Polishing Problem

Elle,

To polish in tight areas you might try one or more of the following
in your dremmel:

Wheel bristle brushes (small ones), end bristle brushes, small felt
wheels or points, small muslin wheels, a tooth pick (you may need to
wrap tape around it to fit your chuck), Bamboo Skewer (this works
like the tooth pick however they last longer and are about 3/32" in
diameter which fits the handpiece of most flex-shafts), wrap cotton
around an old bur ( a 0.5 mm round bur works real well to fit into
really tight spaces), a cotton swab, or cut a small cardboard disk
and mount on a mandrel.

Also, remember any item you buy can be modified to fit your
situation. For example, cut a felt wheel with a knife or trim the
outside rows of bristles on a end bristle brush with scissors. Cut
the bristles to form a pointed end. Then it will be easier to reach
into tight places. You can also cut away the center bristles in an
end bristle brush forming a small cup bristle brush.

Brad Simon
http://www.BWSimon.com

This is my “ultimate cheat”, the absolute last ditch I’ve tried
everything but nothing works polishing tiny crevice solution. Use
Simichrome on a toothbrush.

Use just a little dab and scrub it back and forth, this stuff flies
everywhere. You can wipe it out with a little tissue using a
toothpick. If you have a small square of thin leather, you can fold
the leather and use the edge the fold makes on the smooth side to rub
out the Simichrome. It is possible to hand polish to a rouge finish
using Simichrome, rubbing with the smooth side of a piece of leather.

If the crevice is too small for string, toothpick or leather, just
wash or preferably ultra sonic after using the toothbrush. This
won’t give you a mirror shine but it will brighten up a dull spot so
that its not so noticeable. This method works best if the piece has
been pre-polished before soldering. I use this sometimes to clean up
around channel set diamonds in repair work, when absolutely nothing
else will work. Good Luck!

Barbara Gillis
@Chris

Hi,

This may sound goofy but if you can come across an old cabretta
leather coat that has been discarded because it is so badly worn and
is scuffed or has holes in it, grab it as fast as you can. You can
use either the ‘rough’ side of the leather (the part not showing when
the coat is worn) or the smooth side. It depends on the application.
This leather is thin and can be cut in all sorts of strips and
shapes. It makes a great polishing tool. You can use a little
mineral oil as a vehicle and use emery powder or any abrasive all the
way to diamond lapping compound. A small square of the leather can
be glued to an 1/8" hard wood dowel section and chucked into the #30
hp and rotated slowly. You can make several and color code the wood
with a marking pen as to grit. ( A paper hole punch will usually cut
the cabretta leather nicely and glues easily to the dowel.) A thin
strip of the leather layed out and stuck to a piece of that annoying
packing tape that has the nylon threads will also make a great
polishing strip. Be sure to use only a very narrow section of the
tape which contains only 2 or 3 of those damned nylon threads. These
strips can be used with everything from bobbing compound to rouge.
Just remember to coil them up and store them in small ziplock bags.
I hope that this helps.

Regards,

Skip

Skip Meister
@Skip_Meister
Orchid Jewelry Listserve Member
A day without sunshine is like night!
N.R.A. Endowment