Using Radial Bristle Discs

Radial bristle discs are manufactured from a flexible material mounted onto a spindle, and are intended for use in rotary hand tools. The bristles already contain an abrasive, this has several advantages:

• Separate polishing compounds such as Tripoli or rouge are not required.
• The even distribution of the impregnated polishing compound ensures consistent performance throughout the life of the product.
• Decreased risk of cross contamination of different polishing compounds as the discs are colour coded for easy recognition.
• Polishing using radial discs is much cleaner than traditional polishing techniques using rouge.

However, the main benefit of using radial discs is that the bristles are highly flexible. This flexibility means that the disc will readily conform to the shape of most objects, even very uneven surfaces. This flexibility results in an even finish across the entire surface of an object; the bristles easily reach into grooves, mouldings, and other hard to reach areas.
The discs should be mounted onto a spindle in groups of 3 - 6 in order to achieve an effective brushing action. When in use, the following advice should be followed:

• Make sure that the discs are mounted in the correct direction, so that the bristles curve away from the direction of travel. If the discs rotate in the wrong direction, they will quickly snag and become damaged.
• Do not move the brush over the work too quickly, the rotary action should be allowed to do the work.
• Try to use the discs evenly so that they wear down at the same rate.
• Avoid using the end face of the outermost disc, this will quickly wear out the disc.
• Do not use more than 1 grade of disc at a time.