Can anyone advise on the best materials/tools to use for polishing a piston in order to acheive the mythical "mirror finish".
Also, I am thinking about buying a stock from Custom Stocks of Sheffield. However, before I part with the cash, can anyone advise on the quality of the work they produce as I picked up on a thread on here that suggested there may be some problems with them.
Tia,
Peter
HI Peter
Years ago, I used to use Solvol Autosol paste (it came in a tube)to polish pistons.
I mounted the piston on a wooden dowel which I placed in a drill, and applied the Autosol with cardboard, finishing off with a soft cloth.
It worked for me, but it was 15 years ago and there might be a better way of doing it now.
Regards
Bob
I usually just use finer and finer grades of wet and dry paper until I have the finish I am after.
Please heed a caveat on the piston part of your project. totally mirror polishing a piston may not be an improvement, since the adhesion characteristics of the metal surface in relation to lubricants will be reduced. Tuning experts say this will possibly increase friction, in stead of reducing it.
Send me the piston and I will polish it for you, no charge just pay the postage
Or if you want to do it yourself, then I advise to polish it in the direction of travel, ie not in a lathe
baz
Thaks to all for the replies. Will try out the wet and dry.
Baz, thanks for a damned decent offer,(free polish), however I would like to have a crack myself on this occassion as it's the first time I've had a go. If it turns out badly, I'll be in touch and you can charge me for a large helping of humble pie! <img src="http://jsramsbottom.co.uk/bbs/e/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="Big Grin" width="15" height="15"><!--graemlin:-->
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by hendrickotto:
Please heed a caveat on the piston part of your project. totally mirror polishing a piston may not be an improvement, since the adhesion characteristics of the metal surface in relation to lubricants will be reduced. Tuning experts say this will possibly increase friction, in stead of reducing it.[/quote]
I may be mistaken but I was under the impression that the inner cylinder wall was the one without the mirror finish.
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PC, what rifle are you working on? If it's an AA springer, then I think that you will be better off polishing the inside of the piston rather than the external surface.
Rustam
Better to leave honing marks in cylinder if it has any
If this is a AA springer then there is really no benefit in polishing the piston as Rustam mentions, as no metal to metal contact
On HW break barrels and similar a polished piston where it makes contact with the cylinder at the rear will definately make the gun feel smoother when cocking, needs to be polished in direction of travel though
baz
Hi Rustam, the rifle in question is fwb 124.
Peter
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by pc:
Hi Rustam, the rifle in question is fwb 124.
Peter[/quote]
Hi Peter,
If it has Venom Lazaglide internals, then don't bother polishing the external piston surface. If it has the original internals then do as Baz suggests.
Rustam
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