CRATEX Jewelry Making Tools - CRATEX Abrasives

There are several different ways to finish jewelry you created and give it a final touch. Polishing is the final step in jewelry finishing before it is sold to the buyer. 

Polishing jewelry can be done by hand, using hand tools or with a machine by using a flex shaft tool. Jewelry polishing by hand can be time-consuming and that’s the reason why CRATEX abrasive manufacturing company has developed an extended line of products for jewelry finishing.

Jewelry Polishing Wheels

If you need to grind, fix an uneven surface made of gold and silver (or other metal), polish to a high gloss or just clean old jewelry, use of rubber abrasive wheel is a MUST. They are real time-savers and they give you full movement control. Complete wheels selection is made of premium rubber and impregnated with silicon carbide, so they are heat resistant. They are used dry, so you don’t need a polishing compound.

CRATEX rubber polishing wheels are color coordinated from roughest to the finest:

• Green C - COARSE
• Dark Brown M - MEDIUM
• Reddish Brown F - FINE
• Grey Green XF – EXTRA FINE

Small Polishing Wheels for Flex Shaft Machine

For delicate work on small jewelry parts, use small rubber wheels. They need to be mounted on flex shaft machine (using mandrels) and they allow you to:

• quickly and easily remove metal, tool marks, oxide, soldering remains and patina,
• smooth necklaces edges,
• polish flat surface on rings, necklaces, bracelets and brooches.

Small wheels have tapered and straight edge. Tapered (knife-edge) wheel (some call them polishing disks) are perfect for wire work and jewelry that has texture. The straight wheel is flat on the sides and it is excellent for polishing flat jewelry. The wheel comes as unmounted disks and need to be put onto mandrel before they are attached to the power tool.

Light pressure on the piece and mid-range speed will give optimal results when polishing. Coarse grit combined with high spinning speed may give you a cutting power, so be careful not to damage jewelry you are making.

To decide which wheel suits your needs best, order this MINI KIT for just $35 (shipping included for the US). It includes 10 small wheels in different grits and 2 screw mandrels.

Large Polishing Wheels for Bench Lathe

Forget about traditional sandpaper and old metal files. For larger flat jewelry surfaces use large rubber polishing wheels mounted on bench lathe or polishing motor. Remove jewelry heavy scratches, nicks, dents and tarnish in a second and restore the original look.

Large abrasive wheels have flat edges and come in different thickness and diameter sizes. Jewelers mostly use a 3-inch abrasive wheel. They come in many thickness variations and standard CRATEX grit sizes (coarse, medium, fine and extra fine).

To achieve best results in jewelry polishing apply light pressure to avoid overheating. For full details and order, visit this page.

Jewelry Polishing Pins

If you need to reach tight areas, recesses and spots, use CRATEX rubber bullet and cylinder point polishers. They also come in different grits and sizes, so you can effortlessly grind and polish every corner of a brooch or inside of a ring.

Pins are coming in three shapes: bullet point, tapered and cylinder. Length of 7/8 to 1 inch and different diameters gives them the ability to reach every corner of a piece of jewelry and provide an even and smooth finish.

Choose grit size from coarse for pre-polish to extra fine for fine polishing and mirror finish depending on jewelry material. They can be used on all kinds of materials – precious or semi-precious materials, ceramics, glass and soft minerals.

Like other CRATEX rubber abrasives use them dry, straight onto your piece. What does this mean? You can see clearly what you are doing and see the finish as you’re working. No messy clean ups like using rouge and Tripoli compounds!

Best way to try them out is to order this MINI KIT that includes 20 polishing points and two mandrels for $35 with included shipping.

IMPORTANT: Any time you use power tools like lathe or flex shaft machine to create jewelry, make sure you have proper eye protection (safety glasses) and a dust mask. Since jewelry will heat up during the polishing process you need to protect your fingers (thumb and first two fingers) as well. Use jewelers finger tape, since it doesn’t stick to tools or workpiece.

  

CRATEX Rotary Handpiece - Polish, Engrave & More

To operate flex shaft machine you need precision handpiece. It is an essential tool for finishing up jewelry, drilling holes, setting gemstones, cut and carve, clean up casting and much more. By using a diamond drill bit, you can even engrave and carve glass, metal and wood. The most important feature is that it is great for going into small, tiny and hard-to-get areas of a jewelry piece.

CRATEX developed perfect power tool for jewelry finishing. CTX-800 can reach the speed of 25,000 RPM and allows the user to quickly and easily change attached polishing bits or small wheels. It has ergonomic design, low noise level and is made of aluminum and stainless steel.