{"id":20566,"date":"2018-12-20T09:00:18","date_gmt":"2018-12-20T09:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.polishingjewellery.co.uk\/?p=20566"},"modified":"2019-01-31T10:33:03","modified_gmt":"2019-01-31T10:33:03","slug":"a-jewellers-guide-to-choosing-using-polishing-compound","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.polishingjewellery.co.uk\/blog\/2018\/12\/20\/a-jewellers-guide-to-choosing-using-polishing-compound\/","title":{"rendered":"A Jeweller’s Guide to Choosing & Using Polishing Compound"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\t\tWhat is Polishing Compound & Why do I Need it?
\n\t<\/h3>\n

Polishing compound is essential to polishing with mops and felt. Depending on the specific compound brand it is essentially a grease 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!<\/p>\n

In Jewellery polishing there are normally 2 stages Cutting<\/strong> and Polishing (Colouring)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"polishing<\/p>\n

Cutting<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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

Polishing (Colouring)<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\"Apollo\"
\n\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

Tripoli (Apollo)<\/a><\/h3>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tView Cutting Compound
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\"456g\"
\n\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

Menzerna 456G<\/a><\/h3>\n

456G is a grey compound that is excellent on all jewellery metals as well as harder metals such as Titanium and even Steel.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tView Cutting Compounds
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\"ff9\"
\n\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

Lea FF9<\/a><\/h3>\n

FF9 is a very high gloss finishing compound which works brilliantly after Apollo. A much cleaner option than traditional jewellers rouge.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tView Polishing Compounds
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\"P175\"
\n\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

Menzerna P175<\/a><\/h3>\n

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

\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tView Polishing Compounds
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

How do I Match Compound to the Right Mop?<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Cutting<\/p>\n

Cutting Mops<\/h3>\n

Harder Mops such as White Stitched<\/a><\/strong> and even a Dry Sisal<\/a><\/strong> (for very coarse cutting) work well for cutting hard. A 4” White Stitched mop is best for polishing Platinum.<\/p>\n

A loosefold G mop<\/a><\/strong> is a popular option offering good cut but more suitable for Gold and Silver.<\/p>\n

Mini Stitched mops<\/a><\/strong> are excellent for jewellery polishing and work well for both cutting and polishing. G is slightly harder than WDR.<\/p>\n

Felt wheels<\/strong><\/a> come in various hardnesses, for more cut choose hard or hardened.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\"Soft
\n\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

Polishing Mops<\/a><\/h3>\n

The softer the mop the higher the finish.<\/p>\n

WDR<\/strong><\/a>, WHR<\/strong> and Reflex<\/a><\/strong> are perfect for polishing mops for finishing.<\/p>\n

Mini Stitched Mops<\/a><\/strong> in WDR again are good for an initial buff before finishing with a super soft cotton yarn mop<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Chamois<\/strong><\/a> is very traditional and often gets used with rouge for gold.<\/p>\n

\n\t\tHow do I load Compound onto my Mop?
\n\t<\/h3>\n

A very frequent question we get asked is how do I get the compound onto my mop? The compound is hard!<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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 (or small amounts with your finger) 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.<\/p>\n

\t