Cratex for cleaning up a mold?

[Murphy]

I've used Cratex (those small rubberize wheels that you can buy for a Dremel too, or from Brownells, et.) over the years for various projects on guns and knives.

I have wondered for sometime now if anyone here as ever tried using Cratex in a cylinder form or pointed form to clean up a mold with? I know it would be risky with aluminum, but what about iron?


Experiences?



Thanks,

Murphy

[rusty marlin]

I use ALOT of cratex for deburing. I think it would be fine for cleaning up a mold provided you didn't have it attched to a power tool. On a Dremel it would be too agressive, even the super fine light green ones. The fine corners would be wiped out.

Cretex makes sticks that look like polishing stones, they would be very good for scrubbing out an iron mold, in the finer grits and applied with finesse.

[Jon K]

Murphy,

It works, but go slow, evenly over the surface, don't dig any low spots in the mould.
You might try lapping the mould til the rust cleans up.

Jon

[docone31]

I would be more inclined to use the plastic grinding wheels.
Punch them out in 1", or 3/4" and use high speed.
They will polish more than burnish. Cratex, when it gets hold can dig in slightly.
I would wonder, why polish the inside of a mold? If there are unsightly machine marks, I would cast a couple, dip them in 400 lapping compound, set a screw in the sprue cut off and spin them with the dremel.
A dremel is not strong enough to really do damage with that.
I might be missing what you are trying to do also.

[HeavyMetal]

I'll second Rusty Marlin's thought sbout a "motorized" cratex "blending" sharp edges in a mold.

Used as a hand tool these will do just fine! Get some "square" cylinders and some pointed one's in green and you should be just fine.