I’ve been following this thread on Zam for awhile. While I was
training to be a silversmith my instructor told me that I should
use Zam as a final polish on gold and silver and on silver I
didn’t need to use a preflux. After 6 years of doing both, I
found by accident that I could save hours and hours by using a
preflux on silver. On gold most everybody uses a preflux to
protect both gold and diamonds. On my gold and silver I just
wasn’t getting the shine I should have. I would go to a jewelry
store and their gold would shine to where you could see a
reflection. I hated rouge because of the mess. I didn’t
realize that zam is a prepolish although it is advertised as a
final polish. I just happen to need to purchase another item or
two to fill an order (minimum) $25.00 type so I ordered a tube
bar of fabuluster. I set it in my cabinet for about 5 months. I
then have a friend in my shop and he asked if I had any
fabuluster because he found it to be the best polish he could
find for opals. Yesterday I decided to use it on some gold
casting and silver pieces that were going out to customers for
Christmas. I absolutely could not believe the difference and
the beautiful shine of my pieces. I finally achieved the results
of the jewelers in shops. Wow, am I excited. I wanted to share
this with every one on Orchid who are not aware of the benefits
of fabuluster over red rouge. It is no more than Zam or red
rouge in price and a lot less messy. Sorry for the ramble but I
hope some of you will benefit by trying it. I don’t work for
them nor even know who makes it but its great.
Mystical Grits
Wm. Augustus Mason
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What is a preflux? I’m pretty much self-taught although I’ve
taken a few courses and workshops and I’m not familiar with a
preflux. If I’m not using it and I could save hours - whew that
would be great!
Nancy, I use the Gray Star in place of the tripoli. It seems
cleaner to work with and I like the finish it leaves. I found it
five or more years ago in the good old Rio catalog.
Preflux and Firecoating flux are the same thing. It consists of
boric acid and denatured alcohol. In Tim McCreight’s book (The
Complete Metalsimith) on page 173 it tells you how to make your
own. The item is dipped or brushed with the firecoating flux and
then a flame is put to it and it burns leaving a coating to
protect silver and gold from oxidizing. It can be purchased from
almost any jewelry supply store. For instance Rio Grande has it
on page 177 of their catalog. It isn’t very expensive and it
will last a long time. They carry the Stop-ox11 or Magic Flame
soldering compound, there is also Prips Flux. The one thing to
remember is you still use your regular Handy flux or Grifflux or
whatever soldering flux you use when you start your soldering
process. Hope this helps. Ron
Ron- Thanks for answering. I do this already, make my own.
Just never heard it called preflux. What a delight and relief it
must have been after six years for you to discover this stuff.
What did you do before to clean up the metal after soldering?
I am involved in jewelry manufacturing in Thailand. I would
like to know the trade name of this TUBE BAR OF FABULUSTER and
the contact of its vendor. Thanks.
after 6 years of doing both, I found by accident that I could
save hours and hours by using a preflux on silver. >>
What is “preflux?” I’ve tried Filabuster (sp?) and found that
it left very hard scale stuff on my pieces. I wasn’t thrilled
with it . . . should I try again?
Any jewelry supplier can provide you with this product. It is
called Fabulustre Polishing Compound. I comes in a 1 LB.
Peel-back tube. At Swest Inc. here in the USA it costs $5.60.
Thats the price just about anywhere you order it from. Rio
Grande,Gesswein or wherever. Ron
Fishbre: As you probably read already(And I’m sure you use
it)preflux is boric acid powder mixed with denatured alcohol.The
item to be heated is dipped in it and then lit on fire to form a
coating to protect the metal from fire scale(Oxidation).It also
keeps oxygen from diamonds as they are heated,this reduces the
chance of burning the surface at high temps.
The “scale stuff” on you piece could have been un-removed fire
coat(Preflux). It will stay really stuck and actually form bumps
on the piece as you polish it because the gold will be removed
around it.
What is "preflux?" I've tried Filabuster (sp?) and found that
it left very hard scale stuff on my pieces. I wasn't thrilled
with it . . . should I try again?
The hard scale was caused by using too much Fabulustre and/or
overheating the piece. If you were using it on silver then the
problem was overheating that caused the binder to plasticize.
The same thing happens with gold too but silver gets hotter
faster so the problem is worse. If you use too much compound
then it sticks to the piece and you buff harder trying to remove
it and heat the piece more, making the Fabulustre harden. The
more you try to polish it off the worse it gets. As a pre-polish
for gold it works well if you are careful. Zam is a better
prepolish for silver as it does not plasticize like Fabulustre.
If you want to experiment with a different compound Rio sells a
white compound for final polish of platinum that I’ve been using
as a silver pre-polish, seems to work real well on gold as well.
I also like Brightcut Yellow from Gesswein for gold.
I am involved in jewelry manufacturing in Thailand. I would
like to know the trade name of this TUBE BAR OF FABULUSTER and
the contact of its vendor.
Fabuluster can be found almost everywhere@! Indian Jeweler’s
supply, Rio Grande and Thunderbird Supply carry it. Thunderbird
Supply and Rio Grande are found on the internet (sorry, don’t
have their exact addresses) and Indian Jeweler’s Supply can be
reached by calling: 1-800-545-6540.
Hummmm…I�ve had a tube of Fabraluster around for a long time.
I tried it for a while and went back to my usual. Maybe I should
take another look. Marilyn