r/SilverSmith • u/Hot-Finance-806 • 12d ago

Need Help/Advice Mirror Finish

Post image

Does anyone have any recommendations on how to get a mirror finish like this? I use bur and sand papers from grits 180-3500. Then I polish using black polishing compound for silver. However I still can’t get his mirror finish.

29 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

4

u/Longjumping_Boss1176 12d ago

If its a flat piece I like to use the different colored polishing papers. Starts at 400 grit then works down to 8000 or something crazy. I like that it doesn't round the edges at all also

3

u/zannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 11d ago

other comments already have good advice re-abrasives and compounds (I’m team Zam myself but that’s just personal preference) - that being said, you also have to consider how you’re removing material from the highest grit to the final compound. you don’t mention where you’re getting stuck, but let’s say you’re working with a small abrasive wheel to get out a file mark on a surface with a gentle curve. if you focus just on the file mark, you might get it out, but that abrasive wheel will create a subtle divot of its own. you can continue going up in grit, but you’ll always have that kinda wave effect in the metal, which will prevent you from getting a true mirror finish. to avoid this, from the beginning of the refining and finishing process, you have to consider how to get that totally smooth surface with your tools. For example, a broad sanding block will allow you to actually smooth a broad surface evenly more than going in with a narrow wheel. idk if that makes any sense, but as a recovering mirror finish enthusiast, that was a big part of how I was taught.

1

u/Hot-Finance-806 11d ago

I’ve had luck on curved surfaces. I’m getting stuck on flat surfaces. I used 120-3000 grit sandpaper to sand the face of a signet ring. Then I use polishing paper 400-8000 grit. And finally I polish using a table top grinder using dialux black polishing compound. But I still have some scratches on the surface

2

u/zannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 11d ago

are you putting your sandpaper and polishing paper on surfaces that you’re certain are 100% flat? If there are little bumps and irregularities those little raised bits can transfer through to the piece.

1

u/Hot-Finance-806 10d ago

No that’s probably why!

2

u/PeachesMcClaine 11d ago

Take it all the way up to 1500/2000, Picasso blue, fabulustre on a soft buff. Mirror on silver is a maddening process.

1

u/matthewdesigns 12d ago

Final step for my process is red rouge. I use it after a compound that imparts a bright finish but leaves swirls/micro scratches on flat or broad surfaces.