Bent Polishing

The bents take 8-10 hours on average to complete so start early. Trying to rush the job causes damage to the bent, which means it will actually take longer to polish. The main objective is a good shiny finish. Pits on the back are acceptable if they are too deep to be removed without altering the geometry of the bent.

The Arts and Crafts Center, located in the basement of the J. Wayne Reitz Union has the necessary supplies and tools (i.e. jeweler's saws, files, jeweler's bench pins) for use. The cost is $15 per person and there are no additional charges for subsequent visits to work on your bent if you bring your receipt with you. Saw blades and sandpaper, in a variety of grades, are included in the day fee. Tools may be used on the premises only. Blocks of time are scheduled for Tau Beta Pi members to work on bents, so be sure to check the schedule. Tau Beta Pi members will be instructing bent polishing techniques. If you need additional assistance with proper use of equipment, ask for guidance at the front desk of the Arts & Crafts Center. Please be very courteous to them since you are representing Tau Beta Pi.

The Crafts Center's buffing wheel gets very busy before inspections. You are strongly encouraged to use your own jeweler's files and polishing wheels if you have access to them. The following directions serve to help you through the bent polishing process. Please note the two different versions. Good luck and have fun!

Arts & Craft Center Version

1. Sawing: Saw away any large extra pieces from casting. These usually stick out from the piece where the sprue or gate was located. Tools needed: jeweler's saw, jeweler's bench pin, c-clamp, and saw blade. Saw blade teeth point downward and outward.
2. Filing: Use large flat files first for large pits, progressing to finer files. The Crafts Center has files specifically for engineer's use. You may find it handy to use a jeweler's bench pin and clamp for this process to hold the casting in place. File conscientiously. Extreme pressure while filing can cause more scratches. Files tend to clog up with metal filings and may be cleaned with a brush file. Filing is usually the longest step in the finishing process.
3. Sanding: Start with a coarse dry sandpaper (#220) and work slowly into the finer, wet-dry papers (#320, #400, #600). The finest grades will render faster and better results if they are wet. Again, you may want to use a jeweler's bench and clamp for this step. Be careful not to use too coarse a grade. Many people have scratched their bents by using a coarser grade or more force than necessary.
4. You should be at this stage or farther for the first inspection!
5. Buffing: The Craft Center has a buffing wheel to use for final polishing. This is the stage at which most people mess up their bents, because they either did not work carefully or tried to polish too early. Buff the bent with Zam polishing compound until a shine appears. If there still are scratches after polishing, go back to sandpaper and then buff again. Please note: you may not use the flexible shaft machines. They are for fine jewelry use only.

• Always use on low speed.
• Always wear safety goggles (stored to the side of the buffer).
• If you have long hair, loose sleeves, a long necklace, etc. secure them.
• Hold your piece firmly with both hands.
• Only work on the lower quarter of the wheel.
• Never buff or polish wet or damp bents. Dry first.
• Do Not Overload Wheels: An overload of compound will leave your piece dirty, will not polish as well, and will ruin the wheel for subsequent use. Less is better when loading the wheels with compound.
• About that circle: File the interior of the circle with the small round jeweler's file. To sand the inside of your circle, roll the sandpaper up and place it inside the hole and spin the bent around the paper. The circle on your bent cannot be buffed on the machine. You must buff it manually by threading a rag (or string) covered in buffing compound through the hole formed by the circle of your bent and running the bent up and down it.

The Home Version (Not recommended)

1. Purchase 3 or 4 Loreal Metal Nail files with the grit like sandpaper finish on them. On a flat surface on a paper plate, start sanding the edges of your bent with the files making sure not to round off the beveled edges of the bent. These files work well at keeping the edges of your bent sharp.
2. After the edges are smooth and without pits, start sanding on the back surface. This is best done by using a piece of #400 grit, moistened, wet/dry sandpaper. Place the paper on a flat surface and place the bent atop it, face up and sand thoroughly. Make sure you apply pressure in the middle and on both ends of the bent while moving it back and forth to obtain an even finish. Keep polishing until most of the pits have worn away.
3. Now turn the bent over. Rub the flat part of your bent with a rectangular file wrapped in sandpaper. For the rounded part in the front of the bent, wrap the sandpaper around your fingers and polish these areas in the same way until most of the pits are out.
4. Next, use finer sandpaper (of grit greater than #400) to finish sand the bent. Use the same process as stated above, but changing the direction of your sanding motion with each new grit. To sand the inside of the circle, roll the sandpaper up and place it inside the hole and spin the bent around the paper.
5. You should be at this stage or farther for the first inspection!
6. You are ready to start buffing.