Anyone ever try toothpaste as a lapping compound or finishing media?
Toothpaste as a finishing media?
- Thread starter 6Cuda6
- Start date
I've read about it but never tried it.
If it could abrade hardened steel imagine what it would do to your teeth! I have used toothpaste to polish scratches out of CDs but never tried it on metal. IMO if you can feel the grit between the fingers it is too coarse anyway for finishing it did. Conversely the large particles might break down and polish nicely as you work it.
Give it a try and let us know how it works!
Give it a try and let us know how it works!
- Thread starter
- #4
Ironically i used it to polish up a few stained blades etc.... never as a honing compound. I will give it a go on denim perhaps next week to see what happens with the edge....i suspect it will do the same as chrome polish on denim.
Toothpaste on dental floss is great for rusty pivots(so I have read) and baking soda demolishes oxidation on my Japanese knives after cutting tomatoes and onions. I think iron oxide is softer than the steel, but I am clueless actually lol.
- Thread starter
- #6
Great tips....ill give them a shot too...what the heck as hotel rooms can be pretty boring at times....lol
Dude, if I had a room to myself, no kids bugging me, I would sleep! LOL!!
- Thread starter
- #8
I hear you brother....been there already...lol.
Ah, long trip?
- Thread starter
- #10
Im out almost every week ....kids are older so know what your talking about first hand...lol.
Toothpaste has an average particle size of 8 microns... though I doubt it's got the consistency of the particles found in hones and abrasive pastes.
- Thread starter
- #12
Tooth powder like our grand and great grand parents used to buy in a can was made from Diatomaceous earth and the cans were labeled as such and the source of silica are from Diatoms which are similar to the radiolarian that is the source of silica in Jnat stones. Toothpaste now only lists the fluoride because it is poisonous, the makers do not list any other ingredients because they are inert or harmless, or super cheap by the ton like diatomaceous earth is. You are paying up to $10 when 98+% of what is in the tube is well, earth.
If you have tried to hone with dry powdered Jnat slurry it is difficult to control the powder and it just cakes and gets pushed around under the blade, but on a leather strop or the palm of your hand you can use it as a polishing agent. Your edge needs to be fully formed before hand because any loose powder like this will not replace any stage of bevel formation, it only affects the edge itself much like stropping on a pasted paddle.
Alex Gilmore
If you have tried to hone with dry powdered Jnat slurry it is difficult to control the powder and it just cakes and gets pushed around under the blade, but on a leather strop or the palm of your hand you can use it as a polishing agent. Your edge needs to be fully formed before hand because any loose powder like this will not replace any stage of bevel formation, it only affects the edge itself much like stropping on a pasted paddle.
Alex Gilmore
- Thread starter
- #14
That is exactly what i suspect and the purpose of it in my question....would it work as a polishing medium for a fine finish on an edge to basicaly polish the edge up like using shaving cream on a hone to decrease the abrasiveness.
FWIW, a friend who collects high end vintage tobacco pipes uses a toothpaste that contains baking soda to polish his vulcanite (rubber) pipe stems. He doesn't want to have them buffed. He has shown me before and after photos, and the stuff works, but he says it is very slow going.
- Thread starter
- #16
I tried it to polish a blade and it works well thats why i was interested in using to polish the edge too.
Tried toothpaste several times, does nada for the edge. Cleans dirt off, but not better than a lot of other things.
- Thread starter
- #18
Thanks for your input, knowledge and experience Keith....guess ill keep this for cleaning blades....lol.
What about toothpaste as a hair pomade?
When you sweat it'll burn your eyes.
