Buff polishing is indispensable in obtaining mirror finishes. In general, the term buff polishing encompasses a wide range of polishing methods from the paper finishing mentioned before to flatten a rough surfaces to obtaining mirror finishing. Various polishing methods and obtained finishes are shown in Table 1 below.

[Table 1] Types of buff polishing methods and finishes

Buff polishing begins with selecting the shape and the material. The buff materials are mainly classified into cotton and hemp linen (sisal), and shapes are classified as follows. (see [Fig.1])

1. Paper buff
   Circular canvas cloth are stacked and sawn together and polishing material is adhesive fixed. Mainly used for rough polishing.
2. Loose buff
   Circular calico cloth are stacked and only the center is sawn. The centrifugal force of rotating generates elasticity.
3. Bias buff
   Cloth is cut along fold lines and creases are stacked into round shape. The cloth ends do not fray.
4. Pocket buff
   Folds are made deep and circular sawn together. Air pockets promote Heat radiation and good abrasive retention.

[Fig.1] From left: Loose buff, Paper buff, Bias buff