Liver of Sulphur for Fingerprint Jewellery

[Faith]

Hello there,
I've read a number of the posts re liver of sulphur and understand how to use it to patina silver. I'm looking to lightly patina a PMC fingerprint pendent so the dimples of the print are dark and the rest of it shiny. I'm wondering what the best way to polish up all the shiny parts is (i.e to remove the patina from them). The American videos use steel wool, but I don't want to damage the print and I'm going for a shiny finish overall so would just fine emery paper work ok, then Tripoli and rouge polish (in separate stages obvs)?
Many thanks
Faith

[Dennis]

Faith, I think you might get what you want with radial disks, starting with say the red or blue and then going on to pink and light green.

If you don't have a motor, try QTips with Silvo and clean up with a soft brush and fairy liquid. let us know how it goes, Dennis.

[Faith]

Thanks Dennis,
I have a Dremel 8200 (chosen because it goes down to 5000 rpm and I found the cheap one in the garage was too fast to polish carefully) so I presume that would be okay. Am I right in thinking you don't use compound with radial disks?
Ta, Faith

[mizgeorge]

Alternatively, work through a few of the finer grades of micromesh by hand, sometimes it's nice to be able to 'feel' where you are and adjust pressure as needed

[Dennis]

There you are, you have three choices now. Radial disks are used just as they are. They are run quite slowly and the colours denote the grit, as below:

[Stacey]

I use pro polishing pads to remove LOS; easy to use and do a great job.
Really useful too for final polishing of small things.

http://www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-Tools/Ultra-Polishing-Pads-Pack-of-20-prcode-998-027B

[CJ57]

I use pro polishing pads to remove LOS; easy to use and do a great job.
Really useful too for final polishing of small things.

http://www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-Tools/Ultra-Polishing-Pads-Pack-of-20-prcode-998-027B

I use these for lots of little jobs too, great for bringing up highlights on fold form. The finish underneath has to be pretty good too though so all the aforementioned would be useful and then the pads to finish off

[Faith]

Thanks everyone, I'll definitely get some of those little pads for the final polish. I'm used to using tripoli and rouge on tiny mops for the dremel to get a pretty good mirror polish on 'normal' silver items so i'm torn whether to try that for the initial polish (pre-LOS) on the PMC pendant, or whether to treat myself to some radial disks (mainly because I won't need to build a cardboard dust hood in the kitchen each time I use them)! How are they for polishing other things? Most of my work at the moment is bezel set rings and pendants etc which i'd do down to 2000 grit emery before polishing?
Thank you!
Faith

[Lynn.D]

Hello there,
I've read a number of the posts re liver of sulphur and understand how to use it to patina silver. I'm looking to lightly patina a PMC fingerprint pendent so the dimples of the print are dark and the rest of it shiny. I'm wondering what the best way to polish up all the shiny parts is (i.e to remove the patina from them). The American videos use steel wool, but I don't want to damage the print and I'm going for a shiny finish overall so would just fine emery paper work ok, then Tripoli and rouge polish (in separate stages obvs)?
Many thanks
Faith


I enjoy polishing things by hand and use those 3M papers for fingerprint pendants when I do them on the odd occasion and get a good shine in the places I want.

[Dennis]

whether to treat myself to some radial disks (mainly because I won't need to build a cardboard dust hood in the kitchen each time I use them)! How are they for polishing other things? Most of my work at the moment is bezel set rings and pendants etc which i'd do down to 2000 grit emery before polishing?Faith

I think they are invaluable, particularly for complicated surfaces, Faith. You dont need them all. Just buy the Cookson assortment to begin with.
Put three on one mandrel and make sure they are on it the right way round, so that that they sweep rather than dig in. For bigger pieces you can put four on. Dennis.

[Faith]

Well those little radial disks are really quite good! I have a good shine and the polishing pads worked great to clean up the LOS. One final question if I may? The patina only resides in the lettering and indented lines of the print, so would u recommend I seal with Renaissance wax, or leave it as it is? Unfortunately I forgot to patina a bit of scrap to test the wax first and wasn't sure how much it would change the surface finish. At the moment obviously the silver is shiny and the dark bits are matt- I wasn't sure if the wax would make it all matt or all shiny, which might be less nice?
Many thanks :)
Faith

[Dennis]

Hi Faith,
Actually wax does not seal the patina for long, but it does temporarily deepen the colour and impart a sheen. That said, even spray on furniture polish would do. Dennis.

[Faith]

Thanks Dennis, It would be alright just to leave it how it is then with no seal? I'm happy with the finish as it is?
Faith

[Dennis]

I think so, But others might disagree.

[Faith]

Well thanks everyone the pendant is finished and while I don't think it's quite perfect, my friend loves it. And I can always have a go at a version 2 if she likes. The radial disks and polishing pads worked great, I found this: http://www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-Tools/Burnisher-3-Straight-prcode-999-AJH which did a nice job of burnishing the letters, and the brass brushing was fine done under water with a bunch of fairy liquid in it.
Ta again for all the help,
Faith