Polishing Jewellery

Tools and equipment for making, deburring, and polishing Jewellery

A Jeweller’s Guide to Choosing & Using Polishing Compound

What is Polishing Compound & Why do I Need it?

Polishing compound is essential to polishing with mops and felt. Depending on the specific compound brand it is essentially a wax base with different grades of grit in. Just like the stages of working through wet & dry paper the polishing compounds create finer and finer scratches until the metal is bright and shiny!

In Jewellery polishing there are normally 2 stages Cutting and Polishing (Colouring).

polishing a ring

Cutting

The initial step in polishing is removing the scratches put in with needle files and wet & dry paper. It's best to prepare the metal and get the biggest scratches out to around an 800g finish.

Traditionally this is done with brown Tripoli which is most commonly used, but you can also get excellent results from Menzerna 456G.

Polishing (Colouring)

The final stage is polishing with a high gloss compound. If there are any scratches visible at this stage you will need to go back to cutting.

Traditionally this was done with Rouge, it is still a popular option but is very messy. Increasingly there are cleaner compounds such as FF9 and menzerna which are coming to the fore.

Tripoli (Apollo)

Apollo Tripoli compound is our most popular cutting compound. This brown compound works brilliantly on all non ferrous metals and will leave a bright finish whilst removing scratches and flattening the metal.

View Cutting Compound

Menzerna 456G

456G is a grey compound that is excellent on all jewellery metals as well as harder metals such as Titanium and even Steel.

View Cutting Compounds

Lea FF9

FF9 is a very high gloss finishing compound which works brilliantly after Apollo. A much cleaner option than traditional jewellers rouge.

View Polishing Compounds

Menzerna P175

Either Menzerna M5 or P175 are good for final finishing precious metal. They work extremely well with the 456G cutting compound used first.

View Polishing Compounds

How do I Match Compound to the Right Mop?

It is important to match your compound to the right mop to get the best results. For example a harder mop will maximize the cutting action of a coarse compound.

Cutting Stage

Cutting Mops

Harder Mops such as White Stitched and even a Dry Sisal (for very coarse cutting) work well for cutting hard.

A loosefold G mop is a popular option offering good cut but more suitable for precious metals.

Mini Stitched mops are excellent for jewellery polishing and work well for both cutting and polishing. G is slightly harder than WDR.

Felt wheels come in various hardnesses, for more cut choose hard or hardened.

Polishing Mops

The softer the mop the higher the finish.

WDR, WHR and Reflex are perfect for polishing mops for finishing.

Mini Stitched Mops in WDR again are good for an initial buff before finishing with a super soft cotton yarn mop.

Chamois is very traditional and often gets used with rouge for gold.

How do I load Compound onto my Mop?

A very frequent question we get asked is how do I get the compound onto my mop? The compound is hard!

It's very simple, because it is made of way it will be pretty solid but as soon as you spin a mop it creates heat which melts a little of the compound onto the surface of the mop.

It is the same principle for all mops, both used with a pendant motor (micromotor) or bench polisher with large mops. In that case the compound is brought to the mop, aiming at the lower half of the mop holding firmly. The video below demonstates adding compound to a cotton yarn mop.

Just a little is necessary, you should only see a thin layer on the mop. If you add too much you will soon notice as there will be thick black residue coating your work. A clean mop can be used to remove the residue from the piece and a mop rake (mop dresser) can help to remove the excess from the mop. It is normal to have black residue, it in fact shows that the compound is working and removing metal.

Menzerna Compound

This high quality compound made in Europe is extremely popular. The finish they produce is excellent, whilst being easier to clean up than traditional compounds.

This would be our recommendation for the best compound for jewellery whether you are a hobbyist or a well versed professional jeweller.

We do both large and small bars to suit everybodies usage.

Dialux Rouge

Dialux is a well known brand of compound and is often used in jewellery teaching.

The colour of rouge dictates what it is good for. The white dialux is particularly popular with very soft hair wheels, it is cleaner to use than the red dialux which is still a popular finishing bar for gold. Blue Dialux is meant to be particularly good for silver.

Green Dialux is notoriously used for stopping knife blades on leather. You could also polish jewellery tools in this manor to produce a sharp edge.

Jewellers Rouge

Very traditional, there is nothing wrong with this time tested polishing compound. The difference between the types is the firmness or oiliness of the bar. All jewellers have a preference for the consistency of the rouge.

It is particularly good for 'colouring' gold. it is believed to help create the beautiful lustrous golden glow on gold. Use with Chamois mops.

How do I Clean Up After Using Compound?

There is black residue on my jewellery, how do I get it off?

This is totally normal for polishing. The compound is waxy so will need to be cleaned off your work. Most simply you can clean your piece with warm soapy water (be careful around pearls and opals etc). A very soft tootchbrush can be used to clean detailed areas.

Alternatively when there are no sensitive stones you can pop the piece in an ultrasonic tank. This will shake the residues from holes and detailed areas.

It is good practise to clean between polishing stages too, this prevents cutting compound from contaminating the finer compounds preventing a good shine.

Ultrasonic Cleaner

An ultrasonic is brilliant for shaking compound from holes and detail creating the best, cleanest finish.

View Ultrasonic Tanks

What Compounds do you use for Polishing Glass & Plastics?

Plastics

This includes resin and acrylic. Firstly the surface needs to be sanded with wet, wet & dry paper to around an 800 - 1200g finish. Then the best compound to use is Menzerna Wax 16.

Glass

Glass can be tricky to polish. If you have fine scratches a combination of pumice them cerium oxide can be used to polish them out.

Stones are often lapped with felt wheels and Cerium Oxide too.

Menzerna Wax 16

Wax 16 is excellent for all plastics, resin and other mixed media materials.

View Wax 16

Glass Polishing

Glass is generally polished using cerium oxide powder mixed to a paste with water. We sell a kit which comes with pumice too for the 1st stage. Used with felt bobs.

View Glass Polishing Powders

Pendant Motor vs Micromotor System

Which to Choose.. Pendant Motor vs Micromotor System?

It's a very common question, the choices can be dumbfounding. 

The key features where they differ:

  • A pendant motor has a flexible shaft while the Micromotor has a thin wire cable connecting the motor to the control box.

The flexible shaft has to be hung to prevent damage, this is fine in a workshop but can be tricky in a home or learning setting. It can be cumbersome to move and whilst flexible there is some restriction to movement. 

The micromotor cable however is very light and very flexible. It allows for greater accuracy of movement. 

  • Pendant Motor vs Micromotor System on Noise

The first thing customers note when using a micromotor for the first time is the noise level, they are quiet! We have customers who have smart jewellery showrooms with studios at the rear, quiet micromotor systems are a must to keep the pleasant atmosphere in the shop. Equally in the home this can be a major plus.

  • A Pendant Motor is often higher torque than a Micromotor

Torque is the amount of force put into rotation. Not all applications need the highest torque available. For Jewellers or Dental Technicians for example a Micromotor system will often have adequate torque. Wheels and burrs tend to be small and therefore need less torque.

For engineers, fabricators, sculptors etc they may need a bit more grunt and higher torque to drive larger wheels and points. 

  • Micromotors can offer higher speeds

Pendant Motors tend to be limited to 25,000 rpm (some more, some less), Micromotors however typically offer closer to 35,000 rpm. Some carbide burrs and cutters like to be run at higher speeds, small diameter burrs work well with the lower torque and high speeds. 

This makes them a good option for delicate jobs like stone setting, precision engineering and dental technician work.

  • Are Pendant Drills Heavier Duty?

For fabrication, large sculpture, engine tuning, engineering etc the best choice is normally a pendant motor. They are really built for slightly rougher treatment.

Certainly our LY128 system has proven over the years to be a sturdy workhorse with little going wrong with it. 

However in precision engineering environments our Eneska Micromotor system really holds it's own. They are very sturdy and can withstand long hours of use. For the user they are much more comfortable to use for prolonged periods. 

  • Vibration

Micromotors have noticeably less vibration. In a lot of industries now there are health and safety regulations on vibration. Micromotors tend to be the choice where this is a requirement. They are much more comfortable for operators to use for long shifts. For all users this is a plus point, the difference is very obvious.

  • Pendant Motor vs Micromotor System on Handpieces

Handpieces can often be the deciding factor, they are very much down to personal preference and application.

Generally speaking it simply depends on the brand and model of micromotor or pendant motor as to the extent of the handpieces available.  

Below you can see examples; in white pendant motor handpieces and blue micromotor handpieces. 

Our Foredom SR pendant motor comes with a choice of countless handpieces, the LY128 however is fixed and cannot be changed. A fixed handpiece often makes the price much more attractive and is a very useable option for most people. 

Similarly our very popular Strong 209 Micromotor comes with a fixed handpiece, it is larger overall but actually has a small end to it which is easier to hold and is pretty light with the cable.

Our modular micromotor systems such as Eneska (NSK) and Urawa offer a very large range of handpieces that range in size and features. Hammer handpieces and angled handpieces are available.

The beauty of micromotor handpieces is that they feature a quick release collet system in most cases making it quick to change between burrs. They normally have a collet system though which means drills and burrs need to be on a 2.35mm (or 1.6mm) minimum spindle where a chuck handpiece (such as on the LY128 pendant motor) can clasp very small drill bits and a range of spindle sizes. 

  • One final point on Micromotors

Micromotors are a revelation to a lot of people as the feel is something entirely different if you are used to a pendant motor (flex shaft). Operators report better feeling, without the drag of the flex shaft and the minimal vibration. You have more control.

It is possible to maintain better control with the stop start controls on some systems (Eneska). Speed can be set on some models. The start is much more gradual and smooth. Flex shafts are frequently said to jump as they start, although not always a problem for high precision work it is less than ideal. 

Micromotors work well at low speeds and run smoother. 

Pendant Motor vs Micromotor System:

Who Wins?

Its a good question, you may have found several points particularly important to you. The good news is that each option has a range of price points from entry level to industrial standard. 

If you still have questions please get in touch!

01722 711988