Polishing mops are indispensable tools in the realm of surface finishing and restoration. They come in various shapes, sizes, and materials, each tailored to specific tasks. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a DIY enthusiast, understanding the different types of polishing mops can significantly enhance your polishing endeavours. In this guide, we’ll explore some of the most common types and their applications.
Sisal mops are composed of natural sisal fibers derived from the agave plant. These mops are considerably more aggressive than cotton mops, making them suitable for heavy-duty applications. Sisal mops are often used for initial metalwork, particularly on harder metals like steel.
These mops come in three different grades.
The Natural Sisal is the softest grade and is untreated. This is used for softer metals and is the least aggressive sisal mop.
Red Sisal is the medium grade. It is treated to make it more aggressive.
Gold Sisal is treated even further to make it even harder and more aggressive. This works really well for stainless steel and is the most aggressive sisal mop.
There are many different mops that can be used for the final buff.
This includes stitched cotton mops, rag mops, loose leaf cotton mops (calico), airflow mops and swansdown mops.
Firstly, we are going to talk about stitched vs loose leaf. Stitched mops are sewn in usually a circular pattern (or square) to keep the mop together. Stitched mops generally last longer and as the mop wears, it can be cut into to fluff up the exterior. Loose leaf mops such as the calico mops or swansdown mops can adjust to the workpiece better especially if the workpiece is irregular in shape.
Secondly, each of the polishing mops have different hardnesses and different strengths. In order from most aggressive to least aggressive:
Rag Mop (Circular Stitched): As the name suggests this mop is made up of many different types of rag, mainly cotton from cut up clothing. This is much finer than the SISAL (or rope wheels) mops discussed in the previous section but is the most aggressive out of the final polishing options. They are cheaper and provide a great finish.
Stitched Cotton Mop: This is similar to the rag mop, it is circular stitched and made of cotton. But this mop is much more consistent. The cotton chosen is all of the same grade and there is no amiguity to the contents of the mop.
Airflow Mops: These mops are treated and appear to be quite aggressive but due to their shape end up being very smooth while running.
Loose Leaf Calico Mop: The loose leaf calico mop is made of a similar material to the stitched cotton mop but due to it not being stitched is finer.
Swansdown Mop: Swansdown mops are the finest and softest mops. While sisal mops can help get rid of light scratches by having more cut. These mops are solely to bring out more of a shine, to a brilliant mirror finish.
111 Abrasives have a large range of polishing mops for virtually every polishing application. They are mounted on a tapered spindle, whether on a handheld machine or a larger stationary machine. If you are unsure as to what size is suitable for your application the basic rule of thumb is up to 150mm for handheld machines and up to 300mm diameter for stationary machines.
All of our mops are made in Australia and contain a special washer from Japan to ensure they run true and straight.
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t/as Mullner Enterprises
ABN: 98 097 144 753
Supplying Australian Businesses since 1988
