ok showing my noobness but i need help

[bustagasket]

So on Sunday i decided to do a little more to my best project yet, i had already soldered links onto the ends of the little sections of chain i had cut, but of course after pickling they were white. i thought it might be best to polish them before joining the bead sections and having just rediscovered my dremel i put in my mop head and touched it on the grey polish, pinned one end of the little section to my chopping board with a dart and held the other end taut with a solder probe. I turned on my dremel and began
what concerns me is that althought they have gone darker again and kinda shiny there is like black on them still which doesnt seem to want to shift. i was getting a bit panicky so i put it all away. but i have been too much of a coward to ask you all what i have done wrong, and too heartbroken to think imight have buggered my lovely chain.

Please sort me out

[bustagasket]

oooo i did wonder whether soapy water would help - i have some rouge but wanted to get rid of the black first. Ty hun

[mizgeorge]

If you mean the dremel grey polish, then that's exactly what the black is. It's not really designed for precious metals. I'd get yourself a couple of bars of polish (I tend to use Dialux red and white) and you should be fine. As Jason says, soapy water should get rid of the black residue. If it's still looking dark, silver dip is often a good option for chains.

[bustagasket]

If you mean the dremel grey polish, then that's exactly what the black is. It's not really designed for precious metals. I'd get yourself a couple of bars of polish (I tend to use Dialux red and white) and you should be fine. As Jason says, soapy water should get rid of the black residue. If it's still looking dark, silver dip is often a good option for chains.

It the grey dialux i used is that bad?

[ps_bond]

Never tried Dialux grey - I see Cooksons sell it as "a finer quality Tripoli"...

Have you tried the hot soapy water route yet?

On a related note, does anyone have a good equivalent for Zam polish?

[bustagasket]

Have you tried the hot soapy water route yet?

Havent tried it yet cos i only have weds afternoons and fridays for crafting, and then the weekeds, cos i have to pack everything away each time i finish working cos i dont have a place to leave it all out yet, but i will definately be having a good soaping session then

[EmmaRose]

Don't worry lots of polishes leave black gunk...if soap doesn't work go for a full on jewellery cleaning solution like Mersol.
Emma

[bustagasket]

oo ty hun

[mizgeorge]

Peter, I found some Zam at a dental prosthetics supply house - not sure if they've still got it, but I'll see if I can find the link on one of my old browsers).

[ps_bond]

Thanks George - my flush setting DVD waxes lyrical about using Zam for cleaning tool marks off coloured stones (where an annealed burnisher has rubbed on crown facets), but I've no idea what else would be suitable.

Most of my polishes tend to be fairly aggressive things