Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Weekly Review: 3M Radial Bristle Discs


These are by far one of the best tools a metalsmith can have for their flexshaft. They are kept a secret, somewhat, at first in art school, as instructors want their students to learn manual skills in sanding and polishing. But word gets out. I learned about these beauties after 3 years of being in school! They're magnificent for getting into hard-to-reach places, under crevices and in cracks.

These are called 3M Radial Bristle Discs, and most jeweler's suppliers have them. There are varying grits for your needs, from fire scale removal to high polishing. Have a look over at Contenti for a full description and pricing.

image via contenti.com

13 comments:

Unknown said...

Thank you very much for the bristle information. I had just seen them in a catalog and did not have time then to read, so now I know what they are.

John

Anonymous said...

i just ordered these right before the holiday and cant wait to try them out.

HouseThatCrowBuilt said...

Wish I would have ordered these with my last monsterslayer order! Now I am kicking myself for taking them out of my cart.

Danielle Miller-Gilliam said...

These are great! I use them all the time!
My bits of advice:
-Use them at fairly slow speeds...too fast and they wear out and don't do the job.
-Make sure you insert onto the mandrel in the correct direction. If they are in the wrong direction, they get bent and are ruined.

Jesse Danger said...

Yes! I ended up with a sample set and was amazed with them, I'll be ordering a ton soon.

Beth Cyr said...

Awesome! thanks Catherine!
I've used them several times and really like them. sometimes they seem to be the only thing that works! I think I read somewhere one time that they work best when you put several on at one time... is that true?? or did I make that up?

Caitlin said...

My casting teacher loves these for cleaning up castings... She also loves Mizzy Heatless Wheels - they are great for removing leftover sprue bits. You can find them here...

http://www.ottofrei.com/store/home.php?cat=797

Ann Jenkins said...

I use these all the time--they're wonderful! Usually stack 3 to 4 together for wider coverage. NOTE: wear a dust mask or respirator!

Simbelmyne said...

thanks for the tip!

Katie Do said...

I just ordered a set because of your review. I can't wait to try them. Thank you! And thanks Danielle for the tip!

Silver Canyons said...

I found out about these when working with metal clay but they work great on sterling silver as well!
I am glad you Contenti's site because I have buying at another location for WAY more $$

Jenna Appleton said...

I adore these... received a tiny sample pack with my new flexshaft about 18 months ago and have found them indispensable ever since. I tend to overkill a bit and put four or five on the mandrel at once :)

Down to the Wire Designs said...

I recently taught a production workshop and these were on a very short list of my must-have tools.

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