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Polished GOLDEN RAW -- Really DONE!

PhotonFanatic

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I like shiny things, part I:

On the left, the RAW as received from ORB, on the right, after first round of polishing.

PolishedRAW1.jpg


PolishedRAW3.jpg


Still some more work to be done.
 

Geologist

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Re: Polished U-binned RAW in progress

it looks like you polished so hard that the tritium vial has shifted out of position!!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 

CroMAGnet

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Re: Polished U-binned RAW in progress

sweet, That loox much better for EDC /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

Christoph

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Re: Polished U-binned RAW in progress

Geo /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crackup.gif
Fred good polish job now don't breath on it.
Chris
 

Geologist

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Re: Polished U-binned RAW in progress

BTW - good job - what type of polish are you using?
 

PhotonFanatic

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Re: Polished U-binned RAW in progress

First, it involves sanding--down to 1500 grit with wet/dry paper. Then it has been buffed with Dialux Blue to this state:

Macro1.jpg

Marco2.jpg


Next I want to try some Red Rouge, which should burnish it (well that's what it does to silver, but I'm not sure what we'll see on aluminum).
 

PhotonFanatic

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Re: Polished U-binned RAW in progress

<font color="blue"> Now we're cookin! </font>

Red rouge wasn't too hot, but Black Rouge--very nice:

Micro1.jpg

Micro2.jpg


And stepping back a little bit:

Micro4.jpg


All this needs now is a little Simichrome or Flitz and it will be good for months on end.
 

modamag

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Re: Polished U-binned RAW in progress

Fred, very nice.

I was thinking of nickel electroless plating mine since my original Orb already got corrosion on it.
 

PhotonFanatic

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Re: Polished U-binned RAW in progress

modamag,

Yes, that's in the back of my mind as an option also.

Other options:

EN plate, then Gold flash. Now that would be impressive!
EN plate, then satin chrome. Rockwell hardness of 70.
EN plate, then flash chrome. Really bright and shiny!
EN plate, then diamond chrome. Rockwell hardness of 98!!!

One would have to watch the threads on the electroless nickel plating--there doesn't appear to be much room for plating.
 

CroMAGnet

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Re: Polished U-binned RAW in progress

Gold Flash! Gold Flash!!!
silly-laugh1.gif


BTW that black rouge polised baby loox awesome. I'm just starting to EDC my Raw-U and I'd love to graduate to a Gold Raw-U.
 

PhotonFanatic

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Re: Polished U-binned RAW in progress

CromagNet,

I work for money. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

The gold flash would be about $30 to $40 more than just the EN plating, which usually runs about $4 to $7 a light.
 

PhotonFanatic

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Re: Polished U-binned RAW in progress

<font color="blue"> Finished!! </font>

RAWFini2.jpg


Really thinking this should be EN plated and then gold flashed. I like the yellow color from the incandescent light source.
 

CroMAGnet

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Re: Polished U-binned RAW in progress

OK! Can I send you mine to make into Solid Gold /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif and can you install some tritium?
 

Ginseng

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Re: Polished U-binned RAW in progress

Beautiful!

I get EN at 0.0005/0.0007" Do you think you've got clearance for that? I love Flitz by hand or jeweler's rouge on a soft buffing wheel. But that's the easy part. I find it's the sanding sequence that is most important.

Wilkey
 

PhotonFanatic

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Re: Polished U-binned RAW in progress

Wilkey,

Maybe, but there's more than one way to skin a cat. If 5 tenths would make it too snug, I can always polish off some of the EN on the threads, or use some diamond paste to give it that "custom" fit. The gold flash is very thin normally so that won't be the problem.

Dying to drop this off on Monday and see what they come up with.
 
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Re: Polished U-binned RAW in progress

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wow.gif Now that is something! WOW! Hey, Fred, I just got your polished Groovy! in the mail. What a superb light! I will have more to say in that regard soon.
 

wquiles

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Re: Polished U-binned RAW in progress

Fred,

Looks great !!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/goodjob.gif

Will
 

Hallis

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Re: Polished U-binned RAW in progress

Wow nice and shiney, definately a fingerprint magnet now /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Shane
 

andrewwynn

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Re: Polished U-binned RAW in progress

Fred is the polish-master... i've seen two of his polish jobs first-hand one that he spent more time on but both are amazing.

-awr
 

Haesslich

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Nov 2, 2003
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Re: Polished U-binned RAW in progress

Aye. I'm wondering how he polished it without doing anything to the Tritium, myself... and I need to reseat mine - the crazy glue was too thick inside. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif Any suggestions on how to remove, so I could do polishing and then reattach it properly?
 
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