Every metal casting you produce will require some kind of finishing operation before it becomes a useful, serviceable casting. Finishing of castings can be a laborious job if carried out entirely by hand, luckily for the home metal craftsman or woman (yes. there are a few women who are involved with metal casting) there are a number of very handy tools which can be used to great effect to remove flashings, fins, sprues, risers & dags, which remain after the casting operation.

The number one tool in the workshop is a reliable 4" angle grinder, they can be fitted with a coarse-grained resinoid grinding wheel which are known to remove aluminium, bronze or brass metal at a rapid rate with out clogging up.

The 4" angle grinder will also eccept an abrasive metal cut-off wheel, which is used to cut off the sprues and risers from bronze or aluminium castings. The big 9" angle grinders can also be used to cut & grind any large size castings.

Angle grinders big & small can also be fitted with the abrasive flap type wheel which are a multi layered grit wheel. Flap wheel finishing will give a very smooth lustrous finish on any type of metal, good quality flap wheels can be expensive to buy,they remove metal quickly and will last quite a long time, so they are worth the money.

Another machine metal finishing worth the expense, is the belt
linishing tool, of which there are several different brands available. They are supplied with belts ranging from coarse to fine, a handy feature of the machine is the ability to carry out a quick belt change.

Finishing and preparation of a number of castings can be done in
a very short time using this type of machine, the linishing machine is attached to a one horsepower bench grinder, and once you install and use one; you will wonder how you ever did without it.

They are expensive to buy, but as you do more & more castings,
you will need a faster & better finishing system for your castings. A very handy linishing belt is the scotch brite belt, this belt will give a beautiful finish on any type of metal, cast or other wise.

Now, we are not advocating for you to rush out tomorrow to spend a sqillion on new tools, as quite a bit of excellent finishing can be achieved with normal hand tools.There is not much sense in
spending a large amount of money if you don't have a great need.
But you'll know when it's time to buy some good power tools, if
you don't already own some.

And of course, once you finish with all of the initial grinding
and cleaning, you may want to give the item a high polish.
A calico cloth buffing wheel mounted on your bench grinder,
and some special buffing compound will put a mirror finish on
your unique casting creation.

And don't forget to also buy and wear a pair of eye safety goggles, or wear a full face shield, plus a pair of thick leather gloves to protect your hands & fingers. Resinoid and abrasive cut off wheels throw a huge amount of hot particles of sharp splinter shaped metal...which could inflict VERY serious injury to your eyes and skin.

Metal craft hobbies can provide a lot of enjoyment but you need to be careful at the same time.

Col Croucher.

Cleaning and polishing a guitar is the first thing every player should learn. It's the most basic maintenance task which, if done properly, will help retain or even restore an instrument's looks and value.

Prevention is better than cure
If cleaning is carried out regularly from the time a guitar is new, it is a simple task, taking only a few minutes to keep things in top condition.

Levels of cleaning
There are four levels of cleaning: wiping down, light polishing, cream polishing and cleaning. While that may sound like it's a lot of work, in reality if you wipe your guitar down regularly and give it a light polish occasionally, cream polishing is rarely needed and cleaning almost never.

Before any cleaning or polishing
Make sure that dust and grit is blown or dusted off the guitar before you do any cleaning or polishing - otherwise you may scratch the finish by dragging it over the surface with the cloth as you polish.

Wiping down
Make it a habit to wipe down your guitar's finish and strings after you play with a clean, dry cloth to remove fingerprints, sweat and smoke. If necessary, a little "breath mist" will help remove more stubborn marks. Done regularly, this avoids the need to do heavier cleaning and will make your guitar strings last much longer.

Light polish/cleaner
When the grime is tougher than the dry cloth can handle, use a light polish. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to apply and then polish off with a dry cloth. This should only be necessary once a month or so, but can be done daily if you prefer.

Cream polishing
If you play your guitar, you will gradually dull the finish with a multitude of tiny scratches from normal playing wear and tear. Cream polishes restore the gloss by filling these small scratches with a wax. The wax also protects the finish by leaving a protective layer and is resistant to being removed by light polishes, so you will usually only need to use the polish once or twice a year. Cream polish can also remove small amounts of dirt, but if the guitar is very dirty, rather clean it before polishing, to stop the dirt from being trapped under a layer of wax.

Cleaning
Over time, small deposits of sweat, grease, smoke and dust can build up and harden, making normal polishing more difficult and dulling the finish. Use a cleaner and elbow grease to remove the grime, and then follow up with polish.

Cleaning Tools
Cloths
Microfibre or soft cotton cloths are the best things for cleaning guitars. I use my old cotton T-shirts, as long as they are pure cotton, clean and soft. The cloth should ideally be lint free so it does not leave particles behind as you are cleaning.

Light polishes
Light polishes are designed to clean small amounts of dirt from both the finish and any hardware, leaving little to no residue. They can be used daily if necessary without fear of any kind of build-up.

Cream polishes
Cream polishes contain waxes which fill in small scratches, leave a protective coating and even seal cracks without penetrating into the wood itself. Because they leave a protective layer, it is best not to use them too often, as there is a chance of build-up developing, sometimes even trapping dirt under the protective coating.

Cleaners
The best all-round cleaner is Naphtha (lighter fluid/ paraffin oil). Naphtha is strong enough to remove most oils, dirt and grease, but is gentle enough to use on even the most delicate finish. It can be used to clean unfinished fingerboards like rosewood or ebony safely and can be used to soak and clean metal hardware such as bridges and saddles.

Do NOT use
Regular furniture polishes - they often contain silicon or other oils that make a guitar feel greasy. They also tend to penetrate finish cracks or screw holes, getting into the wood and making the finish lift. Silicon also tends to make any future guitar repair work such as refinishing, refretting or gluing extremely difficult.

"Dashboard" polishes - not even on your guitar case, as these are mostly silicon oil and tend to get everywhere else too, carried by your hands.

Solvents like isopropyl alcohol or surgical spirits - some (especially expensive) finishes can be damaged by them and they remove the natural oils from fingerboards, drying them out, making them more prone to cracking.

The wheels and tyres are the only parts of your car that actually connect it to the road, therefore they tend to pick up dirt and contaminants quickly. Wheel arches are the inner area that surround the wheels and tyres and so any dirt and contaminants picked up from the road surface by will be deposited on them quickly too. As well as picking up dirt from the road the wheels get covered in a thin layer of dust from the brake pads every time your car brakes. This builds up over time and if not cleaned regularly can literally 'bake' onto the surface of the wheel due to the heat also being generated under braking. If wheels are left uncleaned the dirt and brake dust will gradually build up and become very difficult to remove. Depending on the design of your cars wheels the contaminants may begin work under the surface and corrode the wheel leaving it looking very unsightly and neglected.

Tyres also pick up and carry all the same dirt and contaminants that the wheels do but are often overlooked. It is important to properly clean and dress your tyres though, as this helps to prevent the tyre walls from fading, cracking and degrading due to the sun and water from the road surface. The tread on your tyres may be good but if the tyre walls become cracked in places the tyre may be deemed unsafe considering it is the only part connecting you and your car to the road.

Wheel arches are also often overlooked during the car cleaning process. Again though it is important to ensure that your wheel arches are kept as clean and free from contaminants as possible. Around the wheel arches is one of the most common areas for corrosion and rust to occur so it is worth paying attention to them when cleaning your car. There are a number of important moving parts located behind the wheel and within the arch itself and these will work better and last longer if kept free from the build up of harmful contaminants.

You should clean your wheels tyres and arches every time the rest of your car is cleaned. As with all the other parts of your car, if these have initially been thoroughly and properly cleaned they should not require allot of effort to return them to a satisfactory and contaminant free standard. Initially you may need a strong yet non-acidic designated wheel cleaner to remove heavy dirt and baked on brake dust. If your wheels are not too heavily soiled then a diluted all purpose cleaner and/or a normal car shampoo product can be used to clean them. A selection of soft and stiff bristled brushes are essential to be able to effectively clean and reach awkward areas of your wheels tyres and arches. Diluted all purpose cleaner can also be used along with a normal shampoo product to clean the arches and tyre walls.

An all in one polish product can be used to safely and effectively restore and enhance your wheels even further after cleaning. You may also want to use a designated wheel sealant after polishing to fully protect the wheels and make them much easier to clean next time. A metal or chrome polish may be required for polished lips, dished wheels or even fully chrome wheels. A selection of micro fibre towels and applicator pads will be needed for the application and removal of the polish/sealant products and a detailing spray can be used to aid the removal of any awkward product residue.