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I’ve made a necklace and struggling to get the right finish on it. What I’m trying to achieve is to get the smooth silver background in a satin finish / matt white and then have the gold sheet detail shiny. Am I right to think that you should mix pumice with olive oil?
Thanks in advance for any help! Mari
No idea about the pumice and oil but I know a lot of folk use a frosting wheel for that kind of effect http://www.cooksongold.com/category_...frosting+wheel
Pumice and water mixed to a thin paste is what I've used - although that is as either a prepolish or to clean sheets of metal before fusing them as mokume. It's quite a fine satin and I've never used it as a finish in its own right.
A fibre glass pencil can also give a good satin finish; http://www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery...prcode-999-183
James
You can basically use what you want to apply a satin finish, it all depends on what you want. I have been known to use a green pan scrubber with lots of soap, wire wool with soap, this comes in differnt grades, so the effect depends.
Try different things on a piece of copper first till you achieve what you want.
Lesley
As Les has said you need to do lots of test pieces, so you can choose and remember to write the method on the back. In general, pumice and green pan scrubbers, give a dull matt, which does not appeal to me.
In order of roughness I would recommend:
1. A soapy brass brush.
2. A fibre glass pencil as suggested by James used dry, or a 10.0mm or wider soapy glass brush.
3. A coarse (yellow) radial wheel on your motor.
4. Coarse micromesh sheet, about grade 3600.
5. A green Scotchbrite wheel on a polishing lathe.
6. Brillo pads or steel wool used in circles.
7. An abrasive sponge or block as used for rubbing down layers of paint.
The frosting wheel mentioned by Kwant is particularly good for beautifying a damaged or unsightly area at the last moment as an afterthought. I have the medium (blue) one, but the wires can fly, so use eye protection. You can even mask off a border, to give a textured area with a smooth frame. Dennis.