I have found that even scratches made by the file effect the tone and response negatively. I make sure to finish clarinet and sax mouthpiece baffles to a really flat surface with fine abrasives and Flitz.

Mike Vaccaro
www.MandMmouthpieces.com
www.VaccaroandStevensWoodwinds.Com



CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This E-mail transmission, and any documents, files or previous E-mail messages attached to it may contain information that is confidential or legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, or a person responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you must not read this transmission and that any disclosure, copying, printing, distribution or use of any of the information contained in or attached to this transmission is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. If you have received this transmission in error, please immediately notify the sender by telephone or return E-mail and delete the original transmission and its attachments without reading in any manner. Thank you. 

-I'm using a half round file to work on the baffle area using a side to side or diagonal stroke.  Often I get the scratches. Someone I watched working on a mouthpiece of mine used steel wool 00 with bore oil to smooth things. It doesn't remove those scratches.  Any suggestions for that area right behind the tip rail?  -- In MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com, "Mike Vaccaro" <mike@...> wrote:
>
> I have found that even scratches made by the file effect the tone and response negatively. I make sure to finish clarinet and sax mouthpiece baffles to a really flat surface with fine abrasives and Flitz.
> 
> Mike Vaccaro
> www.MandMmouthpieces.com
> www.VaccaroandStevensWoodwinds.Com
> 
> 
> 
> CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This E-mail transmission, and any documents, files or previous E-mail messages attached to it may contain information that is confidential or legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, or a person responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you must not read this transmission and that any disclosure, copying, printing, distribution or use of any of the information contained in or attached to this transmission is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. If you have received this transmission in error, please immediately notify the sender by telephone or return E-mail and delete the original transmission and its attachments without reading in any manner. Thank you.
>

Wet-dry paper is sold in 600-1200 grit  .It works quite well for me.   
If your very careful with a dremel buffer you can do a final polish  
but I would recommend polishing conpound and hand rub for that.  John Z
On Jul 8, 2009, at 4:19 PM, John Price wrote:

>
>
> -I'm using a half round file to work on the baffle area using a side  
> to side or diagonal stroke. Often I get the scratches. Someone I  
> watched working on a mouthpiece of mine used steel wool 00 with bore  
> oil to smooth things. It doesn't remove those scratches. Any  
> suggestions for that area right behind the tip rail? -- In MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com 
> , "Mike Vaccaro" <mike@...> wrote:
> >
> > I have found that even scratches made by the file effect the tone  
> and response negatively. I make sure to finish clarinet and sax  
> mouthpiece baffles to a really flat surface with fine abrasives and  
> Flitz.
> >
> > Mike Vaccaro
> > www.MandMmouthpieces.com
> > www.VaccaroandStevensWoodwinds.Com
> >
> >
> >
> > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This E-mail transmission, and any  
> documents, files or previous E-mail messages attached to it may  
> contain information that is confidential or legally privileged. If  
> you are not the intended recipient, or a person responsible for  
> delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified  
> that you must not read this transmission and that any disclosure,  
> copying, printing, distribution or use of any of the information  
> contained in or attached to this transmission is STRICTLY  
> PROHIBITED. If you have received this transmission in error, please  
> immediately notify the sender by telephone or return E-mail and  
> delete the original transmission and its attachments without reading  
> in any manner. Thank you.
> >
>
>
> 

I've been buying my sandpaper from Online Industrial Supply Co (it's  
MUCH cheaper when you don't buy from the hardware store).  They have  
silicon carbide paper in microgrits down to P3000.  That may seem a  
bit ridiculous given that most people on the list seem to use P320- 
P800, but I find the P3000 to be really nice for making a final finish  
without having to worry about removing too much material.

-Walter

On Jul 8, 2009, at 11:22 PM, John Zangrando wrote:

>
>
> Wet-dry paper is sold in 600-1200 grit  .It works quite well for  
> me.  If your very careful with a dremel buffer you can do a final  
> polish but I would recommend polishing conpound and hand rub for  
> that.  John Z
>
> On Jul 8, 2009, at 4:19 PM, John Price wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> -I'm using a half round file to work on the baffle area using a  
>> side to side or diagonal stroke. Often I get the scratches. Someone  
>> I watched working on a mouth piece of mine used steel wool 00 with  
>> bore oil to smooth things. It doesn't remove those scratches. Any  
>> suggestions for that area right behind the tip rail? -- In MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com 
>> , "Mike Vaccaro" <mike@...> wrote:
>> >
>> > I have found that even scratches made by the file effect the tone  
>> and response negatively. I make sure to finish clarinet and sax  
>> mouthpiece baffles to a really flat surface with fine abrasives and  
>> Flitz.
>> >
>> > Mike Vaccaro
>> > www.MandMmouthpieces.com
>> > www.VaccaroandStevensWoodwinds.Com
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > CON FIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This E-mail transmission, and any  
>> documents, files or previous E-mail messages attached to it may  
>> contain information that is confidential or legally privileged. If  
>> you are not the intended recipient, or a person responsible for  
>> delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified  
>> that you must not read this transmission and that any disclosure,  
>> copying, printing, distribution or use of any of the information  
>> contained in or attached to this transmission is STRICTLY  
>> PROHIBITED. If you have received this transmission in error, please  
>> immediately notify the sender by telephone or return E-mail and  
>> delete the original transmission and its attachments without  
>> reading in any manner. Thank you.
>> >
>>
>>
>
>
> 

I've tried finer papers but now never use anything finer than CAMI 600 on baffles and exteriors.  This is the same a FEPA P1200 or 15 micron.

http://www.jamarco.com/91b_Technical/sandpaper/Making%20Sense%20of%20Sandpaper%20-%20Page%202%20-%20Fine%20Woodworking.htm

I then use "0000" stainless steel which gives a fine but non-gloss finish.  I stop there most of the time.  If I want a gloss finish is use some polishing compound by hand and then some Flitz again by hand.  It is too easy to do damage with power buffing IMO.


      

To remove scratches from baffles, tear a strip of 600 paper about 1/4" (6-7 mm)  and about 1" (25 mm) long.  Place it on the baffle and hold down lightly with your thumb.  Draw it out from under your thumb pretty much straight out.  Since the tip rail is angled down, you will be drawing out the paper without touching the tip rail itself.  

You will have to do this with several fresh strips of paper as the paper loads up quickly.  Then a few strokes with 800 paper, 1000, 1500.

For a final polish I make a tool from a 5/16" or 3/8" (7-8 mm) diameter wood dowel.  On the end I file a flat area and glue on a piece of 1/16" cork.  On the cork I glue a piece of chamois.  This is my polishing tool.

Then, with some Kit Scratch Out (or you could use Flitz, or other good polishing compound), I polish the baffle, again, being careful to not polish on the actual tip rail.

Paul

In the past I've used also 1500 and 2000 grade paper. Now I use 1200 too plus hand polishing on hard rubber and "dremel polishing" on harder materials. Anyway for people who like to experiment here it can be found sand paper graded up to 0.3 microns :)

http://www.thorlabs.de/NewGroupPage9.cfm?ObjectGroup_ID50

All the best,

DannyG

--- In MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com, Keith Bradbury <kwbradbury@...> wrote:
>
> 
> I've tried finer papers but now never use anything finer than CAMI 600 on baffles and exteriors.  This is the same a FEPA P1200 or 15 micron.
> 
> http://www.jamarco.com/91b_Technical/sandpaper/Making%20Sense%20of%20Sandpaper%20-%20Page%202%20-%20Fine%20Woodworking.htm
> 
> I then use "0000" stainless steel which gives a fine but non-gloss finish.  I stop there most of the time.  If I want a gloss finish is use some polishing compound by hand and then some Flitz again by hand.  It is too easy to do damage with power buffing IMO.
>