[Jewelry making - Article 00518] - Re: [Orchid] Polishing Tips

[coralnut]

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Bradley,

    I think The Doctor gave you some good grist for the mill. Here are a
    few additional things to consider. ZAM can be used for many
    things.....one in particular - most of the carbonate and phosphate
    stone groups. When you set turquoise or rhodocrosite, or malachite
    to name a few, they all polish beautifully with ZAM which will give
    a great polish to the surrounding silver at the same time! 

    One question I must ask you.... are you sure part of your problem
    getting a 'mirror silver' polish isn't due to fire scale? Do you get
    a blotchy look when polishing?  Is there a gray or gray-pink surface
    along with areas of mirror silver?  If so, you have fire scale and
    it will take a lot of polishing to remove it if at all.  Check the
    Orchid archives for more information on this subject. 

    Re getting into those 'little' spaces I don't even try to polish
    them....I burnish them in a vibratumbler with steel shot for 30
    minutes (more in the Orchid archive).  The result is a really nice
    burnished silver surface even down in those places you can't begin
    to reach with a wheel or brush. Then I polish the higher parts. 

    Personally, I normally only use first and second cut polishes and
    dispense with third cut unless it is something very very special. I
    do the same on both gold and silver and normally finish with either
    ZAM or Fabuluster.  The problem is there are so many  polishes and
    wheels out there one could experiement for years before deciding
    which  you like best.  Instead, I have learned to use just a few and
    use them well. There is a loooot more I could add but lets leave it
    there.   Happy experimenting! 

    Cheers from Don at The Charles Belle Studio in SOFL where simple
    elegance IS fine jewelry! dcdietz AT comcast.net 


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