Thanks for sharing Orchidland

Jewelry Discussion
1

Hello Orchidians,

I need to express my thanks for this forum and the good tips found

here. Also a very large amount of gratitude to Hanuman, plus a
check for keeping Orchid going will be in the mail soon!

#1. After reading about the water soluble buffing and polishing
compounds, I bought some and new wheels for their use. Thank you,
THANK YOU ! So much easier to clean up. Almost (!) don’t need the
ultra-sonic, and the compounds work as well (maybe even better) as
the wax-based ones.

#2.  Someone (bless you) advised putting a piece of carpet (or

similar thin cushion) under the buffing wheel. I’ve done this, and
it’s already saved my “hide” a few times. You know the
gut-wrenching feeling. That delicate setting or carefully shaped
dome is ripped from your hand and flies into the unforgiving surface
of the buffer. It’s such a relief to retrieve the piece without
damage!

That all.  Just add my deep gratitude to you all for the open,

willing sharing of Judy in Kansas

Judy M. Willingham, R.S.
Biological and Agricultural Engineering
237 Seaton Hall
Kansas State University
Manhattan KS 66506
(785) 532-2936

2

Hi Judy,

We also discovered the “magic” of water soluble buffing compounds
last fall. I know some will disagree but we seem to get a better
polish faster and the clean up time is reduced ten fold. We are a 2
person business doing all our design, production, etc. Anything that
saves time (and skin!) is a valuable asset to us. We are constantly
experimenting in different ways to find products that reduce our hand
labor. My latest discovery are those 3M spiral “bristle” wheels
(can’t remember the exact name right now). I ordered one as a lark
and used it on a couple of pieces in our last batch. It kicked ass!!
Those little guys are going to save so much time finishing in the
little corners and crevices, around solder joints, etc.

I echo your sentiments about orchid. I have been snubbed so many
times at art shows trying to talk to people about techniques,
finishes, etc. Orchid has restored my faith in community spirit and
the value of sharing knowledge and experience.

Best to all,

Mike Dibble
Carmon Deyo
Black Horse Design
10% of retail sales support rescues.
www.black-horse-design.com