Dave has shed light on some other alternatives. Cratex is not what Dale was looking for, but it is a product that a some of you out there might be interested in. Like Dave said, it is a rubberized abrasive that comes it any grit you can think of. What they make that might be beneficial to some of you is their product mounted to a mandrel/arbor. Basically, its a small rubberized abrasive, mounted to a shaft. I looks like a Dremel product. The rubberized abrasive on the end of the mandrel comes in so many shapes and sizes. You can mount them in a Dremel tool or electric drill, just about anything that has some sort of chuck on it.
Dave is also correct about the Industrial Scotch Brite pads. This is what the commercial industry uses to put certain finishes on metals. You can buy it prefabbed onto arbors, as rolls, or in sheets. Cut disks out of a pad or roll, and fasten to a drill arbor or buffing machine, and you've made your own wheel. Great for satin finishes or deburring on any metal.
Marc Boral Long Beach, CA
At 12:09 PM 12/2/2001 -0700, dave bohm wrote:
>I do not know exactly what you speak of but you may be referring to
>rubberized abrasive commonly known as Cratex. They come in all sorts of
>sizes and grits some up to 2500 grit. Basically they are rubber with the
>abrasive infused throughout.
> There are also abrasive blocks used with water that have grits to 3000
> made by the Japanese. Industrial Scotch brite pads may also work. They
> differ from the scotchbrite that we use to do the dishes in that they
> have abrasive imbedded in them and household does not. They also come in
> a wide assortment of grits, some extremely fine. Write me if you need
> suppliers of any of these.
>
>Dave Bohm
>Bohemian Bicycles
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: OROBOYZ@aol.com
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2001 10:51 AM
> Subject: [CR]Looking for a great tool(?) used for restoration...
>
>
> I have about used up a tool, if you can call it that, that is just
> great for
> many cleaning, polishing jobs on old bikes. Problem is, I do not know
> where
> to find another.. It is a German made (I am pretty sure) rubbery dense
> sponge-like block of very fine abrasive material. It is not like the foam
> thing with abrasive just on the outside, this gizmo has its abrasive stuff
> al-the-way-through.
> The original block was maybe 1 1/2" x 3/4" x 4 " . Gray in color.
>
> The great benefit of these blocks is that they impart, through
> scrubbing, a
> good looking satin, low gloss finish, rather like the Campy anodizing
> on some
> of their parts. Or, you can follow up this treatment with Simichrome or
> whatever, and go straight up to full polish...
>
> Anyone recognize this tool and know where to buy more?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Dale Brown
> Greensboro, North Carolina
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