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Stupid question- burnishing

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 7:52 am
by Tommyd662
This may be a very stupid question but, exactly how do you burnish graphite into the axle, wheel, bore, car body, etc? Is it as simple as just spinning the wheel on the axle? Everytime I looked up "burnishing" I got something about ceramics! LOL

Re: Stupid question- burnishing

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 8:15 am
by sporty
When you are new, it is not a stupid question. So do not be affraid to ask them.

There are a few types of processes that people use.

Basically, what you are doing, is either taking a extra fluffy pipe cleaner from a (PIPESHOP). not the regular ones. and not the ones with metal wrapped around them, there are a few different types.

Or there is also a bore prep stick, its kind of like a q-tip, white paper stick, but smaller for it to fit into the bore. We use to find them easier in stores, but not as easy as once was.

Then you insert them into your drill press or dremel, but low speed is key here. I do not recommend anything over 600 rpm.

Many prefer drill press, to try and move the wheel up and down as even as possible.

you dip the rod or pipecleaner into the graphite. insert wheel turn on drill press, move up and down for about 10 seconds. dip again and repeat.

i like to repeat this process 5 to 6 times on the wheel, i then flip it over and insert through the other side and repeat also.

Lots of lube is used. so its messy. So ma's table cloth may not be a good work area :burningmad:

Others can chime in on there process. but thats pretty much all there is too it.

There are a few videos out there showing this. off hand do not have one.

Sporty

Re: Stupid question- burnishing

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 8:31 am
by shawnr5
sporty wrote:ma's table cloth may not be a good work area :burningmad:

Sporty
My wife would start getting upset when she walked in and saw my drill press on the table. We wouldn't have to wait until she saw the graphite in the weave of the table cloth.

Re: Stupid question- burnishing

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 9:03 am
by DerbyNut
When I read about burning the wheels with graphite on another post, they polished the smooth end of the #44 drill bit, put graphite on it and in the wheel, and then rolled the wheel with the bit in the wheel hole pressing down with pressure. Is this an alternative method to doing it? Or is this considered something totally different?