How do you polish horn overlays or tips?

[bigcountry]

I have used 60grit to shape, 120grit, then 220gr, then moved to 300 and 400. 

Is there a secret to polishing these to be nice and shiny?  Just keep moving to 1000 grit?

[Kent D.]

Mark, I go all the way to 1000 grit.  600 will get it good and shinny, and if you hit it with 1000 it will polish up even better. 

[bigcountry]

Hmm, guess i need to go to a auto store to get that fine grit.  Went out at lowes and depot, and finest they had is 400grit. 

I have some silicon carbide solution also, with those felt wheels on my dremel. 

I can't seem to get past floor tiller.  I have no bend near my fades.  IPE is some hard stuff.  I only get to work on it about 1/2 hour every few days.

[Timo]

I shape with at mill bastard file, finish the shape with 150 grit, then 220. Then oooo steel wool. That is it.Smooth as a doves fart.

[Adam Keiper]

I use a fine file, then 80 through 400 grit sandpaper, then 0000 steel wool, and finally buff with a piece of split leather.  Tear off and twist a piece of the steel wool to get in the grooves, too.

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[Timo]

Adam, that is a good idear ,twisiting the wool like that! Thanks!

[Bent Rig]

Thanks for sharing that trick with the steel wool Adam - I will be doing that from now on ! 

[DarkSoul]

I've heard you can polish horn with toothpaste...never tried it though. But I intend to try it soon.

[El Destructo]

Brown Rouge on a Bufffing Wheel will have them Mirror Smooth .....just don't push....let the Wheel do the work

[bambule]

I'm using a special nailfile from my wife for polishing the nails - it works like magic on horn...

[markinengland]

Ipe can be polished just like the horn to a mirror finisah. Take it up to 4000 and be amazed! There are some very fine grades of wet and dry paper on ebay if you look.

[Kent D.]

I've heard you can polish horn with toothpaste...never tried it though. But I intend to try it soon.

I have used it to polish glass and crystal.  Worked great.   The diatoms shells they put in it as a mild abrasive works pretty good.  I can only imagine it would work on horn as well.  Just dont use jel

[Far East Archer]

I use wet sand paper like Mark say, but only up to 2000 starting from maybe 800.
I start at 120~200~250~400~600~800~1000~1500~2000.

Works well on getting finishes smooth too...