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Polishing compounds: tripoli, rouge and more

· 1 min read · Materials

Polishing compounds are bars of fine abrasive (tripoli, rouge, white diamond) applied to felt or cotton wheels; each one cuts or brightens a type of metal.

Illustration: Polishing compounds: tripoli, rouge and more

A polishing compound is a bar of wax with a very fine abrasive. It is rubbed onto a felt or cotton wheel, which spreads it over the piece as it turns. Each compound has a different grit size and an identifying color.

Properties #

  • Tripoli (brown): medium cut; removes fine scratches.
  • Rouge (red): fine shine; brightens gold and silver.
  • White (white diamond): for finishing silver, gold and delicate pieces.
  • Green (chromium oxide): very fine finish, for steel and platinum.
  • Form: solid bars or pastes.

Uses in jewelry #

  • Brightening silver, gold, brass and copper.
  • Polishing by machine or flex shaft.
  • Final finishing after sanding.

Pros and cons #

Advantages #

  • They give a mirror shine.
  • Inexpensive and long-lasting.
  • There is one for each metal.

Limitations #

  • They are messy and the piece must be washed.
  • A wheel must not mix compounds.
  • The dust must not be breathed.

Care and cleaning #

  • Reserve one wheel for each compound.
  • Wash the piece after each stage.
  • Wear a mask and collect the dust.

See also #

This entry was drafted with the help of AI and is pending review by the author.