So I picked up one of the hawk drifts from blacksmith depot and was wondering, they are pretty rough from the casting or whatever. Before I start playing with it I would assume you want it smooth finished.

Does it really matter if its rough or smooth or just a personal preference. I know this is a pretty basic question but sometimes its the simple ones that get me.

the smoother the drift the better.
I use a paste made from powderd graphite and grease, painted on the drift before use and it works well.

Smooth and lubed as Basher says! You drift much faster and cleaner holes and the drift doesn't get mushroomed on the striking end as much if there is less friction.

I have a few of those cast drifts. Polish then up with a flap disc, smooth is good and rough is bad when you drift. If you don't have any powdered graphite, mix scale flakes and bees wax into a paste. It makes a reasonable (non toxic) lube for drifting.

Peter

Thanks a bunch guys, Ill get it cleaned up before putting it to use.

for lube I use beeswax, scale and coal fines

I tried using scale while punching yesterday and the effect was very noticeable. One thing I've found with my well polished (mirror) drifts is that the heat colors are easier to spot! I wondered if I was overheating my tools until it occurred to me that I'd never seen mirror polished drifts anywhere. After you use them a few times, they're back to grey!

Yeah, shiny and lubed is better for sure. Think about it, you're forcing a piece of steel through a hole too small for it to go through by main force. Rough is all friction.

I like graphite and white lithium grease. You can buy graphite grease at the auto parts store and it works a treat. Coal dust works though not as well and it's harder to get to stick where you want it so a little wax or oil helps. What you want is something to help lube the drift, pick something slippery and heat resistant, graphite is at the top of the list for both. The black leading edges on the shuttles is a graphite composite called carbon carbon. You can cast iron or steel in a graphite clay crucible/mold. Oh yeah, I just remembered talcum powder makes a decent punch/drift/etc. lube.

Frosty the Lucky.

Would that be the old talcum powder made from talc or the new powder made from corn starch?