Different metals with the same rouge wheel?

Jewelry Discussion
1

Can I different metals with the same rouge wheel? Or should I have a
separate wheel for each (brass, nickel silver, sterling silver,
etc.)? Linda in central FL

2

Hello Linda,

It is much better to keep them separated preventing contamination
between two or more metals.

Silver will shine like silver without a haze from brass or copper
color. Rouge (red!) is not meant for polishing white colored metals
due to the use of red iron oxide.

I use white and green rouge for white metals with different
polishing weels.

Have fun and enjoy
Pedro

3

Linda- You can use different metals on the same buff, but never
different compounds.

I use different types of rouge for different metals. Red for yellow
gold. Blue and black for silver. White for platinum, palladium, and
steel. Yellow or green for white gold. Every metal smith has his or
her own favorite buffing compounds. All my buffs are labeled on the
sides in permanent marker. It always helps to have a coarse stone for
raking out the buffs before each use.

Have fun and make lots of jewelry.

Jo Haemer
timothywgreen.com

4

First, red rouge is an iron oxide based compound, if you are going
to use it get the water soluble type and keep the wheel dedicated to
precious and another for non-precious metals.

second, never use the same rouges, compounds, etc. on the same buff
regardless of how well you think you may have raked it. keep the
wheels, buffs, cloth wool whatever points separated and dedicated to
specific metals and compounds. ferrous contamination happens easily.
A late friend D. X.Ross wouldn’t allow any ferrous compounds in her
studio whatsoever and where possible purchased or had cast
non-ferrous tools to minimize the possibility of ferrous contaminants
in the shop. great habit to get in- highly lessens surprises in the
studio. rer

5

Jo, what kind of rough stone do you use to rake out your buffs. Mine
are getting quite grungy. I actually thought of soaking them in a
home brew of water, ammonia, detergent and simple green, or 409,
then after a complete and thorough rinsing, hopefully they will be
clean enough to use again. On second thought perhaps that is not
such a good idea. Alma

6

Alma- You can just refine them and start over. We use an old very
coarse lap and buff dressing stone. I use it every time I buff. It’s
so old I can’t remember where we got it. You could easily use a flat
old broken coarse grinding wheel.

Have fun and make lots of jewelry.

Jo Haemer
tmothywgreen.com

7 
 I actually thought of soaking them in a home brew of water,
ammonia, detergent and simple green, or 409, then after a complete
and thorough rinsing, hopefully they will be clean enough to use
again. On second thought perhaps that is not such a good idea

Alma- BAD IDEA! the residues from the chemicals will affect your
metals, and particularly silver clays. DON"T DO IT!!!

If you must reclaim your wheels, rake well and soak in a solution of
pre-activated Oxyclean or another anhydrous peroxide, but read the
label and make sure it’s only peroxide in the ingredients…
“proprietary formulas” often contain ingredients that aren’t revealed
for a reason- usually fillers, soaps or otherwise, but it could be
citric acid. or some other chemical with a lasting effect that is
unwanted and may not appear at first) and then soak in clear water
for a day, in a hot car or in the sun with a glass over it, rinse for
a long while, and then rinse some more. Dry well and dedicate the
reclaimed wheel to less expensive metals, if not limit it to
sterling. ammonia will most definitely affect almost all precious
metals if not neutralized, as will simple green, orange-oil and
petrol based cleaners, and just about any spray on cleaner (409,
lysol, etc.- though 409 does great things for cleaning dirty
textiles, removing fabric stains in tough heavy weight items, light
coloured rugs/carpet stains and upholstery !!!) There is a guy in
many of the jewelry making mags and journals that advertises that he
buys used wheels- probably because many people don’t realise they
contain precious metals and he sends them into his refiner. I
believe he offers around 15 bucks for old wheels and up depending on
size. He also offers to clean wheels for a fair price too. perhaps
call him and ask what he does if other than raking well to restore
them (as he advertises restoration)…rer

8 
I actually thought of soaking them in a home brew of water,
ammonia, detergent and simple green, or 409, then after a complete
and thorough rinsing, hopefully they will be clean enough to use
again. On second thought perhaps that is not such a good idea

Where I teach, one of the other instructors periodically takes home
all the wheels and throws them in the washer (I never asked what
detergent) then in the dryer. They come out looking a bit like a
fright wig, but clean and fluffy, and they work fine.

I’m sure some silver gets wasted this way (gold is a rarity there),
but it would anyway, as no one is going to send wheels to a refiner
there.

Noel

9 
You can just refine them and start over.

Thanks Jo. I have an old coarse grinding wheel and will put it to
good use rejuvenating my buffs. Alma

10

I would recommend using new buffs for rouge and saving the old for
cutting compounds.

Jeff Herman

11

Thanks for the warning RER. I will not my ammonia detergent home
brew. Alma

12 
Where I teach, one of the other instructors periodically takes
home all the wheels and throws them in the washer (I never asked
what detergent) then in the dryer. They come out looking a bit like
a fright wig, but clean and fluffy, and they work fine. I'm sure
some silver gets wasted this way (gold is a rarity there), but it
would anyway, as no one is going to send wheels to a refiner there.

I use a sharpened piece of flat bar that I thrust into the spinning
mops, cleans them up a treat, damn scary to do. The bar is
sufficiently long so that I can use both hands. The edge is sharpened
on the end :wink:

Regards Charles A.

13 
I will not my ammonia detergent home brew.

By the way I always rake my buffs in both directions.

-Jo Haemer

14

I use the edge of an old file, held in both hands to clean up my
buffs.

Richard

15

Take a scrap piece of wood, perhaps 2" X 5", less than 1/4 inch
thick, and drive some brads through one end, all the way through, so
the points stick out on the other side. Hang on tight to the wood,
and touch those points carefully to about 8 o’clock on the spinning
buff, and it will loosen up the fibers and take out some of the gunk.
Simple and effective.

I always use a permanent marker to write on each buff which
polishing/cutting compound I am using with it. I use different
metals (copper, brass, nickel-silver; on rare occasions, silver) on
the same buffs with no problem. But never use different compounds on
the same buff.

Judy Bjorkman