I make freeform rings using lost wax casting. After casting, I pickle and tumble in steel shot, then use 3M radial bristle wheels to finish up the polish. Sometimes there are deep crevices and hard to reach places where the powdery-white fine silver left on the surface after pickling lurks out of reach of any polishing tool I can find. Do any of you have any suggestions for how to burnish that white fine silver to get the high polish I have on the rest of the piece? I’m thinking maybe a stiff brush or tiny felt buffer in my flexshaft with some white diamond polishing compound, but though I’d reach out to you all for ideas. Thanks!
There is a current discussion that might help you with this problem. Look at:
Thrumming comes to mind immediately…Rob
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Hi,
you might try a nice fresh brass bristle hand brush, with soapy water…see where that gets you…i always forget about this option…and always love the warm results when i remember…
Julie
These are great suggestions. Thanks. The thread mentioned was very helpful. I think I’ve solved the problem by taking a small piece of bamboo skewer, beating the pointed end with water and a small ball peen hammer to make it brushy, chucking it up in my flex shaft, and using it with White Diamond polishing compound to reach the formerly unreachable bits. Then wash with Dawn dish soap and a toothbrush. Now they’re all nice and shiny all over, and will darken in the right places instead of keeping that powdery white look that makes you think there’s still investment plaster in there.
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