Forums » General Discussions

Back To Topics

polishing versus cutting oxides- interesting

  • Julie B
    • 37 posts
    August 16, 2015 3:40 PM EDT

    Hi!

    While spending time on the web, trying to understand polishing (enamel/ glass) I found another interesting website which talks about the different oxides...and how there are:

    1) "polishing oxides" which are softer than glass and do not remove scratches and frost, (ie: tin oxide, cerium oxide, aluminum oxide) and

    2) "cutting" oxides which are harder than glass and do remove scratches and frost, ie: silicon oxide

    http://www.jardoctor.com/CleaningOxides.htm

    just wanted to pass it along in case anyone is interested.

     

    I did try the Zam on a muslin buff on my flex shaft, (after flash fire and then 600 wet/dry sandpaper) but I wasn't able to successfully gloss after sanding...need to practice this more...

     

    in the meantime, I also tried a new cerium oxide sponge pad that I recently received and was really impressed with the smooth surface and shine, but it did not remove scratches, so this is very interesting to me to read...I think I need to get to 8000grit, then "polish"

    will experiment some more...

     

    all the best,

    Julie

  • Trish White
    • Moderator
    • 114 posts
    August 16, 2015 9:10 PM EDT

    Hi Julie,

    I have never had to use the polishing oxides - I sand all my metal and my enamel to my liking, then give it a quick flash fire - then perhaps go back in with a little ZAM to shine up the silver - 

  • Edmund Massow
    • 77 posts
    August 19, 2015 8:59 AM EDT

    Hi Julie, cer-oxide can not remove scratches. It is only a polishing material. To get the metal-parts of the enemal work shiny, I put it, after polishing with cer-oxide, with steel-shoot and curd-soap into a tumbler. After an hour or so I remove the piece from the tumbler, wash and dry it. After that I wax the surface wit a white candle-rest and polish the piece with kitchen-paper-towels and the palm of my hand.