Hi All,
I was rumaging through my supplies and found a big chunk of bobbing
compound. I don’t think I’ve used the stuff for fifteen years.
Does anyone know what a good use for bobbing compound is? I always
found that it made furrows in silver, and took off too much
material. I’d appreciate any suggestions.
Thanks. Cheers, Elizabeth
Elizabeth C. Wilkinson
Los Alamos, NM
e-mail: @wilkinso
I use bobbing compound and a bristle brush to remove firescale
from sterling silver. It also leaves a nice mat finish Yes, it is
aggressive. Bill
Hi All, I was rumaging through my supplies and found a big chunk of bobbing compound. I don't think I've used the stuff for fifteen years. Does anyone know what a good use for bobbing compound is? I always found that it made furrows in silver, and took off too much material. I'd appreciate any suggestions.
Whatever I’m using, doesn’t take much off at all!!! Maybe I
should ask for what you have!
I use bobbing compound to get rid of scratches and bad firescare
(was going to change the spelling, but this Freudian slip seems
appropriate). For scratches I use it with a soft, fluffy wheel.
I know that not what is recommended by distributors, but, like
you, if I use the hard wheels I sometimes get ridges and furrows.
The soft wheel leaves metal with a great pre-polish - and no
scratches or furrows. I follow up with either red rouge or Zam.
For firescale I use it with brushes.
Nancy
Bacliff, Texas Gulf Coast USA
I use bobbing compound for lapping, it seems to cut faster than
tripoli.
Bobbong compound is fairly aggressive. If you are making furrows
you are probably using the wrong wheel for the job or using it
incorrectly. If you take off too much material you might try using
a lighter touch or not holding your work on the wheel as long.
Dick Caverly
I’ve used it for years without getting furrows in silver. Maybe
your buff has grit from something else. You are using it with a
buffing machine and not a flexshaft aren’t you? I get uneven
finishes with any compound on such little buffs and seldom try to
use them anymore.
Marilyn Smith
midwest America
I use bobbing compound on the occassions when I need to do some
aggresive prepolishing preparation. Never used it with fabricated
pieces,but casting often leaves some places that need work after
filing and bobbing fills the bill for me. I often use it with my
split lap on flat pieces, before the final polish, that need to
meet the perfection of a discerning eye.
Elizabeth - I finish my silver work first by sanding with 320
silicon carbide paper. The second step is to polish using bobbing
compound on small rotary brushes. After cleaning all of the
bobbing compound off, I do a final polish with red rouge. I find
that the bobbing compound removes any firescale left after sanding
much quicker than other compounds, without damaging any stones
that I may have already set.
– Steven Brixner - Jewelry Designer - San Diego CA USA
mailto:brixner@compuserve.com
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/brixner
The absolute best bobbing compound I’ve ever used is “ZAM”, from
Rio Grande. It cuts really fast, so you have to be careful, but it
really does a good job.
Laura
get rid of scratches and bad firescare (was going to change the spelling, but this Freudian slip seems appropriate)
I love your “slip”, Nancy! 
I agree with your description of how to use bobbing compound, but
would add the following:
I usually use compounds in the following order: bobbing, tripoli,
rouge. I see them as being in that order of “aggressiveness” as
abrasives. This usually results in a mirror polish, if so
desired. Of course, it could be too much abrasive if you have
fine detail… I frequently skip the bobbing compound and start
with tripoli.
If I want to start my polish with “deep cutting” I use bobbing
compound. However, I never jump right to rouge, but find the
intermediate step of tripoli important to achieving a fine
polish.
Have fun,
Dave
Dave Sebaste
Sebaste Studio
Charlotte, NC (USA)
dave@sebaste.com
If I want to start my polish with "deep cutting" I use bobbing compound. However, I never jump right to rouge, but find the intermediate step of tripoli important to achieving a fine polish.
HI!
What color is the bobbing compound you use? (mine is tan) . …
After that I use ZAM (which I didn’t think was a bobbing compound.)
BUT, after years of instruction I was told that this was used
AFTER THE BOBBING . . . (learned from a Silversmith) and perhaps,
the was limited to the knowledge of the person
teaching? Things change, but people (sometimes) don’t . . . What
is used, and in which order? (BTW, I took a class with a
silversmith who used nothing but red rouge . . . EVER! - we filed
and sanded a lot by hand - tiresome !) Moved on . . and I’d hate
to make mistakes informing others.
Thanks . . .
RIO describes ZAM as a cutting a polishing compound to be used on a
surface prepared with tripoli or white diamond. I use it as my
final polish. I don’t see much difference between it and a rouge
finish and it’s a lot cleaner to work with. When people say that
certain compounds are polishes and color agents, I can not
understand or see whatever difference they do. Maybe someone can
explain this to me so I can see a difference. My bobbing compound
is an ugly olive color.
Marilyn Smith
Indiana which is in what is called the midwest but is really kinda
east central when I look at a map of the USA.
In all of my reading of this and the newsgroup on jewelry, no one
has ever mentioned using black rouge. I have used it for the last
2 years and like it’s very slight cutting ability and the ability
to put a rich luster on silver (and gold). very smooth. Anyone
else?
I used black rouge once, tried it because of its alleged ability
to color silver. Wasn’t impressed. -Elaine
I use black rouge sometimes. Seems to work just about the same as
red, but not quite so messy.
Nancy
ICQ # 9472643
Bacliff, Texas Gulf Coast USA
Hi Joy,
I have black and also green rouge. Green rouge sounds like an
oxymoron, doesn’t it?!? Anyway, I rarely use them… probably due
to force of habit sticking with the red. I’ve used the black more
than the green, as they both seem to impart a bit of a color tone
to the metal. Of course, a hint of darkness on an “antiqued”
piece of silver is not at all bad! 
The green tone was a
little unsettling.
I might just pull out the black rouge and give it another shot!
Dave
Dave Sebaste
Sebaste Studio
Charlotte, NC (USA)
dave@sebaste.com
http://www.sebaste.com
In all of my reading of this and the newsgroup on jewelry, no one has ever mentioned using black rouge. I have used it for the last 2 years and like it's very slight cutting ability and the ability to put a rich luster on silver (and gold). very smooth. Anyone else
We have not used a black rouge, but have been using “black emery
cake” as tripoli for many years. Its much more effective than say a
brown tripoli, I think. Its just super fine emery grit imbedded
into a tripoli type binder, it really cuts fast and is fine enough
to go directly to your rouge step. I get it from Formax in Dertroit
Michigan.
Mark P.
Wisconsin, where I saw my neighbor the ground hog out my window
today, what does it mean when they see their shadow in April?
Eight more weeks of spring?
For whatever it may be worth I have been using green rouge for
several months on both gold and silver…seems to me it’s better
than red, particularly on gold…have been using it on a chamois
buff. Jerry in Kodiak
Mark I was wondering if you could supply the phone to your
source on the black emory cake, and a little more info on what it
is Thank you Bari Jewlr1@aol