[Jewelry making - Article 00505] - Re: [Orchid] Polishing Tips

[The Doctor]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========

>         I am primarily self-taught (orchid taught) and I have a few
>     questions regarding final polishing of silver/gold. 

    Hi Bradley. I believe that even those who learn in school or from a
    "master" are somewhat self-taught, since no single process works the
    same for everyone. We all take what we learn from others and adapt
    the things that work best for us as individuals once we've tried
    everything of interest to us. What follows is my tribute to the idea
    that no one system works for everybody but, with patience and
    experimentation, we all find what works best for us. 

>         I don't have the budget to buy a dedicated polishing machine -
>     so I'm using my foredom with various buffs. 

    I began polishing with my rotary tool (not a Foredom) also, and I'm
    still saving for a better polisher. Until then, I'm using a $149
    small polisher that I think I got from Graves Company. It's not what
    I'd recommend for a production shop, and it bogs down easily, but it
    gets the job done on the small pieces I work with. You can likely
    find it in their on-line catalog at www.gravescompany.com Usual
    disclaimer applies: I'm not an employee, shill or anything else -
    just a very satisfied customer. 

>         1) Is there any recommendations with respect to what
>     particular buff material goes best with what compound?  For
>     example, what is everyone's opinion with Zam or Red Rouge?  Is it
>     best used on felt vs chamois vs muslin, etc...? Or am I
>     over-analyzing the situation and does it really make much of a
>     difference? 

    Yes, it makes a very big difference, but not necessarily because of
    what tools, equipment and compounds you use, rather, what works best
    for YOU. A lot of people use Zam to polish their silver, but a lot
    of others don't. I fall into the second category. For sterling
    silver, I first use Dialux red rouge on a stitched muslin buff, then
    Dialux green rouge on another stitched muslin buff. The yellow buffs
    are a bit stiffer than the white ones, and somewhat less forgiving.
    The red ones take it a step further. Some have a looser stitch than
    others. You'll do well to try as many as you can on scrap to see
    which combination(s) work best for you. An important step for me is
    to use a good degreaser between all buffing stages. I prefer Simple
    Green with a toothbrush. 

    For 14K, I get MY best result with red rouge on felt, then (don't
    laugh) Dremel Polishing Compound, also on felt. Or on a red stitched
    muslin buff. For some reason, 14K likes to be polished by MY hand
    with a harder buff (felt or red muslin). For me, softer alloys of
    gold usually require softer buffs. The point I'm trying to make is,
    you will, through experimentation, try all of the helpful
    suggestions you get from this forum to find the exact combination of
    tools, equipment and compound that will work for you. You may even
    find that Zam works better for you after a buff with red or green
    rouge, just make sure you get the one compound off by degreasing the
    piece before you try another. And use only one compound per buff,
    marking them accordingly. 

>         2) When I do final polish (primarily with Zam on silver) - it
>     doesn't appear to polish as much as lay on a thick almost
>     "grease-like" coating.  Granted, when I take an 'ol trusty
>     toothbrush and some elbow grease, it comes off and my piece looks
>     good - but what am I doing wrong here?  Am I applying too much
>     compound, pressure on the wheel, or too high an RPM? 

    Maybe all or none of the above. Do you rake your buff occasionally?
    Sometimes there is too much buildup on it that can contain a lot of
    the binding agent and not enough grit. There are commercial buff
    rakes available, but I find a piece of scrap wood works quite well.
    Just hold the wood firmly while applying the buff, and use the
    largest piece of wood you can to help prevent the buff from grabbing
    it. 

>          I've tried altering these variables with limited success -
>     but I can't seem to quite "get it right".  I've played around with
>     the 3M radial bristles (which I love) and some of the silicon
>     polishers (don't love quite as much) - and while they do a pretty
>     good job - I just can't seem to get a really good "mirror" polish. 
>     I've learned (especially from Orchid - TY!) that one of the biggest
>     problems with polishing is to make sure one doesn't short cut with
>     the sanding & pre-polishing stage.  I feel that I'm working my way
>     carefully through this stage - but who knows, maybe this is part of
>     the problem? 

    I also use the 3M bristle brushes and love them dearly, especially
    for those hard-to-reach places and inside rings. But you're right,
    they do a great job without really getting the "mirror" polish. Use
    them to pre-polish, and the buff of your choice for your final
    polishing. Once I realized that no single compound works for ME, I
    was on the right trail. Once I realized that I needed to get all of
    the first compound of with a de-greaser, I found MY holy grail.
    Since you understand that sanding and pre-polishing is the most
    critical stage, I believe you're on the trail of yours. Good luck
    and try it all. 

James in SoFl

____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________