red jewelers rouge / final buffing

john april

john april

Joined
Feb 27, 2006
Messages
5,191
does red jewelers rouge work on steel or is it just for gold/silver? i currently have some pink scratchless LA810 from jantz supply, and HF1 white mirror finish from pops knife supply. looking for opinions on which of the three has the finest grit, or is best for final finish. the attributes of each one also are welcome. i would test them myself, but i would have to buy rouge and all fresh wheels :D thanks !
 
Red rouge works fine on steel, but it is a bit messy. It "colors" the steel, which is a jewelry term for a darker shine. Chrome polish will make a whiter shine.
 
i had no idea it could change the shine color. i have trouble grasping the terms " cut and color". something about the direction of the wheel and the direction you are moving the blade? can you explain. thank you.
 
"color" compound is like what's some of the discussion in the hamon thread. Some compounds are sharper than others, or fracture more easily, or burnish as much as cut. They don't chemically alter or color the steel like bluing, but the perceived appearance of the steels color changes because of how the light reflects differently of the surface of the steel.

Cut compounds leave whiter steel, because they work in a traditional fashion as say a sanding belt, just at a much finer grit. The steel reflects light in a way that makes it appear white/silver.

Color compounds don't. They rub and roll and burnish to varying extents, leaving a different surface profile that reflects light differently and gives off hues of color as perceived by your eye.
 
kuraki said:
"color" compound is like what's some of the discussion in the hamon thread. Some compounds are sharper than others, or fracture more easily, or burnish as much as cut. They don't chemically alter or color the steel like bluing, but the perceived appearance of the steels color changes because of how the light reflects differently of the surface of the steel.

Cut compounds leave whiter steel, because they work in a traditional fashion as say a sanding belt, just at a much finer grit. The steel reflects light in a way that makes it appear white/silver.

Color compounds don't. They rub and roll and burnish to varying extents, leaving a different surface profile that reflects light differently and gives off hues of color as perceived by your eye.
Click to expand...

Thanks, that is an excellent explaination.
 
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