Polishing

[NightWinder]

I'm trying to polish some nickle silver covers and baseplates..
Is there any polishing compound, grinding wheels, sanding stones or in general, any equipment and supplys that I should perchase. You know what they say....Good Tools, Good Work.
Thanks In Advance

[Spence]

I get quite a lot of parts plated. I don't know what compounds are used but contact a platers for advice. Polishing nickel is a long drwn out process and I do know they use a stock buffing wheel.

[Satamax]

Jeweler's rouge.

[Possum]

another whole career field...

You need to start looking at jewelry supply catalogs. Jeweler's rouge is a general all purpose polish and probably not good for what you want to do.

You'll need a polishing arbor, and buffs for different grades of polish. I haven't done any polishing in a long time so am out of touch, but I polished silver and gold jewelry alot when I was a jewelry artist. There are cutting polishes, and final polishes, you'll have to do research on nickel silver to find whats recommended. You'll need to wear a mask or have a polishing arbor that has a vacuum exhaust. You need the polishing arbor because you'll need buffs that are big enough to handle the job, you can't do this stuff with a dremel, no way. there are guys in the jewelry industry who do nothing but polishing, its something you'll have to learn, not a simple easy thing. Between each grit of polishing you have to completely clean off the polish compound from the work piece of the previous polish or you'll contaminate the piece and get scratches in the finish. I used to use amonia in a ultrasonic cleaner to get it all off, its tough stuff to clean off.

There are polishes that will easily strip the plating you're removing with acid too. I wish I had all my gear still, sold it all on Ebay when I quit......

[mick]

My father in law does a lot of shooting , he uses some kind of vibrating pot filled with sand or sawdust or something to clean up old shell casings , i'm about to try it on base plates but wouldn't risk covers in it..I'll see how it goes , tried polishing the plates but because of the shape of them it's tricky and easy to get one flung across your workshop , or worse..

Mick

[Possum]

tumblers....

You're talking about vibrating tumblers, they can be used with steel shot for stuff like silver and gold, and there are also ceramic cutting media you can use to strip the metal and cut rough spots out. You have to use a special soap lubricant and have to monitor that it doesn't dry out while tumbling. I had one of those too, this stuff gets expensive, I had alot of money tied up in tools and equipment, it was fun while it lasted. You can also use a simple rock tumbler rubber drum with special organic media like walnut or specially formulated mixes to polish silver and nickel silvers etc. to a very high degree of polish almost impossible to do by hand. Like I said its a whole huge category of study, not something stupid simple as jeweler's rouge....which by the way no jewelers actually use :-)

[Joe Gwinn]

I'm about to try [polishing] on base plates but wouldn't risk covers in it..I'll see how it goes , tried polishing the plates but because of the shape of them it's tricky and easy to get one flung across your workshop , or worse.

Make a stick about a foot long with one end shaped so that the cover can be pushed onto it, with wings to which the cover can be screwed (if it has ears) or with a split end that can be spread apart the long way inside the cover, all to hold the cover while manipulating the it against the buffing wheel.

[NightWinder]

Possum, Do you know of any Books that I can perchase that may help. As of now, first things first....A polishing Arbor, and different grades of buffing wheels. Where might I find a tumbler? That sounds interesting.
Mcmaster has some polishing supplies. I pasted on the jewelers rough, wanted to know for sure what grades of polish Etc to get before perchasing.
I figured it would be another learning step. You know, when I think about the jobs I've had in my life all of them pertain to what I'm doing now with making parts and such. If I was'nt so much of a hot rod when I was younger, maybe It would'nt be so fucked!!!
I worked for many tool and die shops, a Screw machine company which I made the Oil FIlter Adapter bolts for Ford, Gm, etc. Two Plastic injection mold companys, one of which made everything from 20 oz. pop bottles, 2 lilers, milk gallons, etc. The other Plastic company was a custom shop. Made anything from HDPE tinted boat windows, molds for other shops, medical cases and surgery cotainers etc....
Man I wish I payed more attention!!! Tits and Ass were more important back then!!LOL

[Possum]

Rio Grande

Rio Grande is the largest jewelry supply company in the US, get their catalogs, do some search on jewelry making videos or polishing videos. Polishing flat stuff is tricky. I used the Gyroc vibrating tumbling to to cut and do final polish on my jewelry cast items I made multiples of, small pieces cast in silver. The final is done with stainless steel shot of various shapes all mixed together. There is a contact I remember you could ask questions maybe he might have some insight, google race car jewelry, he is a caster and does production casting maybe he cold tell you how to automate polishing flat stuff like base plates. You can polish covers but like I said flat stuff is tricky you might need a special polisher maybe otherwise you'll polish ruts into the stuff. I would think a tumbler would be best in that case.

[NightWinder]

Thanks for the information. I will do some more investigating. Things are getting done.....but the final step is the presentation, and a truely finished product! I have been at Rio Grande before, lurking for polishing compunds and such. Somehow I knew there would be more to the story though, ha. Always is is'nt there?
Why did you stop with your jewelry business? I seen the site that you posted a link too. It looked damn good for the time era. The picture with you working a torch was sweet. You looked so goddamn serious too! I bet you were an asskicker in your day........

[WolfeMacleod]

Use a buffing wheel, like I used to when I made knives and swords.
It's how I polish my raw covers to a mirror polish.

[Possum]

jewelry....

I had to quit because I had some retina damage in my dominant eye. I also kind of hit this point where I had done everything I wanted to do and knew the jewelry art biz is real tough to survive in. I did it all, I cut my own stones, did casting, polishing, all my own design work. My downfall was I made very complex pieces that I couldn't really recoup the time invested in them. It was also about this time that I got over my stage fright at a jam and discovered the world of blues jams which became an immediate addiction once I realized I WASN'T going to throw up or pass out if I got up and played.

The world of polishing compounds is something you just have to figure out for yourself, I don't even remember most of the names of stuff now, I used Zam alot for high finish on silver and it would also cut at the same time, but silver is way softer than nickel silver. Why the hell do you want to polish baseplates for anyway, are you getting them all scratched up from manufacture? The only real way to polish a finished baseplate is going to be tumbling, a buffing wheel can't get in every nook and cranny only tumbling mediums can do that, tumbling also rounds off any sharp edges from the punches which is going to make it look kinda sloppy. Maybe you should punch nice clean stock, sounds like you're doing something wrong or trying to correct a process that wasn't done correctly in the beginning....

[NightWinder]

Honestly, I bought some stock...thats been laying around for yrs. The N/S is dull and grey looking, and when I used simple steel wool, it cleans up but obviously you can get an equal shine with steel wool. It seems it needs to be tumbled. I bought the stock for testing the press and such.
The other stock I bought is '12 x '12. SImply perfect. 12x12 is $22.80!! I also bought a roll from him, which is '12 in x 20 ft. That was a better deal. I suppose i did right in getting a cheap oldstock material to test on. AHHHH, i should have never messed with this......
Thats mighty brave of you mentioning stage frieght Possum!! Honestly, most would never mention that, but look like a Deer in headlights while playing!! LOL. I had a singer that would have to shit evey time, just before we went on. I don't know how sever your stage frieght was, but you can bet he never took a shit in piece with me around. I guess it does'nt help that I gave him a meatball on stage for his first show! Good Times. I bet your jewelry was the shit, judging how you research pickups.......Is there anywhere to see any pictures of your pieces?

[NightWinder]

Where are the pictures at your site? The only ones I seen were the "Aged" ones. Is that what you are talking about? Taking the finish off, to a high shine? Honestly the covers are last in Line. I opted to make the parts that are absolutely needed first. I have touched base with the cover punch, and is getting there very fast. The baseplates are a real mother fucker man. You have a picture of the Buff wheel. Is that simply a bench grinder with the wheels off, and replaced with certain buffing wheels? Is that correct?
Thanks man

[mick]

Bright Works, Inc.

these would have all we need to know regarding metal polishing , might be worth a look ,

Mick