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Best way to polish collets

woodworkerJB

Aluminum
Joined
Sep 27, 2011
Location
Colorado, USA
I bought a set of used collets that have lost their luster and shine. What is the proper way to clean and polish them to ensure that no damage is caused in the process?

Thanks
 
They're tools, not silverware.

You're not doing them any favours if you use an abrasive on them, as long as they're not rusted or pitted, why not use them as is?
 
I concur w/ hickstick_10. The last thing you want to do is remove material. If there is significant rust, that's another story as the accuracy of the collet is likely compromised. Just use scotchbrite at that point i suppose.

About the most aggressive I ever use on a collet is Never Dull wadding . More of a cleaner than an abrasive, hardly aggressive at all, more of a polish. It will only remove the lightest of surface rust.

But scothbrite is too aggressive for a collet that is in good shape. Some collets provide runout specs in .0004 or under. Scothbrite is capable of removing .0001's.

YMMV
 
Simply saying Scotch-Brite is of little help and can lead to bad results. The abrasive grit size of Scotch-Brite (and the Norton equivalent: Beartex) ranges from OMG coarse to no abrasive at all depending on the grade of Scotch-Brite. The grades are color coded. Here's a guide to many of them:

http://academic.evergreen.edu/projects/biophysics/technotes/fabric/finish.pdf

The white one won't damage collets unless you go crazy with it.

If you truly want to polish the collets use a metal polish with cheesecloth. Flitz and Simichrome are two good polishes made in Germany that will do no harm and can put a high shine on them. Don't know why one would want to but different strokes for different folks.
 
I have used Loctite hand cleaning paste for cleaning soothed measuring tools etc. Works very well, just take a piece of soft paper and cover the item with slight layer, wait some minutes and rub it off.
 
I hate to admit to this but I have polished collets, the face will shine up like chrome. If you cant think of anything better to do with your tools making them pretty is always fun. The shinier something is the more accurate it is, plus if the paint on the machine is perfect that helps the accuracy as well. I used to sell machine tools and know for a fact that a good paint job is better than a great rebuild.
 
So long as there's no rust of nick on them I wouldn't worry too much about shiny, functional yes, shiny, not so much. I've scotchbrited a few over time, even lightly touch up the spindle nose taper a few times a year with a little bit of soft scotchbrite, oil a bit, keep making parts.
 
Scared to touch a collet with abrasive cloth?? :nutter:
They're collets, reasonably rugged tooling, not a swiss watch crystal.

I can tell you first hand that Hardinge Collets were finished
with 180 grit emery and polishing compound at the factory.
Touching them up with 180 or 220 emery while holding them
by the threads in a 2" step collet will not hurt anything if you
polish for 10 seconds till bright.....bearing down for several
minutes is a different story....

The body is RC 62.....your not going to hurt a thing with a little brightening up.
And polishing in a lathe should not result in any sort of altered run out condition

dk
 








 
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