Polishing sequence guide
How to move from file marks to a mirror finish, and which Dialux compound to use on gold, silver, platinum and steel.
Coarse to fine
- File Shape the piece and remove deep marks, working from medium to fine cut.
- Abrasive papers Work through grits, for example 400, 600, 800 and 1200, until the previous grit's scratches are gone.
- Cut (pre-polish) A cutting compound such as tripoli on a felt or firm buff removes the fine sanding lines.
- Shine Rouge or a high-gloss compound on a soft, clean buff brings up the final mirror finish.
Use one compound per buff and clean the piece between stages. Compound carried over from the last stage leaves scratches. If scratches still show at the shine stage, go back to cutting.
Dialux compounds by color
Dialux bars are color coded by job. Pre-polish colors cut, high-gloss colors finish. Uses below are the manufacturer's.
| Color | Stage | Use | Add |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Pre-polish | Pre-polishing softer metals. |
$8.00
|
| Orange | Pre-polish | Pre-polishing harder metals. Use with harder cloth mops. |
$8.00
|
| Grey | Pre-polish | Pre-polishing harder metals. Removes deeper scratches and freshens the surface. |
$8.00
|
| Red | High gloss | High-gloss polishing of precious metals. |
$8.00
|
| White | High gloss | Polishing sterling silver, with good reflective results. |
$8.00
|
| Black | High gloss | Polishing silver. Use with softer mops or buffs. |
$8.00
|
| Green | High gloss | High-gloss polishing of hard alloys such as white gold, platinum and silver. |
$8.00
|
| Blue | High gloss | Multi-purpose polishing compound for all metals. |
$8.00
|
Yellow contains silica, so wear a respirator and use dust collection when polishing with it.
Buffs
Firm buffs (felt, stitched cotton) hold a cutting compound and keep edges and flat surfaces crisp. Soft buffs (loose cotton, flannel, chamois) carry the final high-gloss compound. Mounted buffs reach inside rings and around settings.
Buffs and compounds
All buffs and rouge-
ALUMINUM OXIDE FLAP WHEEL - 1"
$20.50 Options -
ALUMINUM OXIDE FLAP WHEEL - 1/2"
$20.50 Options -
BLUE BUFFS
$5.50 Options -
BROWN TRIPOLI
$15.95
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