Letus know what your buffing and we'll help with material selection.The hardest thing about brass repair and fabrication is the clean-up.Thiscan be
a thankless job, not to mention, extemely dirty! With the use of the rightmaterials
the job can be done efficiently and quickly. The three basic buffing compoundsare-
Of course, there are many other grades and types of buffing compounds,but these are
the most common types for brass repair.
Tripoli is most commonly recognized by its brown color.It can be used on Copper,
Brass, and Zinc with good results.This type of compound contains "grease"binders
to enhance and regulate the action of the abrasive material.Depending on the
amount of grease, the cutting will be either fast or slow. Generally,the more
grease present, the better the cutting action. Grease tends to keep thecompound
on the buffing wheel , allowing it to cut longer. Tripoli is used to removeheavy
scratches and wear marks. This compound works best at slow spindle speeds.Most
technicians refer to this buffing as "Rough Buffing".
New White is commonly recognized by its white or tan color. It is most effectivley
used on Brass, Zinc, Aluminum Sheet or Copper.This compound is used after
Tripoli to remove the scratches left from the rough buffing process. New White is
used to produce a finish which can be easily "Color Buffed".Many techniciansprefer to
skip this buffing step and go directly to color buffing with Red Rouge.If good technique
is developed with Tripoli, a bright finish can be brought out inthe metal with Red Rouge
without going over the surface with New White.
Red Rouge is used to produce a scratchless finish, or high color, on Gold, Silver, Sterling,
Platinum, and Brass. This compound does not work well for the removal of imperfections.
It does provide a mirror-like finish, on brass instruments,which can besubsequently lacquered
or plated.Dependent on the type of metal, speed is very important to theeffectivness of Red Rouge.
It is best to color buff on relatively dry days. Red Rouge has large amountsof grease to hold the
compound on the wheel. The grease in the Rouge can cause a haze on the buffed surface when used
during periods of high humidity.
Letus know what your buffing and we'll help with material selection.