Crocus Paper

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Will L
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Crocus Paper

Postby Will L » Tue Sep 06, 2011 4:23 pm

Posted on behalf of Adrian Prescot

NOTES FROM A CHESHIRE WORKBENCH

Some of you may be aware that I have been trying for a long time to track down a supplier of Crocus cloth that used to be available from Oakey & Sons. This cloth is remarkable for polishing any metal objects be it a dome, chimney, axle boxes or ones lining pen. Sadly I was up against a brick wall and discovered that Crocus cloth had in fact been produced for the last time about 20yrs ago.

All is not lost however and thanks to a fellow P4 member I have now found a source of a replacement. I always thought that the jewellery trade would provide the answer, and despite my failed enquiries, I have now located a source of the most incredibly fine emery cloth.

It is called ‘Micro-Mesh polishing sheets’, they are six inches square and are available from H. S. Walsh & Sons Ltd of Biggin Hill, Telephone 020 8778 7061 or http://www.hswalsh.com. They have showrooms in Hatton Garden and Birmingham so their pedigree is good. They take phone orders and accept cards.

I bought the mixed pack of four sheets, which should do everyone for a lifetime, and they cost £16.04 for sheets of 3,600 6,000 8,000 and 12,000 grit. To give you an idea the 3,600 is barely rough and the 12,000 feels about as rough as cartridge paper. However when used properly to polish metal components they are fantastic. They are also available as single sheets, but the price escalates as one might expect.

Happy polishing

Adrian Prescott


If your still not quite sure what Crocus Paper is or was and why Adrian was so keep to get his hand on some, see the August 2011 Crewe Area Group meeting report.

Will

craig_whilding

Re: Crocus Paper

Postby craig_whilding » Tue Sep 06, 2011 5:06 pm

Thanks for sharing that.

Adrian used some to polish up my old bow pen which had been used with drawing ink previously and i've been after some since.

wally

Re: Crocus Paper

Postby wally » Tue Sep 06, 2011 5:40 pm

This material is widely used by military modellers, especially the plastic kit detailing fraternity. I have seen it advertised by Hammets (I think thats the correct spelling) who are based in East Anglia but also have shop in London, close to Collindale Underground station.

H T H

Wally

craig_whilding

Re: Crocus Paper

Postby craig_whilding » Tue Sep 06, 2011 8:01 pm

wally wrote:This material is widely used by military modellers, especially the plastic kit detailing fraternity. I have seen it advertised by Hammets (I think thats the correct spelling) who are based in East Anglia but also have shop in London, close to Collindale Underground station.
H T H
Wally

Did you mean Hannants? http://www.hannants.co.uk/catalogue/

Can't see micro mesh on there although Tamiya seem to do some sort of polishing cloth.

Note, don't search ebay/google for micro mesh if you have an other half..

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jim s-w
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Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:56 pm

Re: Crocus Paper

Postby jim s-w » Tue Sep 06, 2011 8:31 pm

Sounds ideal for gleaming rails.

Cheers

Jim
Jim Smith-Wright

http://www.p4newstreet.com

Over thinking often leads to under doing!

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LesGros
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Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 10:05 pm

Re: Crocus Paper

Postby LesGros » Tue Sep 06, 2011 9:24 pm

Micromesh is available from Axminster tool centre

http://www.axminster.co.uk/micro-mesh-s ... rod804806/
LesG

The man who never made a mistake
never made anything useful

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Paul Townsend
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Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2009 6:09 pm

Re: Crocus Paper

Postby Paul Townsend » Wed Sep 07, 2011 5:45 am

Will L wrote:Posted on behalf of Adrian Prescot

NOTES FROM A CHESHIRE WORKBENCH

Some of you may be aware that I have been trying for a long time to track down a supplier of Crocus cloth that used to be available from Oakey & Sons. This cloth is remarkable for polishing any metal objects be it a dome, chimney, axle boxes or ones lining pen. Sadly I was up against a brick wall and discovered that Crocus cloth had in fact been produced for the last time about 20yrs ago.

All is not lost however and thanks to a fellow P4 member I have now found a source of a replacement. I always thought that the jewellery trade would provide the answer, and despite my failed enquiries, I have now located a source of the most incredibly fine emery cloth.

It is called ‘Micro-Mesh polishing sheets’, they are six inches square and are available from H. S. Walsh & Sons Ltd of Biggin Hill, Telephone 020 8778 7061 or http://www.hswalsh.com. They have showrooms in Hatton Garden and Birmingham so their pedigree is good. They take phone orders and accept cards.

I bought the mixed pack of four sheets, which should do everyone for a lifetime, and they cost £16.04 for sheets of 3,600 6,000 8,000 and 12,000 grit. To give you an idea the 3,600 is barely rough and the 12,000 feels about as rough as cartridge paper. However when used properly to polish metal components they are fantastic. They are also available as single sheets, but the price escalates as one might expect.

Happy polishing

Adrian Prescott


If your still not quite sure what Crocus Paper is or was and why Adrian was so keep to get his hand on some, see the August 2011 Crewe Area Group meeting report.

Will

Is this what you mean?
http://www.hswalsh.com/Finishing-Film-A ... TE54&t=152

I can't find an exact match to the material you described as micromesh on Walsh's website.
This is metric and dearer.

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grovenor-2685
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Re: Crocus Paper

Postby grovenor-2685 » Wed Sep 07, 2011 6:47 am

Try http://www.hswalsh.com/Micro-Mesh-Polishing-Paper-.aspx?i=TE50&t=152
a bit further down the abrasives pages.
Regards
Keith
Regards
Keith
Grovenor Sidings

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Will L
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Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2008 3:54 pm

Re: Crocus Paper

Postby Will L » Wed Sep 07, 2011 8:06 am

craig_whilding wrote:Note, don't search ebay/google for micro mesh if you have an other half..


Sounds like you need to refine your search criteria on way or the there :D

Will

Philip Hall
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Re: Crocus Paper

Postby Philip Hall » Wed Sep 07, 2011 10:12 am

I was just thinking of ordering some of this when I remembered that I already have something similar, 'Flex -pad Flexifiles'. They are about the size of a small emery board and I have them in 12000, 6000 and 4000 grit. The paper is stuck to a spongy base, much as the Axminster Tool micro mesh pads. Being in a stick form, they are easy to get into small areas and you have something to hold on to. I think I got them many years ago from John Shelley (Fourtrack).

Philip

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MarkS
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Joined: Tue Jul 22, 2008 1:15 am

Re: Crocus Paper

Postby MarkS » Wed Sep 07, 2011 2:55 pm

This is what I use, and they are very useful! Being Micro-Mesh, I'm sure they can be found in the UK...
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.a ... 3243,43245
Cheers,

Mark.
"In the end, when all is said and done, more will have been said than done..."

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Will L
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Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2008 3:54 pm

Re: Crocus Paper

Postby Will L » Wed Sep 07, 2011 3:04 pm

MarkS wrote:This is what I use, and they are very useful! Being Micro-Mesh, I'm sure they can be found in the UK...
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.a ... 3243,43245


They can see the link posted by Les G

Will
Last edited by Will L on Wed Sep 07, 2011 5:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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David B
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Re: Crocus Paper

Postby David B » Wed Sep 07, 2011 3:25 pm

See: Axminster Power Tools at http://www.axminster.co.uk/micro-mesh-mixed-pack-of-abrasives-prod819044/

Scroll down the page for pads.

Sorry, I skipped to the end of the thread and missed Les G's post.

David

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45609
Posts: 213
Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2008 10:28 am

Re: Crocus Paper

Postby 45609 » Wed Sep 07, 2011 3:35 pm

Will, thanks for posting this it has prompted me to make a few comments.

Firstly Micromesh can also be obtained from here as well. You'll also notice it in a few different forms.

http://www.sylmasta.com/acatalog/Online ... ves_1.html

I first came across this really useful stuff about 15 years ago when I was modelling plastic aircraft. In this genre I mainly used it to polish scratches out of clear plastic canopies among other things. In particular the 12000 grit cloth is so fine that it will, with time and effort, take a matt surface to a high gloss shine. The other feature of micromesh that I don't think has been mentioned is that it is a cushioned abrasive. The cloth backing is covered/impregnated with latex which stops the abrasive particles digging into the surface being worked on. The result is a very fine and regular polishing pattern. More recently I've used micromesh on the lining pen, paint work (to remove blemishes as well as distressing it as part of the weathering process) and removing RTR numbering.

The point that I think is worth making is that there is still a lot that us railway modellers can learn from other branches of scale modelling. For instance when I got back into railway modelling over 10 years ago I'm not sure it was widely known, within my sphere of contacts, that decals (in particular waterslide) go down best onto a gloss surface. The plastic modellers (IPMS) have been doing this for a very long time to the extent that Hannants, mentioned above, have been offering gloss enamel paint in their Xtracolor 14ml tinlets for years. It is a pity that the Pheonix Precision boys don't do the same. You can get gloss enamel from them but only in large tins and since it starts to go off after being opened it is pretty wasteful and expensive if you don't need much. Another good example from the plastic modelling world is Johnsons Klear floor polish and the potential uses. Using it for decal application and varnishing models was what the IPMS gave us and IIRC some railway modellers have now used it for fixing ballast down.

If you have never been for a trip to the IPMS National Show it can be a real feast of new ideas not to mention a chance to see some stunning modelling. Check it out......

http://www.smwshow.com/

Cheers.....Morgan

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David B
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Re: Crocus Paper

Postby David B » Wed Sep 07, 2011 4:29 pm

Perhaps I can redeem myself for not having read the thread properly before.

Philip mentioned pads on sticks. I came across the following from Sylmasta after following Morgan's link to the IPMS.

http://www.sylmasta.com/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Micro_Mesh_Abrasives_87.html

David

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Paul Townsend
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Re: Crocus Paper

Postby Paul Townsend » Wed Sep 07, 2011 4:52 pm

grovenor-2685 wrote:Try http://www.hswalsh.com/Micro-Mesh-Polishing-Paper-.aspx?i=TE50&t=152
a bit further down the abrasives pages.
Regards
Keith


TVM
PS Their search tool ain't very good!

craig_whilding

Re: Crocus Paper

Postby craig_whilding » Wed Sep 07, 2011 6:28 pm

When I mentioned eBay I forgot to say there is a micro_mesh user on there http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MICRO-MESH-MI ... 4aae68b23a

The feedback suggests its the right stuff..

I think I remember the sticks advertised in AIR modeller and recommend for cleaning up glazing on figher jet canopies.


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