Compounds Tripoli Lustre 720 grams

The highest quality Tripoli compound. Combines fineness of finish with rapid working in the polishing of all non-ferrous metals and plastics.

After polishing, articles are easily cleaned prior to plating or lacquering.

Can be used on a variety of plastics.

Apply with a white stitched polishing mops, or loose leaf B Quality calico mop or colored buff.

General knowledge: Earlier Tripoli was called Rottenstone, Tripoli is the fastest cutting abrasive in finishing jewelry.

Properties are amorphous silica found in white rock deposits almost entirely formed from skeletons of microscopic animal life. Its name owes itself to its origins in Tripoli Libya.

A yellowish gray compound will leave your work with a dull finish, ensure you follow up with rouge but not before thoroughly cleaning up your work to remove all traces of greasy Tripoli abrasive.

Initially Tripoli cuts sharply, before breaking down in size, resulting in finer cut that acts to color the metal.

Polishing and Buffing Wheels in Action

When brushes, buffs or wheels turn at high RPM on a polishing lathe, tremendous centrifugal forces cause walls to flatten and compact.

The walls of the wheel or buff flatten and become stiff and under the circumstances the face surface becomes uniform creating a flat plane to the contacting metal.

This force, as much as the wheel material and the abrasive applied gives the wheel its working qualities and produces the result.

When the wheel revolves, it turns toward the worker and exerts a downward pressure. It is important to bring the metal at a tangential angle then into sideways motion contact with the revolving wheel and only in the area of buffs forward lower quarter segment.

If the work is applied at any other section of the turning buff wheel the work will be torn from your hands by the opposing direction of the turning wheel. Injury or damage to work piece can be a consequence.

The problem of frictional heat is caused because two forces are at play. Pressure and RPM. Greater pressure or higher RPM imply increasing heat. Metal is a good heat conductor.

Excessive pressure removes too much metal to be worn away = monetary loss. Your binder or abrasive will also burn a glaze onto the buff spoiling it permanently.

Solutions include wearing rubber finger cots or leather cots to insulate. Minimise heat build up with short passes or intervals to allow brief cooling.

Wood ring clamp can hold work, wood is a poor conductor of heat compared to metal.