[Jewelry making - Article 01354] - Re: [Orchid] [Source] Scotch stone

[Peter W . Rowe]

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>     I understand that Scotch Stone became unavailable quite a few
>     years ago. Now I bought a piece in those days - because a couple
>     of books said the this was a necessary item to use in the early
>     stages of polishing metals. But I soon learned that 'wet'n'dry
>     papers starting with 400 grit and going down to around 1000 grit
>     with final application of tripoli, rouge, and finer polishing media
>     will do just as good a polishing job. The books recommending scotch
>     stone tend to be outdated. I think this stone was used before the
>     more convenient papers were available 

    I'll argue some of that John. 

    First, the manufacturer did have a problem, namely a fire that
    destroyed some or much of their plant, so there was a period of
    several years when there was no production. They're back in
    production now, though I think at lower capacity, and now,
    occasionally their quarry gets flooding which can put quite a
    temporary dent in their production too. But you can still get them.
    Allcraft in New York is the main supplier I know of in the U.S. There
    may be others. The info I've got on the supplier comes from Tevel,
    owner of Allcraft, and a nice fellow to deal with too. Seeing him
    every year is one fun reasons I go to the SNAG convention every year.
    He's always got some new and wonderful oddball deal. Scotch stones
    are one such. A great selection of hammers and stakes is another, for
    those who need such. One year he'd managed to get hold of a custom
    production run of 10/0 hercules saw blades. Almost too fine to be of
    much use, but when you really need an ultra fine blade, which I do
    now and then, those are wonderful... And then there are the deals he
    seems to find on all sorts of files... How 'bout tiny round or square
    needle files, literally the size of a modest sewing needle. (they're
    made for watchmakers, to adjust the holes in the hands, I think...)
    Anyway. 'enough already with the Allcraft advert... (grin) 

    Scotch stones are somewhat unusual as a finishing product because of
    their distinct softness. They quickly wear down to conform to the
    general shape of the surface one is working on. You are correct that
    for many surfaces, papers or one of the many other wonderful new
    generation finishing products like many from 3M, are easier and
    faster. But for some distinct uses, such as getting into an otherwise
    blind corner or other limited access small area, scotch stones are
    just wonderful. Unlike many other ways to do it, they don't leave you
    with divots, gouges, a depressed-in-the-middle surface, or the like.
    One can also, of course, use machinists/die makers pencil stones in
    the same way, and some of them are formulated to work rather the same
    as a scotch stone. But they're not any cheaper, nor do they work
    better. In this day and age when we're all used to glitzy power tools
    and high tech toys at the bench, finishing a small corner or recessed
    area by shaping a small bit of slate stone to match the contour,
    wetting the thing, and rubbing it back and forth like a pencil erasor
    may seem way too old fashioned for some people. But when you try it,
    and find how quickly and well this actually works, you get hooked.
    They're fastest on silver, of course, but I use em now and then even
    with platinum, and at times, they're still the best way I've found to
    clean up certain types of detailed areas, even in a shop equipped
    with a laser welder, high speed handpieces, or even another of my
    old favorites, a die filer handpiece... 

Peter Rowe
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