It's meant for the Jool Tool but I find it fits my old spindle tool and works really well actually better on the regular spindle buff tool; they are expensive but they last forever. I have the blue the yellow and the pink.
The avi cuff a good example, after shaping it's pretty rough. Then a 10" file on the rounded edges, then two disc and two long cylinders, each in 220 and 400 emery. Then to tripoli. Fast and simple.
For me ,it was that there were no places to buy or even learn how to properly polish stuff. Especially silver . There weren't many in my rural area who even knew jewelry making at all,
The pewter was all done in a big tumbler once the cast marks were ground off and didn't require much in the way of a polish. So we improvised for silver, Even used a drill with a polishing dooey as I recollect.
Pennee, I wanted to try those roloc discs because the listing mentioned using them to texture metal. I'm always looking for new ways to texture metal. I'll give Rio a call tomorrow, and find out if the minimum is an error.
are they the same as what you are talking about Dianna. They really don't texture metal , but they do give a kind of soft pebbly satin matte finish. I admit I haven't used them much except to play, my go to's are the bigger wheels used on the spindle buff,
I'm not sure about anyone else but I find its those tight little areas that give me fits on cleanup. I can handle the wide open spaces okay but that tiny space in between a silver ball and a bezel or piece of wire? Geesh.
I don't think I have enough supplies/expertise to try making my own rotary bits at the moment, though I may have to try that someday. For now I think I'm going to order some silicone polishing pins, and two try-it kits of round barrel and disc silicone polishers. I'm also going to start with 3 barrette needle files in 0, 2 and 4. I'll have to keep the cost low at the moment and go small. Is there anything else I should add to my order? :)
I'm really lucky; I live in a rural area but there's a mineral specimen/jewelry supply shop with classes within walking distance. It's cheaper to order online for jewelry supplies, but I love that it's there. I'm continuing by teaching myself because of costs and the fact that the teacher of the class isn't the friendliest of people. lol
Those look the same, Kathy. If they don't give much texture, then I think I will hold off on ordering them.
Terri, I sand to get off fireshit before soldering doo dads into tight areas. Then, unless I have a giant solder blob, I don't have to worry too much about clean up in that area. I am also oxidizing everything, would be different if I was going for a mirror finish.
Those radial disc polishers do get right into the tight spots Terri.
I'm really pleased with the magnetic tumbler for that reason as well Terri, It gets all the tiny crevices and takes out all the gunk. I would not usually even worry about it but the stuff I'm doing is heavily textured metal clay and it's hard to hand finish.
Terri, if I can't bend a strip of emery and get it thin enough to sand behind a ball and between the bezel, I use an ongellete graver. Damon sent me one I couldn't find and its .5 mm wide and then I sharpen with a taper on both sides so it will not touch the bezel or ball. I just learned that trick in my pave class this summer. You sound like me Dianna, I hate fireshit so I sand the heck out of everything before doo dads. I see that purple and it's war
Pennee, I am finding it easier to do heavy sanding before I add doo dads. It doesn't take much heat to add a doo dad, so I figure it shouldn't cause much fireshit, if any.
I do my best to sand in the tiny spots, but don't obsess over it because I oxidize. I figure the oxidization is going to settle in those areas anyway. Is that lazy?
Only one more solder left on a pair of earrings. I think I have finally embraced the fact that since I sell earrings more than anything else, I need to make them more than anything else. I'm starting to enjoy making them, thinking of ways I can be more creative.
What CG said Kathy. Each different type of graver can be shapened for different used. I'm sure Matthew could really elaborate after his engraving class. I primarily use the ongelette, flat and occasionally square for stone setting and I am a total novice with them. But the sharpening is key and I'm getting much better at that part getting the exact angles I want
I am pretty minimal in my polishing routine...my mentor had a very simple approach and I have found that works the best for me right now. I love the process of filing and sanding...that is probably my favorite.
My biggest problem, is removing polishing compound after I buff...I think that takes me longer than anything during the polishing process.
Dianna I just now tried to remove some of the patina on this leftover component with one of the brushes that came with the Jool tool you can see the slightly orange peel texture at the lower left corner of the picture. I suppose it would get to be a deeper texture if I worked for a longer time.
Chrissi, I also love sanding & filing. It's very relaxing. Unless I'm sanding for several hours, then my hands start feeling fatigued. I know doing so much hand finishing makes things really slow, but I have no aspirations to do high volume work.
