally i think that the end result of a Nickel have to be the more natural possible, a mirror polished surface is not a good idea

 

[leo]

Paolo I have to ask cause everybody do them a different way we look for the natural look but he mite look for something else I am steel trying to find out from Keith what's his method his at work so its going to take me some time or if I can I would tell him to comment here that we need his expert opinion

 

[monk]

when i bought those from chris, i also bought the holders for them. the little fibers feed just like the leads do in a mechanical pencil. for all i know, the holders i got from chris may be standard lead holders.

 

[Ron Spokovich]

In my haste to post a reply, I neglected to mention the safety factor when working with the shards of the Eraser product. You may want to wear finger cots, and have a dedicated work area away from your normal bench. When finishing with certain products, you may want to wear a respirator. Years ago, I'd ground some pearl shells, dry. The smell was in the air after three days. Those particulates are as sharp as are the glass fibers in the Eraser product, and if you smell it, you'll breathe it. A now deceased friend of mine, a knifemaker, did that dry, and the next day he felt as if he was being stabbed in the chest with an icepick. Grind wet, finish by hand, use a vacuum, and a respirator. My lungs are scarred from breathing silica, and it doesn't hurt to work safely.

 

[Neo Dutch]

I hit it with the wire wheel that comes with a Dremel and it came out just as I wanted it.

 

[mrthe]

Hi Neo Dutch here a photo of the tools that i use to polishing and finish my Hobo Nickels i hope can help you in some way

 

[leo]

Paolo what Keith showed me was he rubs in a little scotch stone and drop 1 or 2 drop of honing oil and rub it in with a brass wire brush that would give it that natural look

 

[Sandy]

Here is another link for mini ceramic stones. That are .3mm up. They also sell pen style holders for them. www.artcotools.com. Hope this helps.