How to polish silver in three stages. Demo / Review in HD
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ย. 2024
- Jeweller Dave Wilson of www.celticdream...
shows you how to polish silver from oxidised to mirror shine in three steps. Done using a nylon abrasive buffing ball, a 3 layer felt pendant mop and a wool pendant mop. With the help of a little Tripoli and rogue polish.
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Thanks, Dave ; )
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I absolutely love your videos! I’m in South Africa and just starting out making tiny sculptures and casting them then polishing! I wish I had you on what’s app to talk me through things!!!😂
Thank you. You can always email if you have a question. Dave. mail@celticdreams.co.uk
Thanks Dave for the tutorial. I wish I had seen this before I polish my silver sheet today...
Thanks for watching. Dave
Nice video Dave, its the simple things that work as Ive found out excellent results!!
Thanks 👍 Dave
Thank you for this tutorial, really helpful and informative and also the cookson codes are a great help. I love your tutorials so easy to understand and follow. Thank you 😊
Thanks for watching. Dave
I love watching your videos! very good instructions. you are a very good teacher. thank you very much for being here. God bless you😊
in every detail
Thanks for watching, and for taking the time to comment. Dave.
Thanks for watching. Dave
Looks great and very educational
Thanks for watching. Dave
found this video perfect and excellent thank you!
your'e welcome. Thanks for watching. Dave
This wavy silver strip was eventually made into a silver wedding ring. you can see it here.... Dave
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/CelticDreamscouk?ref=hdr_shop_menu
..
@@CelticDreamsCoUkThanksfor sharing your amazing work. What power tool did you use to attach those polishing attachments?
With the tape on the end it reminded me of a miniature aquarius sign knife. My gf is an aquarius and loves miniatures so looks like this is a must make for me. Glad I found your video.
Excellent video. Thanks. 👍
Thank you. Dave
Really helpful. Thank you
Glad it was helpful! Quite a few more videos on polishing. Check out the links below. Dave
th-cam.com/video/Iv6NNClZdNU/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/RyTZDJ-q0os/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/kP1FDIam4Z8/w-d-xo.html
Thank you,great video ❤
Glad you enjoyed it! Dave
The 999 ACO is not wool, but cotton ;-) I love your videos. Thanks a lot.
Yes, they are often described as wool mops, but I do believe they are usually cotton. Dave
Perfect video.
I have question, how to remove fire scale scars?
Fire scale.... only real option is to keep sanding and hope it isn't too deep. Dave
nicely done mate.
Thank you. Glad you liked it. Dave.
How did I get here? I don't care I couldn't stop watching.
+MissNumbledore ....Well, thanks for staying and watching. I guess it makes a change from cat videos. Dave. ; )
Thank you 🙏🏽 for the video!
You're welcome, Do have a look at my other polishing video too which you may find useful. Dave
th-cam.com/video/Iv6NNClZdNU/w-d-xo.html
Can you use these bits on silver plate? I have a smallish beverage container that I can't get right with elbow grease!
Trouble with silver plate, is that and such sanding and heavy polishing will remove the surface plating. Dave
Thanks!
You're welcome. Thanks for watching. Dave
Hi, thanks for the vid, it is clear now. What do you suggest to polish large flat surfaces? Cups, plates, cutlery etc. When I was trying, the outcome was awfully scaled. How to make the surface's shine even?
For larger items I use a bench polisher. Tripoli polish in a stiff calico mop. The jewellers rouge on a sift cotton mop. If your items are too big to get under the bench polisher then use mops mounted in a drill. For cups you can get special mops for going inside. Dave.
www.cousinsuk.com/product/cotton-end-mops
Hi, I followed your process using the Mezerna compounds instead of tripoli and rouge for polishing silver earings. After finished polishing them I cleaned them with soap and warm water, and after a while I realised that there are some stains and some yellow marks on the silver. Could you please explain that went wrong?
Depends what you mean by stains and yellow marks. The polish is simply grease (tallow animal fat), with small particles of abrasive, such as aluminium oxide, iron oxide, pumice etc. So any traces of polish will simply wash off with hot soapy water. If you see what you refer to as stains, this could be fire-scale caused by overheating the silver in a small area. It's caused by the copper content in the sterling silver oxidising (or something like that) this leaves a dark shadow which cannot be cleaned off as its within the metal itself. if its minimal you may be able to sand it away and re-polish. But if its deep ,there is little you can do (other than rhodium or gold plating over it). use flux such as firescoff in the first place to prevent this when soldering.
As for yellow staining that's interesting. Assuming it's not the polish. Then yellow staining suggests to me that the item is not solid silver. When you polish items which are silver plated (or fakes) the first thing you'll notice is a slight yellow colour, this is the brass or nickel underneath starting to show through as the plating is worn away by the polish.
It could just be that the items are indeed silver, but have also been plated over top. In such cases some manufacturers apply a coat of nickel plating first to seal it before rhodium plating over that. Hence you may see the same nickel underneath. Possible, but highly improbable. a fake or plated item is more likely.
Sorry I cant say much more without seeing the pieces (feel free to email me some pics below) but hope this helps. Dave . mail@celticdreams.co.uk
Hi Dave, you are so very kind to share your knowledge with us. I wonder if you would mind telling me what I might look for at Rio Grande for these three buffs? (I saw the reply about the last one, so I guess the first two, not all three.) I do not have a polishing machine but really want to use my flex shaft to the best of my ability until someday I can afford one. Thank you so kindly in advance!!
+Debbie Minter (Dharlee) ....Hi Debbie. The first thing is to get good polish. I use the Menzerna polish, but traditionally Tripoli to start and rouge to finish. As for the buffs...
The first is a Scotch buff ball, Rio Grande sell German ones and refer to them as "Mini Fiber wheel" they have a range of grits. (select density) and come in packs of 5.
www.riogrande.com/Product/mounted-mini-fiber-wheels/338005
The second is a Felt wheel . "Stoddard Miniature Felt Buff, Mounted" Item #: 330508 perfect for Tripoli
www.riogrande.com/Product/stoddard-miniature-felt-buff-mounted/330508
The last is a soft cotton or wool mop for final rouge polishing.... Stoddard Miniature Cotton Buff, Mounted
Sold in packs of ten.
www.riogrande.com/Product/stoddard-miniature-cotton-buff-mounted/330507
Hope this helps. Dave.
+Celtic Dreams Again, this is kindness to the nth degree. I cannot thank you enough for taking the time involved to share this information. Epsecially when I am sure you have other things that need your attention. Many thanks!
Debbie Minter h
Hi Dave. I just found your channel and I loved it. Super instructional.
I hope you can help me with something. I struggle a lot with polishing cast pieces, specially the ones with reliefs. I always give all my jewelry 3 levels of sanding and then go straight to the wool mop to polish. But there's definitely some areas I can't reach in the sandind process so they always look opaque at the end. It's awful. Do you think I could skip the sanding and try abrasive buffing balls instead? I also watched your video of the 3M bristles. They seem to have great reach.
Before any polishing can take place you must start with sound flat surface. Usually this means sanding up to at least 800 to remove all scratches, dents and create uniform surface. The polishing is then able to remove the fine sanding marks and so on. So if there are any areas that you cant sand, then you're just going to end up with shiny scratches and lumps. But I see your problem, its not always easy to sand those tight areas. I'll link below to another couple of my polishing videos. But the 3M discs are brilliant, especially the yellow ones (much better than the eveflex version). You can also get eveflex polishing pins which will get into tight areas, as well as pointed mounted polishing pins. You may also want to consider using an abrasive media in a tumbler to create a pre polish finish. I have two tumblers set up, one with ceramic chips and abrasive media, the other with steel shot and burnishing soap. I also have a magnetic polisher too, (can be pricey) again one barrel with abrasive powder and steel pins, the other with burnishing liquid and steel pins. check out the vids below for some ideas... Dave
Eveflex pins
th-cam.com/users/edit?o=U&video_id=v71tE-O0Wj8
Polishing silver with a tumbler
th-cam.com/video/yXFr6rLOxms/w-d-xo.html
Ceramic polishing
th-cam.com/video/PTNuO4Gy4AQ/w-d-xo.html
Thank you so much for taking your time to answer! Great videos. I actually just got a tumbler today. Can't wait to try it. The silicone pins look amazing too. I want to try everything now! Thanks again and best regards from Mexico.
Mexico, the world capital of silver ! Dave
You used these 2 compounds here then the Mezerna in the other video. Which is better?
Traditionally Jewellers use Tripoli (pre polish) followed by Rouge. I have now replaced both of these with the Menzerna intensive polish P 164 blue, followed by super finish P175 Yellow. Personally I much prefer the Menzerna polishes, but the Tripoli and rouge are perhaps easier to source. Dave
What grit is that rouge bar? I'm working on polishing a figaro chain, and I'm just not satisfied with the results. I'm looking into 15k compound as well as 30k compound. It's an older chain so it's showing its age. I probably should have started with 600 but I'm pretty far into the process now. Lol.
I don't know what grit, its just standard jewellers rouge, Dave
Hi Dave, do you use sand paper when you make your jewellery? Or do these make that part of the process redundant? After filing, do you go straight to your flex shaft? Thank you 🙏
Although called sanding I use Emery paper, not sandpaper (two different things). In this case the Scotchbrite wheel replaces the sandpaper. But usually after filling I will sand at 600 grit, either with a buff stick or sanding drums. I can then go straight to polish. Check out the ID bracelet restoration which may explain better. Dave th-cam.com/video/Iv6NNClZdNU/w-d-xo.html
@@CelticDreamsCoUk ok great I will watch, thanks Dave!
Hello. Thank you for your videos. I love them. I am making something which is a flat piece of silver, and I have followed your steps. But I have incredibly faint scratches that I can't get rid of. do you have any suggestions? thank you. Corinne.
The best thing I can recommend is the Menzerna IP Polish. It will remove all scratches and give you a mirror finish. Check out the videos to see it in action.... Dave
th-cam.com/video/SGRSQa5lR2Q/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/5QKwbEQkocM/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/yXFr6rLOxms/w-d-xo.html
Celtic Dreams thank you for this. been looking it up online and can't find a place to buy it. Where you do recommend getting it from? thank you for your help.
Well, as I say to everyone else who asks me where to buy things.... I have no idea what country you are in. But here in the UK, see the following links. Dave
www.hswalsh.com/product/menzerna-ip-intensive-polish-compound-p164-grey-tp1236034
www.hswalsh.com/product/menzerna-sf-super-finish-compound-p175-yellow-tp1236061
Celtic Dreams thank you for this. I'm in the UK. should have said! thanks :)
I have this sterling silver ring with a 14k gold inlay on it. Would this method work on the gold inlay as well to make it a polished finish?
It depends on that you mean by gold inlay. If its a large piece of gold set into the silver, then you can polish it just like the silver. But if it's only a thin piece fused to the surface, or perhaps just a plated section, then heavy polishing could strip away a thin gold layer. Using a tumbler (barrelling machine) or magnetic polisher can burnish the piece and make it shiny without any loss of material. Perhaps that's the best option. Dave.
Celtic Dreams thanks so much! Here is what the ring looks like. images.app.goo.gl/9VGhYCTSvj2ztcJYA
What is the best rouge for polishing silver jewelry. Is it the white or red rouge?
Impossible to say. I'm not sure what you mean by white rouge. Rouge by its very name is red, hence the name Rogue. All polishes are different. You can have half a dozen different brands of rouge and they will all be different. varying sizes of grit, some are more greasy, some are drier and crumbly. Likewise many different brands make white compounds. So its impossible to comment on such a general question. Also the mops you use will have a huge impact, as well as the speed and the way you prep the surface will all have an effect. But what I will say is that I now use the Menzerna Polishes from Germany. I use a loose cotton Calico mop with Menzerna P164 Blue, which is an intensive polish and removes surface scratches. I then finish with a soft loose cotton mop (swansdown) with the Menzerna P175 Yellow Super Finish. This buffs precious metals to a high shine. hope this helps. Dave
Amazing thank you so much Dave! Super super helpful. Can you recommend a specific pendant tool for cleaning up castings with small recesses? I started with a brass brush and moved onto a scotchbrite but maybe there's a better way?! Many thanks in advance!
Foredom SR flex shaft. Probably the most popular tool on almost every jewellers bench. USA made, solid quality and incredible power, with precise control. I would ever be without one. Note 110v and 220v versions. You can buy a ready to go kit (see link) . Dave
pepetools.com/discount/CELTIC?redirect=/collections/foredom/products/foredom-classic-jewelers-kit-with-h-30-handpiece?aff=4
@@CelticDreamsCoUk thank you so much Dave! A Foredom is on my list, I'm currently using a Dremel with a shaft attachment and looking for the best pendant wheels for the job of cleaning up castings with existing organic textures, sorry I wasnt very clear before ! Many thanks in advance for any tips you may be able to offer 😊
thank you appreciate that x
+Pauline Lister .. Thanks for watching. Dave.
do you use the same method if your surface isn't flat? like twisted silver
+Pauline Lister ....if you have an intricate surface you can use bristle brushes. Same principle, use a stiff one for Tripoli and a softer one for rouge. A final light polish with a wool mop will bring up the highlights. Dave.www.cooksongold.com/category_select.jsp?query=Bristle+Pendant+Wheel+White+2+Stiff&queryFromSuggest=true
I have a Drill Master Rotary Tool that's locked at 16,000 rpm do you think I would still be able to use it to finish jewelry?
If it's locket at 16k then there is obviously something wrong with it. I cant recommend using a faulty tool. But yes indeed 16k is about half speed. So quite fine for most jobs. Dave.
Not faulty...just cheap :)..Great video btw, i'm just getting into finishing my own jewelry!
Good !!thank you sir
Thank you. Dave
How you collect wastage while doing all this in open ??
Most jewellers benches have a tray in the bottom to catch dust and fillings, which can be swept up and put into the scrap pot. Dave
hi dave did your foredom flex shaft come with 240 v
its a 220v model made for the UK. Dave.
Why not just use the bench polisher and do It in one och maby two steps?
You get a much better finish going in steps. its all in the preparation. Going straight to polish, may well wear away the scratches 'eventually'. But it's much faster to remove the scratches with abrasive, rather than polish. Then smooth and refine the surface before final polish. Doing it in stages gives super results and ultimately doesn't really take any longer. Dave
I tried polishing with exact and my piece got very black very fast :(
Depends what you mean by "black". The polish is greasy, and will go black. This is normal, just continue polishing. Once polished you need to clean the pice with HOT soapy water to remove it. Dave
How much coust
I don't know where you are in the world. But google your local jewelry supplier and they should have mops and polishes.Thanks for watching. Dave
That mirror finish seems a bit scratched though...
This is just a very quick demonstration of the mops. I have many other videos on how to create a mirror polish. Dave. th-cam.com/video/Iv6NNClZdNU/w-d-xo.html
@@CelticDreamsCoUk Awesome! I'll take a look. Thanks! I need to learn how to get a mirror finish, quick!
Dave where can i buy these stuff?
All the items where supplied by Cooksongold in the UK. see links below. Hope this helps, but obviously I have no idea what country you are in. Form your English, I suspect that you are not in the UK. Dave.
www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-Tools/Scotchbrite-Pendant-Wheel-prcode-999-ACR
www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-Tools/3-Layer-Felt-Pendant-Wheel-prcode-999-ACN
www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-Tools/Wool-Pendant-Wheel-prcode-999-ACO
Hello thank you for making these videos, I'm interested in making some silver jewellery and these videos are very informative and just what I need! My question is do you really need to use pickle or can you just use these methods you shown on here or Is the pickle better for cleaning and polishing?
+Anum Y ....Firstly, thanks for watching and taking the time to get in touch. Great to hear from you. Short answer - YES, you need pickle. Most people use Borax to solder, which creates a glassy film on the silver to prevent it from oxidising whilst being heated. When you've soldered you need to remove the borax, But its actually tougher than the silver. So polishing it with mops will wear away your silver but not remove the borax. Hence pickle (weak acid) will dissolve away all the borax and also take away any black oxidisation. You are then left with clean silver, ready to start polishing.
If its just an old piece with black oxide on it, The pickle will still remove the blackening and give you a good start for cleaning. Check out my Pickle video....Dave.
th-cam.com/video/KyA3JS0OtYA/w-d-xo.html
+Celtic Dreams ohh I see, thanks for responding :D keep up the great work :)
There are so many polishing compounds, so confusing. What would you suggest to use on white gold/yellow gold/silver? All these three metals, and which would be the best for pre-polish and final polish?
Thank you
Hi, thanks for the question. If you are using silver or gold, you only really need two compounds. Tripoli, which is a brown pre-polish and helps to remove fine scratches. Then rouge which gives a nice mirror finish. On a bench polisher, Use a loose cotton (calico) mop for the Tripoli and a fine very soft cotton mop (called a swansdown mop) for the rouge. That’s basically all you need.
(note that white gold isn't really white, it is plated with rhodium, so usually need re plating after working on it).
However, I have recently moved away from the traditional Tripoli and rouge. I now use Menzerna polish. These are absolutely stunning. They make a whole range for different metals, but again you only really need two. They have a grey IP (intense polish) which will remove scratches and get a slight mirror finish on its own. You can then finish with the yellow SF super fine polish. These new Menzerna polishes have now replaced my Tripoli and rouge.
The only time you would need anything else is when working with platinum, which is much harder. So you would get a pre polish and fine polish for platinum. But again you only need the two.
Check out Andrew Berry’s video review of them. www.suttontools.co.uk/vtr-menzerna-polish
Kind regards. Dave.
Celtic Dreams Thank you very much for such an informative answer!
Lada Slada any time. email me direct if you want any more advice. Happy to chat. mail@celticdreams.co.uk
can I use that on 14k gold wire?
Gold or silver it's exactly the same. The polish works well for both. Dave.
I am unable to find the wool mop on riogrande.com, what else can be used?
+Catherine Franz www.riogrande.com/Product/stoddard-miniature-cotton-buff-mounted/330507
Use with rouge or Menzerna SF for a great finish. Dave.
+Celtic Dreams I found these on Amazon, excellent price too!
www.amazon.com/Polishing-Rotary-Mandrel-Mounted-Grinder/dp/B00NYO0S7E