Please Edify Me.

[stroppy]

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]

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

[rogart63]

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]

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)

[dadistic]

:-)

 

I still want a self-cleaning suit. And a self cleaning watch!

[ramrod]

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]

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

[oldhippy]

Why don't you just replace the glass?

[ramrod]

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 January 25, 2016 by ramrod

[oldhippy]

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]

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.

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Edited January 25, 2016 by steven