Micro mesh

[Noskills]

This might be a dumb question but where does one get micromesh at 4000, 6000, up to 12,000?

I have an axel polishing kit that goes up to 2400 from there I have axel polish. Yet as I late I have been getting the MaxV speed axels 4094 and just polishing them. I am thinking of upping my game to to sanding with very fine grit, then polishing, then waxing (buffing) and letting then sit in a graphite baggie.

Thanks all,

Seth

[Ickabod Crane]

micromesh.com is one source.

[Ickabod Crane]

Sorry, make that micro-surface.com

[Speedster]

Auto Zone has an assorted packet. 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500 by 3M. 3M then has a TRIZACT PERFORMANCE SANDPAPER, (whatever that means) 3000 grit. You get 1 piece that measures 3 2/3" x 9 ". It cost about $7.00 for that 1 sheet. It carries a part #03064. It is for wet sanding use only. HEY !!!! This is the Pinewood Derby. Money is no object. I doubt it does anything to that steel axle. Brasso is probably more coarse than that piece of sponge.

[*5 J's*]

Max-V has a nice kit of micromesh papers.

[Noskills]

Thanks Speedster and 5Js. I have the MaxV kit which goes up to 2500. I was wondering where folks find the 4000, 8000, and 12,000 I have read about. Would be nice to find this in a reasonable prices kit. I quick look at the kits on micro-surface.com can give you some sticker shock,
Seth

[chromegsx]

When people talk about 4000+ grit they are usually refering to micro surface grading method which is different than normal (ANSI OR CAMI USA) Check out microsurface's conversion chart. 4000 micro surface is similar to normal 1500. They are not the same grading system. Try to compare micron levels for conversions and decision on what product to use after each grit. For example if you are going from a 2000 or 3000 grit paper to microsurface 4000 you will actually be going backwards. Took me a while to come to terms with it after all the scattered searches I was doing.

[tjeffrey]

They have a great set of micro-mesh pads at WoodCraft.

http://www.woodcraft.com/product/200523 ... g-kit.aspx" target="_blank

The kit are small pads that are used for people who turn pens. They work great on axles as well as wheels. You can use them wet or dry depending on what you are doing. The set of them is a little pricey but if you don't over press when using them they last for a long time. You can wash them, let them dry, and they are like new.

[FatSebastian]

They have a great set of micro-mesh pads at WoodCraft.

Yes. Another source is PeachTree. It's not cheap but it lasts a long time.

[Noskills]

Chromegsx,
I had no idea they were different scales. Thank for clarifying,
Seth

[sporty]

Chromegsx gave a real good explantion of this.

This is correct and often this is what I have mentioned in the past.

Micro mesh, is a fabric based sand paper. it lasts longer and does not break, compared to the normal paper backed sand paper out there.

The micromesh, I have used, if it clocks, I wash it and let it dry and I cna reuse it. paper backed, comes clogged, I have to throw it away. because it falls apart. The wet sand paper backed, to try and clean in, often it started having the sand particles start to come off.

But another reason I like micro mesh, is that it seems to be gentlier, a different type of sand element is used and less damaging to plastic. There our a few different types of micro mesh, but the type for plastic, really is much better than sand paper that is geared towards a multi purpose sanding material.

12,000 grit micro mesh is like rated at 2 micron, but it wears to polish at 1 micron. So i typically refer to it as 1 micron.

I came to this, by comparing 2 micron and 1 micron sand paper and found that it was doing the same thing. often this sand paper is plastic backed and heat and friction sensative and easy to melt or burn thru the coating for sanding. I just felt it was a real pain to work with and less forgiving then micro mesh.

I started using micro mesh back in 2005/2006, when we found it and started using it for my sons soap box derby stock class car shells, we could polish, but could not paint. and they shells came pretty dull. then that led me to try micro polish and so forth, and I started trying it on pinewood derby wheels.


When I am polishing the od or side / edge of the wheels. I have always seen the micro mesh do a better job then regular paper backed sand paper. Its just less aggressive, seems to not remove allot of plastic and polish more. then sand more.

Thats what lead me to develop the bore prep process that I did, the .051 or .055 carbon fiber rod with adheasive backed micro mesh and it was something the kids could do. my kids always have trouble getting the bores good enough with micro gloss or ect. and I found it did a better job and did nto remove hardly any material in the process.

Thats all in my posting, on my bore prep and how I came to find the right grits to use and time to use that grit and so forth, when done right, your bores looke super shiny like black ice.

And I found faster times with it then previous things that we were doing with bore prep. and many others who have gone to it, have also seen such results.

Now the rave is the novus 2 with Q tip and personally I have tried it, in the past and year ago. and I works, im not so sure it works as well as I would have liked.

But sometimes, things are better or not, it also correlates to how you burnish and what graphite you use, so forth, things like that change the out come or the results.


I think Ickabod just tried it from his previous bore prep process and found some more speed with it, I guess Im like a sales person, whos not making any money off of it, I feel it works, have proved it works, but is there a newer better method out there, there may be.

In scout racing, I feel it lead us to win against some very fast cars at council, comprised of 5 districts.


Sporty

[Speedster]

Hodges is turning the BSA axle down to .080. That can't be good. When a BSA axle is filed down to remove all the imperfections in the axle, then sanding starts at 400 grit wet and goes through multiple grits, and then polishes it with some abrasive polish, what diameter do they end up with? Let's say you take an axle made in China, (.086) remove the one small ring, (I'm not yet sure I even want to do this) and polish it with Brasso, You now have a Super Shiny surface. The nail doesn't turn. How much of the wheel actually rides on that nail? Are we doing more damage than good by reducing the diameter of the nail? Since there are many new people on DT I'd like to repeat something. I witnessed a scout caught with illegal axles at District. He was given raw axles out of a new kit, did nothing to them, inserted them in the car, and went on to win 1st place. My scout took 1st place in the Pack this year ( .086 after polishing) with polished Max-V's 4094 axles. Noskills, this year, set track records with polished 4094 axles.
I'm most certainly not against anything that will make a car go faster. I simply wonder if we are helping or hurting ourselves with all this sanding.

[*5 J's*]

Thanks Speedster and 5Js. I have the MaxV kit which goes up to 2500. I was wondering where folks find the 4000, 8000, and 12,000 I have read about. Would be nice to find this in a reasonable prices kit. I quick look at the kits on micro-surface.com can give you some sticker shock,
Seth

The Micro-Mesh AO 4000, 8000, and 12000 you are reading about are not grit or micron rating. Micro-Mesh AO 4000 is the same micron rating as Micro-Mesh MX 600 (5 micron), Micro-Mesh AO 8000 the same as MX 1200 (3 micron). The AO grade uses an aluminum oxide grit specifically designed for finishing aluminum, the MX grade uses a silicon carbide grit designed for metals.

The Max-V kit uses MX paper, which is a silicone carbide grit, down to 3 micron. Follow this with Mothers Mag and Alum polish and you'll have a great axle. There are other vendors that supply the pro's - they have great kits as well.

Can you get finer papers - absolutely - I have tried lapping film down to 0.3 micron. Is it necessary - in my opinion NO. I don't think it provides any benefit to go to this level, and can actually make this worse - when you get to this level you can burnish the axle which will result in an orange peel effect. The axle will be shiny, but it will not be as smooth. Over polishing is worse than under polishing.

[sporty]

Speedster,

A track and timer, you have, I think you would be able to answer that question. When I did testing. with something like that. I found slower times. runnging raw axles or axles not prepped as well as they should be.

Sporty

[sporty]

Thanks Speedster and 5Js. I have the MaxV kit which goes up to 2500. I was wondering where folks find the 4000, 8000, and 12,000 I have read about. Would be nice to find this in a reasonable prices kit. I quick look at the kits on micro-surface.com can give you some sticker shock,
Seth

The Micro-Mesh AO 4000, 8000, and 12000 you are reading about are not grit or micron rating. Micro-Mesh AO 4000 is the same micron rating as Micro-Mesh MX 600 (5 micron), Micro-Mesh AO 8000 the same as MX 1200 (3 micron). The AO grade uses an aluminum oxide grit specifically designed for finishing aluminum, the MX grade uses a silicon carbide grit designed for metals.

The Max-V kit uses MX paper, which is a silicone carbide grit, down to 3 micron. Follow this with Mothers Mag and Alum polish and you'll have a great axle. There are other vendors that supply the pro's - they have great kits as well.

Can you get finer papers - absolutely - I have tried lapping film down to 0.3 micron. Is it necessary - in my opinion NO. I don't think it provides any benefit to go to this level, and can actually make this worse - when you get to this level you can burnish the axle which will result in an orange peel effect. The axle will be shiny, but it will not be as smooth. Over polishing is worse than under polishing.

(I believe the micro mesh I was talking about is (RO), I d have to check but its not the AO. but we may be talking about two things. micro mesh for axles or micro mesh for wheels, with the other rating and type ?