Luxi water soluble?

[ps_bond]

Per the title, read with a tone of incredulity. I've recently started using Luxi for pendant motor/micro motor polishing - yes, I have the shiniest #30 handpiece around - and while I quite like the results, I'm not convinced by the easy cleanup claims. I still need to use soap & hot water to shift the stuff, which is not really any different to my usual tripoli & rouge combinations.

Am I missing something?

[josef1]

I got an Aldi steam cleaner a while back about £15 use this for shifting polish in tricky to get to areas it uses water so guess it still counts ?

4890

[ps_bond]

Ah, I saw them and thought I didn't need one because I've got a wallpaper stripper. Which I now can't find.
Doesn't your cleaner shift the grease-based ones just as effectively?

[mizgeorge]

I find the biggest bonus to cleaning up isn't for the finished piece (I still use soap and water or the ultrasonic) but for me! Much easier to get off my face/hair/specs/hands and clothes than the grease based alternatives.

I've recently switched to the purple and orange Luxis and like them even more than my trusty blue and white.

[Dennis]

There is also a third option: Menzerna, discussed on the other forum and pioneered by Suttons for the jewellery trade. It started life as a cutting compound for car paint, and if you reseach it online it comes in various fine grits.

That kind of paste usually dries to a powder, but I have not tried it as I am not into polishes. Dennis.
http://www.suttontools.co.uk/new-products/menzerna-polishing-cream.html.

[ps_bond]

Andrew Berry was waxing lyrical about Menzerna on his webcast; it was not long after I'd just bought 4 bars of Luxi, so I might hold off until they're done! Not yet certain about the low speed/high speed differences, but I'm using the low speed with small hard felt mops on flat ring surfaces at the moment.

Oh - finally tried Jame's suggestion of a bit of paraffin on mops when using traditional tripoli & rouge; yes, it goes onto the mop much more smoothly - but I think I managed to make even more of a mess than usual. Good result though.

[josef1]

It does work on the greased based aswell

[Tabby66]

I used the traditional 'tripoli / rouge' and due to posts on here/ over there I invested in some luxi, though I wasn't disappointed I wasn't wowed,however, Menzerna, bought 12months ago from a German company (with mops, by colleagues) and bought more recently by myself less the mops (still saving) is IMPRESSIVE......

I have to say, I do have some menzerna polish bought some years ago, when I purchased my bench motor from cannock chemicals (if they still exist!), but it seems very dry when compared to the menzerna polish I'm using now.....and 'todays' polish provides a HUGE difference to finish!!

(does that make sense now??)

[ps_bond]

I think it *mostly* makes sense...?

I'm glad to hear someone else isn't as overwhelmed as they expected to be with the polish - after having indifferent results with Magic Boric as well, I was getting worried.
I think I'll give the Menzerna a go once I've used up the current batch of Luxi (AND the existing rouge & tripoli).

For a couple of reasons, I really ought to stop polishing under the microscope - a) I'll end up coating the objective (although it's a 0.5x Barlow lens, so I can remove it to clean it) and b) it's depressing seeing all the scratches!

[Exsecratio]

MEK works very well Peter, not too unpleasant to work with and air dries very quickly (usual no confined spaces stuff), IPA is less harsh but sometimes leaves tiny smears.
I use MEK on focal lens's on the Galvo laser where even the tiniest speck can mess things up and crack a lens.(even impurities in the air can be enough to land on the lens and kill it)

best wishes

Dave

[Tabby66]

Similarly disappointed with Magic Boric..... :-(

[ps_bond]

MEK works very well Peter, not too unpleasant to work with and air dries very quickly (usual no confined spaces stuff), IPA is less harsh but sometimes leaves tiny smears.
I use MEK on focal lens's on the Galvo laser where even the tiniest speck can mess things up and crack a lens.(even impurities in the air can be enough to land on the lens and kill it)


Actually, I don't think I've got any MEK around any more! I've become much more cautious about using VOCs over the years, no longer wiping my hands off with acetone, that kind of thing :)
IPA is my usual basic degreaser - I use quite a bit in cleaning metal for mokume (used a quick dip in phosphoric as a final surface prep for the latest billet, seemed to give a good result).

[Exsecratio]

no longer wiping my hands off with acetone,

I cleaned a Gallium Arsenide lens with acetone, £1,500 and a new lens later I won't be making the same mistake again :)

If you ever need MEK I have drums of the stuff kicking around and can drop it off on the way past :)

best wishes

Dave

[ps_bond]

Cheers for that - I might take you up on the offer. Probably don't quite need a drum yet though!

[Wallace]

I cleaned a Gallium Arsenide lens with acetone, £1,500 and a new lens later I won't be making the same mistake again :)

If you ever need MEK I have drums of the stuff kicking around and can drop it off on the way past :)

best wishes

Dave

If you are ever near my part of Wiltshire? :)

[medusa]

If anyone is still interested in Menzerna, this place sells it.

http://www.thepolishingshop.co.uk/acatalog/Polishing_compounds_Menzerna_for_metals.html

it cost less than Suttons for 2 x as much!

[ps_bond]

Thanks Liz - I see they do the sample sizes too.

[Lucie]

The polishing shop is great & also REALLY helpful with advice. I'm particularly fond of their Yellow P175 compound for finishing.

[medusa]

The polishing shop is great & also REALLY helpful with advice. I'm particularly fond of their Yellow P175 compound for finishing.

Well now I actually have a bench for my bench polishers, I went and got all three for silver including the tripoli. Damn customers want mirror finish, I'll give them it!