Polishing platinum

Any tips on polishing platinum?

Any tips on polishing platinum?

Sure, after your rough, then fine filing, do your sanding (I use
a sanding stick), then go to a finer grit, then go to a finer
grit… until you get to 600 grit. The 600 grit leaves a pretty
good finish. I use a variety of laps, both soft and hard to get
all the different curved surfaces. The old time polishers used
wood laps for the truly flat surfaces, they take a bit to get
used to, but oh what a finish! You can get polishes specially
formulated for platinum from Gesswein or others, and you’ll find
they help significantly. Certain areas of your casting may
require the use of a polished burnisher, I have found that either
highly polished agate or carbide works well, the agate is an old
favorite. Many jewelers like to burnish the entire surface before
polishing, and I frequently do this as well, you seem to get a
higher polish when you do. Consider getting your casting in 95
cobalt platinum, it’s a better metal than 90 iridium platinum
(personal opinion). By the way, the best lubricant I’ve ever run
across for drilling platinum is lanolin.

       Jeffrey Everett, jewelry craftsman

Handmade 18K, 22K, and platinum gemstone jewelry.
Diamond setting, rubber/metal molds, casting, lapidary
Die and mold engraving, plastic patterns for casting.
Jewelry design, cad/cam, milling, scroll, filigree, & more.
P O Box 2057 Fairfield IA 52556 515-469-6250

I agree,except that I would use a product Gesswein carries
called a cerra wheel to finish the plat. before pollishing.This
is a ruberized wheel and comes in several grits.They are hard and
last a long time. The fine grit leaves the plat.with a beautiful
surface.I recomend using the full progression of grit sizes.The
new pollishing compounds Gesswein carries work very well.

                        Scott Hepner

Hello all Please can anyone help by letting me have some tips on
polishing platinum? I am only used to silver and gold polishing. I
have heard that it can be difficult to clean-up and that you should
use platinum Tripoli and then white rouge. Is this correct? Thank you
in advance for your help. Harriet Kelsall, Hitchin, UK –

Harriet, I use greystar for my tripoli and Simichrome paste for the
final polish. No need, in my experience, to have multiple steps. I
get a mirror finish on all precious metals with Simichrome, including
platinum. Just allow the spinning buff to “lap” the creme of the
opening of the tube of Simichrome and polish away! Not messy like
rouge and other cake polishes. Give it a go! Bob P.S. Put on your
shades when you use it!!

Bob Staley
B.Staley, Goldsmiths
Precision Laser Welding
@Bob_Staley
Toll free 877-535-9938 or 770-382-8268