I know what you’re saying about power and getting the piece hot,
etc. I think I did some of my best polishing running up to Christmas
as I was running out of time! I made most of the men in my family and
male friends key rings in their initials made from square wire and
hammer patinated. I couldn’t polish them without holding them in a
ring clamp, due to the heat. I used very high speeds with my very
torquey Foredom and went through a bristle brush per piece as I was
pushing very hard and the combination of the friction created and its
resultant heat was burning the bristle brushes and causing smoke -
so they were damn hot! I couldn’t touch them afterwards for about
three minutes.
All this is a steep learning curve for sure but I’m enjoying it very
much indeed. I’d say polishing is my least favourite bit but I’ll
get there with the help of people like yourself.
Thanks for your response. Is the Picasso Blue platinum rouge you
mention the same as Platinum Blue? I was sent samples of Platinum
Blue and Platinum White as part of the accessory kit when I bought
my Foredom. And if so, can it be used on silver too?
I have the big bristle wheels that are made of the same Scotch-Brite
material for the polishing lathe. They work great too, faster than
the flex shaft, and still no dirty mess.
Haven’t they stopped manufacturing the larger wheels? I thought I
read that a few times.
Thanks though. Oh and I did have four of the little pink wheels you
recommended the other day. They were indeed in the accessory kit that
came with my Foredom. They’re unusual in their feel - very light but
you’re right, they are good. I’m guessing the pink ones are a rougher
cut than you’d want for a final polish as they didn’t get a finish as
good as either Yellow Dialux (my first cut) or Fabulustre (my second
cut) and as they’re so light I couldn’t put much pressure on without
risk of scratching a piece with the mandrel. I guess it takes a
different technique to use them?
Helen; Here is a solution to you fear of big motors that I haven’t
seen mentioned but I may have missed it. A Foredom polishing lathe p.
240 in the current Rio tools catalog. It is a smaller, lower power of
a polishing motor but has duel spendels and will take up to a 3 inch
wheel. It also has adjustable speed which is nice when you need a
slow speed for say a wire wheel to keep from spraying yourself with
metal wires. I used one for about 8 years before getting the dreaded
big motor and yes I was I a little scared of them at first but you
just have to be more aware. With the polishing lathe it is low enough
power if you snag something it will most likely just stop the motor
but if still has enough power to apply pretty strong pressure when
polishing. It also has the advantage that you can take it with you if
need be. A good trick for holding those small pieces is to slip a
paper clip on the piece and hold that while polishing.
Safety has been little mentioned in this thread. You can do yourself
serious injury in the polishing process if you’re not careful.
There is nothing comparable to a polishing lathe. say a Baldor.
Anything else is an inferior substitute. Foredom makes good
equipment, but that little polishing motor is a toy. If you can’t
afford the necessary tools disregard all this. If you intend to do
this work professionally this may be helpful.
The lathe whispers when running, not a lot of noise. Since it makes
little noise one may not take it seriously; but it can do serious
harm to the inattentive.
Say you’re using a 6" buff, the buff rotates toward you. If you look
at the buff from the end of the spindle look at it as though it’s a
clock face. I’m talking analog here. The safe area is between 8:30
and 6:00 o’clock. If you go higher above the center line of rotation
you can get into trouble. Once you’re comfortable with the machine
you can break the rules; of course at a certain risk.
If you lucky you’ll get bitten by the machine without serious injury.
That way you’ll feel how much power there is in this machine and
treat it with respect.
The dust collection system is another story.
In making jewelry there’s possibility for serious injury. Polishing
maybe the most dangerous area.
You got that right! Back in the day I was polishing a heavy item on a
3 HP humongous lathe, 12 inch corrugated wheel. One slight
distraction and wham, slammed that puppy right between my eyes.
Plastic surgery, untreatable fractured skull (Oh so THAT explains
it!)
A coworker lost vision in one eye when a chain got yanked out of his
hands. Chain flailed him good. For anyone contemplating a polishing
setup…get yourself a two speed motor, much less yanking.
I guess it takes a different technique to use them?
You stack at least 3, and run at maximum speed, and use only the
tips: do not push harder. Let the tips and the speed do the work. If
you like to polish at the bench, these are the wheel for you. Get
more grits, or even an array of all of them. There is a kit at Rio
Grande.
A good trick for holding those small pieces is to slip a paper clip
on the piece and hold that while polishing.
Also, then slip the paper clip into a slit in the end of a short
piece of belt leather. But really, sometimes you just need to take a
little more time and let the metal cool as you polish along. It
often takes as much rest time away from the wheel as it takes
polishing on the wheel, in my experience. Same with your brushes:
don’t be in such a darned hurry! You never have to burn a brush. Just
back away for a few seconds.
I hope you clarify for newbies that you are talking about a single
right handed spindle as far as the clock example goes. If newbies
are buffing on a double spindled buffer as many shops and schools use
on the left side of the buffing machine 6:00 to 8:30 is not a safe
place to buff. It would be obvious to us but not to the untrained
novice who could easily whip a chain into themselves or others using
your example.
I hope you clarify for newbies that you are talking about a single
right handed spindle as far as the clock example goes. If newbies
are buffing on a double spindled buffer as many shops and schools
use on the left side of the buffing machine 6:00 to 8:30 is not a
safe place to buff.
“the buff rotates toward you’” is part of what I said, which applies
to single or double spindles. I think a person of average
intelligence could extrapolate.
Perhaps I should also have included “do not attempt this without
supervision” and a liability disclaimer. As has been stated before we
use tools that have the capacity to harm the user.
Same with your brushes: don't be in such a darned hurry! You never
have to burn a brush. Just back away for a few seconds.
I didn’t realise they were burning until I could see and smell the
smoke - couldn’t feel the heat as I was holding the pieces in a ring
clamp! I was in a hurry to get things in the mail for people to
receive them before Christmas. I’m not in such a hurry now. I’ve all
the time in the world to get a good finish so I’ll take my time.