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Please Edify Me.

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stroppy WRT Addict

stroppy

Posted
Posted

I know how to polish scratches out of acrylic lenses but I am a bit wary about attacking a mineral glass lens.  I ordered some cerium oxide online (now have a bag of it) and I was fortunate enough to have been given a Dremel kit for Christmas which includes a lot of felt pad tips.

 

I have a watch with a mineral glass lens that has a tiny nick in it...only visible if you look closely.  Problem is I KNOW it's there and I am obsessive about such things.  Please tell me if the following procedure to polish the lens is correct:

 

1. Wear a mask and protective eye wear.

 

2. Using masking tape, mask around the outer part of the lens so that the watch has a protective collar.

 

2. Dab a bit of the oxide on a wet cotton q-tip and smear it on the lens.

 

3. Use the Dremel with the felt tip for no longer than thirty seconds and then wait a bit for the glass to cool down.

 

4. Do step 3 and 4 again for a couple of more repeats.

 

5. Wipe off the remaining oxide, clear off the masking tap and wipe with a microfibre cloth.

 

Is that about right???

cdjswiss WRT Addict

cdjswiss

Posted
Posted

After struggling with cerium oxide slurries that fly around all over the shop when spun on a Dremel mop, I was encouraged by other members to use diamond pastes, now very cheap, oil based and faster than cerium oxide. Here is one source:

 

eBay # 301295006953

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rogart63 Distinguished Member

rogart63

Posted
Posted

Isn't it difficult to get an even surface when polish with a dremel? Have polished mineral crystals by putting a 1200 emery paper on a flat surface and pressing the crystal or the whole watch against the paper instead . Then polish it with ceriumoxide.

stroppy WRT Addict

stroppy

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Posted

Thanks for the advice.  I am fearful of using sand paper.  I once had a really bad experience trying to remove a deep scratch in the clear coat of my car's paint.  I had the finest grade and did all the things I was told to do but I still managed to ruin a section of the clear coat necessitating taking the car to a body repair shop and having it professionally (and expensively) resprayed.

 

Oh how I wish that Nissan would allow all companies to access their data on self-healing paint finishes.  Why they haven't used it on all their cars is a bit perplexing but, I suppose, to do so would mean the finishes on the cars would never age, thereby diminishing sales.  It reminds me of that great British film: "The Man in the White Suite" (1951- Alec Guinness starring)

ramrod Super WRT Addict

ramrod

Posted
Posted

After struggling with cerium oxide slurries that fly around all over the shop when spun on a Dremel mop, I was encouraged by other members to use diamond pastes, now very cheap, oil based and faster than cerium oxide. Here is one source:

 

eBay # 301295006953

i just looked up that link. i really would like to try my hand at polishing mineral crystal. i have quite a few that need help.

in using this stuff, what kind of a base would you use as a flat surface to polish a crystal? i would think that using something such as glass, it would dish out quite fast and be "nonflat" really quick. maybe?

ausimax WRT Addict

ausimax

Posted
Posted

What I have done quite successfully is grind crystals on a diamond abrasive plate. I have a sharpening block with 4 different sized diamond plates  about 200 x 75mm , I got some watches from Ramon that the crystals were opaque they were so badly scratched, I started off at 400 grit then 600 grit on the diamond then wet & dry emery paper on a sheet of glass 800, 1200, 1500 and 2000 grit grinding wet, (takes a lot of time) then used a dremel with a felt wheel and "Brasso", (a metal polishing paste got used of it in the Army polishing the brass ware ) works well on plastic crystals but don't use the dremel ot you will melt the plastic.

 

Max

ramrod Super WRT Addict

ramrod

Posted
Posted (edited)

well, i've got at least 8 or ten of them. at about 30+ bucks each, it adds up. i'd like an alternate to buying.

 

i remember that max posted his method on another forum, but i never got around to using that method. i was hoping that you might chime in, max.

Edited by ramrod
oldhippy Distinguished Member

oldhippy

Posted
Posted

well, i've got at least 8 or ten of them. at about 30+ bucks each, it adds up. i'd like an alternate to buying.

I didn't realize how prices had gone up from my days at watchmaking. 

steven WRT Addict

steven

Posted
Posted (edited)

After struggling with cerium oxide slurries that fly around all over the shop when spun on a Dremel mop, I was encouraged by other members to use diamond pastes, now very cheap, oil based and faster than cerium oxide. Here is one source:

eBay # 301295006953

Diamond pastes are also good for polishing stainless steel watch case and bracelet to mirror finish.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Edited by steven

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