Mirror finish for tools.

[Gemsetterchris]

For *really* bright cutting with any "graver, scorper" you need a mirror shine on the underside....providing you have a neat & smooth tool already, you can enhance it with a few swipes with leather & diamond powder.

I`ve just cut abit off an old belt & rubbed in abit of 1 micron powder (synthetic works also).....to the rougher side.

It does round off edges & heel angles of tools (if you have them), but it`ll give you a much brighter cut

[enigma]

Great tip thanks Chris !

[Goldsmith]

I use grade 4/0 Emery paper on a flat steel block to polish my scorpers and gravers.

James

[Goldsmith]

Just out of interest, this was one of the jobs I had to do when I first learned to bright cut with a scorper. We used to make British regalia and the main body of the stars of orders was a casting that had to have it's frontal shape bright cut with scorpers to resemble faceted stones. This is a photo of the my mate Don, who sat at the next bench to me in my early days. He is cutting the facets on a KCB star. You can see why we had to have good bright scorpers as there were approx. 6500 facets to cut on each star. We used to make all of the higher British Empire Orders and most had these types of stars in different shapes as part of the regalia.



James

[Gemsetterchris]

That looks like a fun job James , wonder if they use a shortcut these days?

I used fine polishing paper in the past & increased the fineness by using a carpenters pencil (the lead blocks the micro pores & helps get a brighter finish).
A lot faster with diamond powder especially if using harder than hss tools.

[enigma]

OMG 6500 facets?

[Hans Meevis]

I use the CeraGloss wheel these days. It's pricey, like EU30 for one, but it lasts for years.
Attachment 6955
And it gives a chrome finish to my gravers, very fast.
It was a game changer for me.

[ps_bond]

Likewise for carbide tools in particular. Polishing needle burnishers is a doddle with a Ceragloss and 2 micromotors too.

[enigma]

Do they go on a pendant motor? Ive only seen the big discs before.

[ps_bond]

Standard 3/32 shank, 22mm discs.