Final polishing of Akril glass finishes will ensure that they look their best and give them a high lustre.
Akril recommend using only power driven buffing tools to do the job. Buffing wheels are available on the market that can be attached to an electric drill. A good quality buffing wheel should consist of layers of 5 mm carbonised felt and layers of unbleached muslin that are laid together to form a wheel or woollen wheels. Solidly stitched wheels should not be used.
These wheels should reach a surface speed of at least 400 metres per minute. Ideal speeds for Akril glass finishes are up to 1200 metres per minute.
A commercial buffing compound should be used to polish these glass finishes. For example:
- Silver polish
- Brass polish
- Non-silicone car polish that does not contain any cleaning solvents
To begin with, tallow should be applied to the wheel as a base for the buffing compound. When polishing the piece it should be moved back and forth across the buffing wheel. The buffing wheel needs to be kept constantly moving to prevent any heat building up.
It is also important to remember to never begin polishing at the edges of the glass finishes as the buffing wheel could easily catch on the edge causing the piece to fly across the room.
