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Skieferins
27-10-2015, 09:49 PM
Hello,

I am wondering if any of you have any ideas on how to remove rouge wax from my fingers ? I am finding that I am always getting those annoying fine black wax lines between the lines on my fingertips and being as picky as I am, I think it looks rather unkempt and if I'm honest, it makes my hands look grubby. I get that its par for the course but there must be a way to remove the lines, as I don't think it looks right to present a nice piece to a customer with dirty hands/fingers.

Thanks in advance

LydiaNiz
27-10-2015, 09:53 PM
I am generally the grubbiest, platinol stained, shredded handed person you can find. If I need to clean up pronto, I use swarfega, which is fab, and always keep some good handcream on tap (I love this stuff which helps heal hands and smells fab too: http://www.amazon.co.uk/ClimbOn-Products-2oz-Bar/dp/B001OPLTQY Prob cheaper from a climbing/outdoor store though)

CJ57
27-10-2015, 10:13 PM
Washing up liquid usually takes it off and I know most disagree with this but I always wear gloves when polishing now

geti-titanium
27-10-2015, 10:30 PM
Washing up liquid usually takes it off and I know most disagree with this but I always wear gloves when polishing now
Better to have dirty fingers than losing a finger because your glove got caught on the polishing motor spindle

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DaisyDaisy
27-10-2015, 10:36 PM
I find washing up liquid does the job, too. Twice I've lost a chunk of hair about 6 inches long and also got my top tangled and shredded on my Dremel so I'd be sure to lose a finger if I wore gloves!

ajda
28-10-2015, 06:29 AM
During years of working on filthy old motorbikes I've always found washing up liquid more effective than Swarfega, though Tufanega ("Swarfega with balls") is quite good. There are various barrier creams available that protect the skin and make cleaning up easier. But, in any case, as a customer I'd be a bit suspicious of a mechanic or metalsmith with pristine hands... Wear your stains and scars with pride.
Alan

BarryM
28-10-2015, 10:22 AM
Washing up liquid usually takes it off and I know most disagree with this but I always wear gloves when polishing now

Please, please do not wear gloves when polishing. I very nearly badly damaged my hand when I started silversmithing by wearing just thin latex gloves whilst polishing with a Dremel. The glove caught in the spinning mop and in a millisecond the Dremel was ripping it to shreds and tightening it on my index finger - fortunately the rubber snapped before my finger. If it had been a bench polisher then I would definitely have had some horrible damage to my hand.
Please don't do it - use some barrier cream before polishing and the residue will wash off easily.

CJ57
28-10-2015, 11:27 AM
Better to have dirty fingers than losing a finger because your glove got caught on the polishing motor spindle

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I wear vinyl gloves which disintegrate before they would get caught and I've had no problems in the years that I've done it but thanks for your concern Alan. I'm very careful with my bench polisher and bought the rhinoskins for the job which are worn on thumb and forefinger and were popular with quite a few on here and found them much more dangerous. It's nothing to do with having dirty fingers and it's definitely not a vanity thing or a fear of dirty fingers for me it's that my fingernails are very thin and don't stand intensive polishing. I'm not sure why I'm having to justify a personal need to you guys though!

ajda
28-10-2015, 12:17 PM
thanks for your concern Alan [...] I'm not sure why I'm having to justify a personal need to you guys though!
I wasn't expressing concern about glove use (or does someone else on this thread share my name?) - I was only praising washing up liquid over Swarfega and suggesting that barrier cream might help protect the skin and make cleaning hands easier. You don't have to justify yourself to me.
Alan

CJ57
28-10-2015, 12:55 PM
I wasn't expressing concern about glove use (or does someone else on this thread share my name?) - I was only praising washing up liquid over Swarfega and suggesting that barrier cream might help protect the skin and make cleaning hands easier. You don't have to justify yourself to me.


Alan

Yes GETi shares your name Alan and I think he was the first to quote me. I can only go by my own long experience and people can take it or leave it. I'm usually the first to share my horror stories but I don't have any on this matter, maybe it's different using a dremel or such like which I don't.

ajda
28-10-2015, 01:29 PM
Yes GETi shares your name Alan and I think he was the first to quote me.
Ah - thanks for the clarification Caroline! I'm cursed/blessed with one of the commonest first names and surnames in Wales (Alan Davies) so I'm used to sharing it with others. I agree that it's right to raise legitimate safety concerns, particularly when there are new and inexperienced people looking for advice/guidance here - I'm always doing it in relation to Hydrofluoric Acid on the glassworking forum I frequent - but in the end I respect other adults' freedom to decide for themselves.
Alan

CJ57
28-10-2015, 01:45 PM
Ah - thanks for the clarification Caroline! I'm cursed/blessed with one of the commonest first names and surnames in Wales (Alan Davies) so I'm used to sharing it with others. I agree that it's right to raise legitimate safety concerns, particularly when there are new and inexperienced people looking for advice/guidance here - I'm always doing it in relation to Hydrofluoric Acid on the glassworking forum I frequent - but in the end I respect other adults' freedom to decide for themselves.
Alan

I have a chronic illness so I'm really sensitive to chemicals that we scarily used with abandon when I was at art college in the 70s, not sure I could even use resins now they way I did after I graduated:/ Our lecturer wouldn't even allow us protective eyewear as they would get dirty. I think I would rather have stopped and cleaned them than have to get their ancient eyewash out. Now in decrepitness I wear glasses anyway:)

geti-titanium
28-10-2015, 11:42 PM
I also respect other adults decisions regarding their own welfare but at the same time, coming from an engineering background and having seen first hand the effects of gloves being worn when operating machinery, I do feel compelled to point out how dangerous it is.



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ajda
29-10-2015, 06:41 AM
And you are quite right to do so. As I said, I regularly raise the dangers of Hydrofluoric Acid on a certain glassworking forum - the old hands say "yes, we know all that, we're grandmothers and we know how to suck eggs..." But I think we have a responsibility to repeat basic safety warnings for those who don't already know and who come to forums like these to learn from those with experience.

Alan2

CJ57
02-11-2015, 01:03 AM
I do understand all that but when you start to use tools of any kind you have to do that with a great amount of common sense which worries me when many are learning from books and videos where workshop skills and safety aren't learnt instinctively. We don't tell everyone that even a saw blade can suddenly ping and embed in your finger or head for somewhere worse or there have been quite a few posts recently about flaring torches and burnt eyebrows. We are using tools and machinery on a daily basis if we aren't doing it aware of its possible dangers should we be doing it.

ShinyLauren
02-11-2015, 09:47 AM
I have in desperation used a mild hair peroxide solution to stick my fingertips in! It removed all the dirt brilliantly, but did sting a little...