[Jewelry making - Article 00173] - Re: [Orchid] Bench grinder for polishing tips

[LEESSILVER]

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

Hi Candy,

    Using a buffing wheel on a powerful motor to polish you art  can be
    very intimidating.  Everyone will have the buffing wheel grab a 
    piece every now and then. The trick is to prevent it from happening
    as few  times as possible. 

    The following things can help: 

    1.  Most important.  NEVER, NEVER let the buffing  wheel run down on
    a leading edge of your work.  Always polish from the  center to the
    lower edge of you piece. 

    2.  Experience will teach you what actions are most  likely to cause
    a piece to be grabbed by the wheel.  Either avoid  these actions or
    prepare to hold the piece tighter. 

    3.  Do not press hard against the buffing  wheel.  Let the polishing
    compound and wheel do the work. 

    4.  Keep moving the piece back and forth against the  wheel.  Do not
    allow the wheel to run on one spot continually. 

    5.  There are tools that one can buy that will hold  some pieces
    while polishing. 

    6.  A pair of vice grips with rubber  pads bonded on the jaws make a
    great tool for holding some  pieces.  The amount of pressure the
    jaws apply to the piece can be  adjusted. 

    7. Some flat pieces can be held against a piece of wood.   The wood
    acts as a backing to the piece being polished.  

    8.  You can taper a piece of 1X1 inch wool and slit the  end about 2
    inches deep.  A ring can be slid up the taper until it fits 
    tightly.  This will hold the ring while you polish it. 

    Some people are dead set against wearing gloves while  polishing.  I
    have work with gloves with finger guards bonded on the  fingers of
    the glove for many years.  The buffing wheel will wear through  the
    stitching of gloves.  The finger guards can be placed in such  a
    manner as to protect the stitching of the glove and guard.  This 
    heavy build up of leather on the hands works for me because I
    usually polish  large items. 

Good luck
Lee Epperson

____________________________________________________________________
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
____________________________________________________________________