When vibratory finishing, there are certain steps you must take to properly finish your pieces. Following these methods will make the process simple, resulting in the perfect outcome every time. This introductory guide to vibratory finishing will examine the steps you need to follow for your next projects that require grinding and polishing.
Grinding
When you start with your pieces, you will want to grind and deburr whatever hard and sharp edges may be on the surface of your medium. You will need to do this manually, and you will need to know how to time things correctly. Grinding your piece too much will affect the integrity of the shapes of your pieces, which could ruin your project altogether.
Cut Down
The next stage is called “cut-down,” which sounds worse than it actually is. During this part of the process, you will be polishing and smoothing the pieces in the vibratory finishing bowl. You will fill the bowl with the pieces that you want to finish, along with smooth plastic media, water, and soap, which will act as a medium for cutting your pieces and smoothing them. This process should continue for roughly eight hours without stopping to properly work down any excess edges and roughness that might be on your pieces.
Separation
There are several ways of separating your product from the mix. The first and most obvious involves picking out the finished product by hand. The second involves using a handheld screen and sifting through the media until you can pick out what you worked so hard for. You can also insert a vibratory separator screen into your machine. Turn on your vibratory finishing machine, and it will separate the pieces for you.
Polishing
The final stage in this process is polishing. This is the longest part of the entire job. You will want to run your finishing machine at a rate of 3:1 polish to media for a twenty-four-hour cycle. At the end of that cycle, you may want to rinse your media a few times over to knock off any excess residue. Then, you will have your final product.
You should follow this step-by-step process to vibratory finishing exactly if you intend to finish your pieces the correct way. Now that you know how it works, you can determine if the reasons to get a vibratory finishing machine are right for you. If you follow these four simple steps as instructed, you will be on your way to creating pieces that will fit perfectly for your construction needs. We hope this introductory guide to vibratory finishing has proven helpful to novices and masters alike.