Another finishing question

[Kwant]

Hello all.

I have made this little pendant, it is not finished yet as I am stumped as how to get in under the rabbit to polish and finish. I have tried using one of those rubbery filamented wheels for a dremel but i just cannot get in far enough. Is there some other attachment or technique I can use to get in the nooks and crannies to sort this piece out?

I have no tumbler but would consider buying one if it would help with this kind of thing.


Many thanks Kwant

[silversusan73]

hiya Kwant,

well a tumble polisher would help getting in to those difficult areas, especially if you have steel shot with pins instead of balls. But before you use the polisher the piece has to be sanded with wet and dry to at least 600 grit. if you dont remove the deep scratches before using the polisher the shot will burnish out the scratches making them appear deeper. Looking at the picture im assuming that you can get under the rabbit with wet and dry to do this? Otherwise cookson have a large selection of different polishing wheels for your pendant drill!! Hope this is of help. By the way nice work!

susan

[Kwant]

Thank you Susan, I will try wrapping some wet and dry round a cotton bud or something and giving that a go.

[mizgeorge]

If you haven't got a magnetic polisher, I think I'd tackle this one with radial discs Radial Disc Kit 6 Each, 3 Grades + 3 Mandrels - Cooksongold.com

[Dennis]

A retractable glass brush, which is quite small, will probaly reach the background. The longer you have the fibres, the softer the effect, but it will end up a satin finish. Now that you have experienced this problem you will know to polish the backgroud before adding the rabbit . This is the Learning Curve.
Kind regards, Dennis.

[Kwant]

Thank you George and Dennis. I have some radial discs, the glass brush is a new idea to me and looks like it could be useful.

[Dennis]

Dear Kwant,
If the idea of a retractable a glass brush grabs you, I thought I would write a few more notes about them:
1. They work like a propelling pencil, but only come with one refill, so you will soon need a box of refills too. As mentioned, the longer a piece you use, the softer the effect.
2. They are best used dry, as they break up quite quickly when wet. New ones are stiff with a dressing, so need to be scrubbed on paper to soften them up. When they are apparently used up, unscrew the end of the pencil and you will have an extra 5mm , but put the end cap somewhere safe for later.
3. If they are still too wide, you can cut about 4mm from half of the width with scissors to make them narrower.
Other glass brushes come in various sizes and can be used with soapy water. Lastly if you are sensitive, use gloves as they can leave embedded prickles which take a while to disappear.
Kind regards, Dennis.

[Kwant]

Dennis, I shall certainly add one of those to my next order. Having received an order today I find, I have as usual forgotten things :0) so a good excuse to get the glass pencil with the rest of the things I need.

Many thanks again.

Kwant

[bruggen]

Hi, I subscribe to Andrew Berry's web site and he uses stiff bristle brushes and mops on a pendant drill with Tripoli/Rouge, he also has suggested a cocktail stick mounted in a pendant drill and used with tripoli/Rouge, not done this myself but it looks like the business when Andrew does it.. My humble suggestion would be a starlight burnisher in a pendant for the nooks and crannies and a ball burnisher for the other bits, then mops for the rest.