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Metalsmith Society's Top Polishing Tips

By Corkie Bolton••1 minute read
METALSMITH SOCIETY'S TOP POLISHING TIPS

One of the most popular topics on the Metalsmith Society page is polishing! Here are some of the most popular tips I've showcased since the beginning.

CREATING A HOOK TO SECURE A CHAIN FOR HAND POLISHING.

I thought it would be appropriate to post about polishing chain since that is the theme for the March Metalsmith...

Polishing Chain Pinned to Your Bench Pin

Learn to polish chain by pinning it to your bench pin and using 3M polishing papers, a cloth with compound or a Sunshine cloth.

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ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH WITH POLISHING COMPOUND FROM @normbobby

Here is another use (besides brushing your teeth 🤣) for your electronic toothbrush from @normbobby “The pure silver from...

Cleaning Crevices With an Electric Toothbrush

@normbobby uses an electric toothbrush with red rouge and fine oil to clean pickle residue from tight crevices before tumbling.

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USING A Q-TIP TO POLISH WITH YOUR FLEXSHAFT FROM @christynatsumi

Here is your tip for the day (😂) thank you so much for sharing this @christynatsumi this is brilliant - “I like to use a...

Polishing Hard to Reach Areas With a Cotton Swab

A tip from @christynatsumi: polish small, hard to reach areas with a Q-tip loaded with any compound, adding or removing fluff as needed.

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PROTECT YOUR STONE WITH TAPE WHILE POLISHING FROM @fione_harvey

This method of protecting a stone while polishing is pure genius, thank you so much @fione_harvey - “3M Scotch- Blue...

Protecting Set Stones With Painter's Tape for Polishing

@fione_harvey covers set stones with painter's tape trimmed along the setting so she can file, sand and polish the metal around them.

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DIY SCOTCH-BRITE POLISHING MANDREL FROM @corkieboltonjewelry (that's me!)

If you like getting a matte or scratched finish on your work I created this photo tutorial on how to create your own...

DIY Scotch-Brite Flex Shaft Mandrel for a Matte Finish

A step-by-step photo tutorial for cutting Scotch-Brite pad circles and mounting them on a screw mandrel for matte, scratched finishes.

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USING A WOODEN DOWEL TO SECURE A CHAIN FOR POLISHING FROM @vancraftedstudio

Here is another way to hold a chain while polishing, wrap it around a wooden mandrel! Thank you so much for sharing...

Polishing Chain Wrapped Around a Wooden Mandrel

A tip from @vancraftedstudio: hold a chain for polishing by wrapping it around a wooden mandrel.

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YOU CAN ALSO USE A WOODEN DOWEL TO GENERALLY HOLD RINGS WHILE POLISHING FROM @noctuajewellery

Next time you are polishing a ring with your flexshaft, try holding it on a wooden mandrel. It will protect your fingers...

Polishing a Ring on a Wooden Mandrel With a Flex Shaft

A tip from @noctuajewellery: hold a ring on a wooden mandrel when polishing with a flex shaft to protect fingers and keep it from flying.

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POLISHING SMALL SPACES WITH COTTON STRING FROM @alastaircallumjewellery

Love this solution for polishing the inside of small spaces from @alastaircallumjewellery - “I braided some very thin...

Polishing Tight Loops With Braided String and Compound

@alastaircallumjewellery and @leah_gurr_jewellery polish inside small loops with braided cotton string rubbed with polishing compound.

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USING A NAIL BUFF TO SAND AND POLISH FROM @edbshinyobjects

Love this sanding trick from @edbshinyobjects “Nail buffers for manicures/pedicures make great sanding blocks, especially...

Nail Buffers as Sanding Blocks for Curved Surfaces

A tip from @edbshinyobjects: foam nail buffers conform to curved surfaces as sanding blocks and can be reused with sandpaper.

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STRIPS OF 3M POLISHING PAPER TO GET INTO TIGHT SPOTS FROM @daveaugustdesign 

This is a two-for-one tip from @daveaugustdesign When using a hand vise you can place a rubber band inside to help prevent...

Hand Vise Rubber Band and Sanding Tiny Details

@daveaugustdesign lines a hand vise with a rubber band to avoid marring and sands tiny details with polishing paper strips and twine.

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HOLDING SMALL ITEMS WHILE POLISHING FROM @annie.lesperance

Here is a solution for holding small objects while filing and polishing from @annie.lesperance - “I use a clothes pin and...

Clothespin and Elastic Clamp for Tiny Pieces

A tip from @annie.lesperance: tie elastic around a clothespin to make a tiny clamp for holding small pieces while filing and polishing.

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SUNSHINE CLOTH BUFFS FROM @riogrande

For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I wanted to show how to achieve a high polish by using Sunshine® Cloth Buffs from...

High Polish With Sunshine Cloth Buffs on a Flex Shaft

Learn to reach a high polish by sanding through the grits, then using Sunshine cloth buffs on a flex shaft at light pressure.

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A TIP FOR POLISHING YOUR BEZELS FROM @lejewelrydesigns

Here is a tip for getting your bezels smooth like BUDDAH from @lejewelrydesigns -“After using a hammer handpiece, there...

Smoothing Bezels With Pumice Wheels After Setting

@lejewelrydesigns removes hammer handpiece marks from bezels with AdvantEdge pumice wheels without scratching the stone.

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REMOVING FIRESCALE WITH LUXOR® BY MERARD POLISHING COMPOUNDS FROM @riogrande 

For this week's #tooltalktuesday I’m stoked to discuss the Luxor® by Merard Polishing Kit from @riogrande - it includes...

Luxor Polishing Compounds: Which Color for Each Metal

Learn what each Luxor compound does, from pink for scratches and firescale to yellow and orange finals, and why to label buffs by metal.

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TURNING YOUR FLEXSHAFT INTO A MINI POLISHING MACHINE

For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I wanted to show off my Foredom Flex Shaft Handpiece Holder 🔥 This is a tool that I’ve...

Flex Shaft Handpiece Holder as a Mini Lathe

How a Foredom handpiece holder clamps to the bench to turn a flex shaft into a mini polishing machine or wax lathe.

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A TIP ON POLISHING SAFELY FROM @letsmakejewelry

This is an important SAFETY 😎 tip from @letsmakejewelry - “When I was an apprentice back in the 80's my teacher was quite...

Holding Rings Safely on a Polishing Lathe

A safety tip from @letsmakejewelry for polishing rings with two fingers or a thumb through the center so they cannot fly off.

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USING A DRAWER HANDLE TO STORE PLIERS FROM @elementril_smithing_co

Here is an organization tip for your pliers from @elementril_smithing_co - “I use these kitchen cabinet door handles to...

Cabinet Door Handles for Hanging Pliers

A tip from @elementril_smithing_co for mounting kitchen cabinet door handles to hold and organize pliers.

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THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY!

Thank you to all the members of the community who shared these tips! You can find some of the items on my #tooltalktuesday page, shopping those links supports the page! You can also support the page by making a purchase in the Society Shop, becoming a patron or pinning these tips to Pinterest!