Hi there! Has anyone any experiences pro or con with a speed brite
unit? I need to remove tarnish from metals other than tumbling, and
ultrasonic doesn’t get it. Is it safe for softer stones (i.e. pearls,
Turq., etc)? Any feedback greatly appreciated!
Sincerely, Suzanne
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Suzanne, I love the speed brite machine for cleaning as well as
removing tarnish. It is safe for pearls. I feel it is definitly a must
have- Good luck
Jacqueline Atlanta, GA
Suzanne,
We have been using a Speed Brite for about 5 years now and are very
pleased with the results we get from it. However, heavily tarnished
metals will need a little more help than the Speed Brite can give.
It is also pretty safe for the softer stones as well, although I did
have a problem when I put a pendant that had a piece of covellite
into the Speed Brite. As you may know, covellite has a beautiful
blue metallic shine when polished. When I removed the pendant from
the Speed Brite, the covellite had turned to a yucky dark gray color.
Fortunately, I was able to remove the stone from the setting and
repolish it to its original luster (I am also a lapidary). Needless
to say, I am now wary of putting any metallic looking stone (such as
hematite) into the Speed Brite. Other than that, my wife and I have
been very pleased with our Speed Brite.
Rick (& Kristi) Stutt
Wire Wrapping Etcetera
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Hi Suzanne,
First, thanks for the nice words about my lapis wire wrap pendant.
I have used a Speed Brite for several years. It has never harmed
anything I’ve put in it. Opal, pearls, malachite, coral, all have
been unharmed. My studio is in the garage and laundry room of our
home (the garage heats to about 110 on many summer days, so I cut
stones, saw metal and wire wrap in the air conditioning - soldering,
stone saws, rolling mill and polishing machine are in the garage).
The Speed Brite is supposed to sit on the clothes dryer, but I always
find it in our 19 year old’s room. He uses it constantly for his
silver pieces. I use the Speed Brite after the ultrasonic and
whenever I need to remove the tarnish from a wire wrap piece. I often
wrap mabe pearls, which can’t go in the ultrasonic, and the Speed
Brite is great for a final cleaning.
I did not post this on Orchid because I thought you might be
interested in the two following archived messages, the second one from
the maker of the Speed Brite unit.
John McLaughlin
Glendale, Arizona
@John_McLaughlin
Thanks to everyone who responded to my inquiry about Speed Brite
unit! Mine is on the way to me as we speak thanks to you! I am ever so
grateful for this forum and the generous folks who take the time to
share their experiences with others. Equipment purchases can be costly
in our business and it is always good to have feedback from those who
have been there before us. If you are ever in my area, please feel
free to drop by and visit my “useless equipment” closet, filled with
items that looked and sounded good in the catalog, but upon receipt
either worked marginally or not at all!
Thanks again, Suzanne
Thanks so much, John! I have ordered one today from the manufacturer.
I bought the large one with the “turbo” unit as the rep recommended
it for people who use it mostly for silver. Seems that it will not
heat up too much with the turbo unit. Please understand that I have
no idea what I just said, just that the rep said it was better this
way, and I am not one to argue. I also wanted to tell you about a wire
wrap magazine that I subscribe to, called Wire Artist Jeweler, out of
Stratford, Ontario. Maybe you already get it, but if not, let me know
and I will give you the particulars. They have one advanced project
and one beginner project each month. I am not impressed with the last
two months, but have belonged since they started two years ago and
some of the projects have value. If I ever get my browser fixed, I
will e-mail you some of my items that you may like. I have a cluster
ring (wirewrapped) that is a real good seller and can be made with
stone beads or re-drilled pearls. 'Til then, Thanks again for your
help!, Suzanne