FreeShip- Walnut Shells with Zam Compound, Vibratory Polishing Media, Extra Fine, 0.5 mm- (Prompt rebate on orders with 3+ FreeShip items!)

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----> Go here to see all listings for vibratory media (ceramic, plastic, nut shells, polishing compound): <----
https://www.etsy.com/shop/NorthernWestStuff?ref=hdr_shop_menu&search_query=ceramic+vibratory+media
Note: This and other walnut shell listings that have been combined with a polishing compound have just a light amount of whatever polishing compound they've been charged with.

These extra fine walnut shells are lightly pretreated with a light green polishing compound called "Zam" from Grobet. They have only been used once and are clean and like new. I was testing walnut shells charged with various polishing compounds. I could tell these Zam treated walnut shells weren't going to be in the running for "best" compound to use for polishing titanium. I screened out the larger pieces of Zam compound so they could be tested by someone else who might find the lower amount of compound works well for them. If it doesn't, they could have more Zam compound added or even some other compound. "Zam" is not a rouge (see the 5th section down). Be that as it may, it is a polishing compound. But unlike true rouge (the red stuff), it also has some very fine cutting action (pre-polishing). That makes it recommended by many sources as a good choice for polishing harder materials like titanium, stainless steel, nickel, chrome, etc. What is Zam made of? Speculation could lead one to think it is a combination of white rouge (very fine and pure white alumina (aluminum oxide) or other white polish like titanium oxide) and Chrome oxide (green). That would explain the light green color.
This listing has a lot of information on pre-polishing and polishing compounds used to treat walnut shells than it does on walnut shells per se. Walnut shells can be used alone but are most often used as a carrier for polishing compounds. If you're hunting for info on compounds, read on.
If you're a novice, be aware that vibratory finishing is as much art as science. That goes for nutshell, ceramic or plastic media, and others. The surface of the parts you're finishing, the part material, the media, the machine you're using, etc, are all variables that must balance. If one variable is not in tune, the high polish you're after might elude you. Expect a certain amount of experimentation.

These walnut shells range from about 0.35 mm to .75 mm, with an average particle size of about 0.5 mm. As stated above they are sold already lightly charged with a polishing compound, although they can be used alone. See the link at the top of the page for other walnut shells. Usually they are used as a final polishing step. They have fringe uses such as a cushioning media to separate (and polish) soft stone, plastic, or metal in rotary or vibratory finishers. They are most often used in vibratory finishers. They are run dry and will last several cyclings. Charged with a polishing compound (or a light cutting/smoothing pre-polish tripoli compound), they will hold up well. It's the compound that will become worn and ineffective. When that happens you can simply add more compound to them (although that need will not come for quite some time because the "chunks" of blue compound will continue to wear down onto the walnut shells). The compounds you can use with them are many and are most efficiently chosen by the material you're polishing or pre-polishing. With harder materials undergoing a pre-polish step, a black emery or some type of tripoli would be appropriate. Harder materials undergoing a final polishing would work best with a white compound. Final polishing of softer materials would work best with a red ("rouge") compound, if a pre-polish is needed then a tripoli will do well.

You will likely not find any internet references to using broken up polishing bars as a charging polish with nutshell. That is what this listing is for. I simply tried it and it worked just as well or better than the prepared paste. Bars are, after all, a mix of polishing powder and binder. After it gets "worked in" to the nutshells it runs without dust. Small particles will become smaller as they merge with the nutshells. Since there are larger particles of polishing compound in the mix, they continually rub off and "feed" the walnut shells with fresh compound.
In a bar form, polishing compound is mostly very fine pure polishing powder mixed with a "grease" (as it's called in polishing jargon). The grease is a wax, glue, or tallow, or mixtures thereof. There is a "greaseless" stick compound that uses just a glue. It leaves the metal dry and clean. To break up a stick form of compound, put it in several 4 mil ziplock bags and whack it with a hammer. A tightly woven cloth folded up into a bag will also work.
I tried mixing powdered, very fine titanium oxide, aluminum oxide, and tin oxide mixed with a little water and added directly to the nutshells. None of those mixes worked as well as the crushed compound bars.
Here's a table which can be a general guide of polishing compound typical colors and what they are meant for. Don't take it as completely accurate, because a manufacturer can add coloring to make their compound stand out from the crowd. And don't take it as the "Bible" of what compounds should always be used on what materials. Polishing/Finishing is an art in itself and individual jewelers or industrial finishers experiment and come up with their own personal finishing Bibles.
(The colors in the table reflect the colors of the polishing powder used in them):
BLACK = Emery Compound, a course abrasive material for removal of scratches, pits, paint, rust etc.
BROWN = Tripoli compound used for general purpose cut and color on most soft metals.
WHITE = Blizzard compound, used for color and final finish of harder metals, has a cutting action.
RED = Jeweler's Rouge, designed to polish without any cutting action. Safe on thin plates. Use on its own wheel.
BLUE = A dryer, almost greaseless wheel - designed to polish without any cutting action. Safe on thin plates. Use on its own wheel.
GREEN = Used exclusively for Stainless Steel.
(Apologies to the author(s), I neglected to write the address of the above table).

You can buy the pure polishing powder itself and make your own "polishing paste" by mixing with it with a soft binder such as a soft wax (Trewax or an automotive wax) or some other waxy material like tallow. The polishing powder needs to be very fine. A versatile and inexpensive non-cutting polish is red rouge (red iron oxide). The binder is needed to adhere the polishing powder to the nutshell and be non-dusty.
You can also use a polishing compound in liquid form.
Examples of pure polishing powders in order of cost are red iron oxide (inexpensive), chrome oxide, titanium oxide, or tin oxide (very expensive).
If you shop at a supplier like Rio Grande, they have several compounds in paste or liquid form that are meant to be used with nutshells. Here are several:
{ https://www.riogrande.com/product/pink-pre-polish-paste-compound-1-quart/339445 }
Polishing compound concentrate liquid for treating nutshells. Use 1/2 to 1 cup of compound per cubic foot (25 lbs. hardwood or 50 lbs. walnut shell).
Recharge media with one teaspoon to one tablespoon of compound.
or:
{ https://www.riogrande.com/product/meta-glos-compound/339173 }
Contains wax and burnishing compound. Use enough to dampen the carrier—about 1 oz. to 8 lbs. of walnut shell. Buff finish.
or:
{ https://www.riogrande.com/product/chrome-oxide-paste/339455 }
(Chrome oxide)- Use this oxide paste with walnut shell or hard media on silver, nickel and white metal.
or:
{ https://www.riogrande.com/product/iron-oxide-paste/339456 }
(Red iron oxide)-Use this oxide paste with walnut shell or hard media on gold, brass, copper or bronze.
FYI: Our shop carries both chrome and red iron oxide.
Here is a great site which lists a lot of light cutting and polishing compounds and gives a short description of each:
{ https://blog.esslinger.com/guide-to-buffing-compounds-and-their-uses/ }

The materials I've tried with walnut shell media plus dry polishing compound are titanium and rocks. Rocks are really in a category by themselves but I included them in my titanium finishing experiments. Titanium is known to be difficult to polish.
I had the best results with walnut shells charged with crushed "Blue Rouge" (from Stuller, who gets it from Matchless). Some suppliers use the word "rouge" for anything which creates a final polish.
Here's a forum that has a couple of posts I heartily agree with on the subject of "rouge":
{ https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/12167-difference-between-the-red-white-jewelers-rouge/ }
"Red is predominately iron oxide (rust). White is (I believe) predominately aluminum oxide. There are others, green (Chromium oxide, I believe, if I'm not mistaken...), yellow & others, all with different chemical compositions , some of which are better for polishing certain materials and not others. While all these 'rouges' share the same name, only red rouge is truly 'rouge' (from the french, 'rouge'= red)."
Another source agrees:
"Rouge is red, and is used for polishing because it is very fine, and gives a high luster to gold and silver. This is partly because of it's color; it contains ferric oxide. Tiny amounts remain on the work but because of the red color are usually not offensive and actually give an attractive reddish glow. "White rouge" (it's not really rouge, rouge is a French word meaning red, so the white is simply a polishing/cutting compound) is more aggressive than rouge. By aggressive, I mean it will take off more metal while polishing, and do it more quickly."

Since this whole description concerns a subset of ways to use a vibratory finisher, namely running the machine dry, I thought it appropriate to include this edited (for length) paper on "Dry Finishing":
{ https://www.caswellplating.com/mass_finishing } :
"Dry media performs many different operations......(so) dry media finishing processes are somewhat proprietary and the methods and materials for specific applications are developed jointly between the material manufacturers, blenders, additive manufacturers, and vendors. Dry finishing is truly under sold and can benefit more users than are currently benefiting from it......
Dry compounds are.....used to super finish large quantity items such as plastic,.....jewelry parts, and super delicate instrument pieces. Dry finishing is not quick nor to be taken casually. Usually it is the single most important step when employed in a manufacturing cycle.....
In the case of plastic eyeglass fronts and temples, the cycle may involve 4-5 progressive steps, taking five to seven days to complete.......Or a single step run overnight for electronic parts. There are many medias employed ranging from mixtures of sawdust and wood chips, nut shell particles and preformed wood shapes all mixed with preparatory creams, waxes and ultra fine rouges and abrasives specific to the product and finish requirement......
Dry finishing is by far the 5 star method of mass finishing but it may take some experimentation before you hit the best combination of pre-finish and final finish materials and cycles......you will never regret the time spent in development, the finish you want is doable...."

I mentioned titanium above as being tricky to get a high polish on, and that with nutshells I got Stuller's Matchless "Blue Rouge" to work the best. I left out that I got at least as good a polish and got it far faster than with nutshells, by using Ceramic Porcelain "Pins" (long cylinders) run dry. I got as good a polish in a dark gray color on titanium with Ceramic Silicon Carbide media (after being polished with Porcelain "Pins").
If you're a novice I'd suggest reading some articles or watching some videos on the the subject of polishing with a vibratory finisher. I tested several search phrases on Google and found this phrase gave me the most hits on types of polishes to use in a vibratory finisher: "polishing media rouge tin oxide". Go figure.

If you're wanting to polish rough metal you do need to have a good, smooth, scratch-free surface created with fine ceramic or plastic media before you begin polishing with compound treated nutshells.
While you can achieve a good, smooth pre-polish with emery or tripoli charged nutshells, the pre-polish step can be achieved faster with ceramic media if you're polishing medium to hard metals.
If your material is soft metal or plastic, you may find ceramic media too harsh for the pre-polish step, in which case a cutting compound charged nutshell may be better.

There is a short Wikipedia article on Vibratory finishing here:
{ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibratory_finishing }
There is another article on mass finishing in general that mentions vibratory, tumble finishing, and touches on different media:
{ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_finishing } -

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Dec 21, 2024

Great communication and is full of helpful tips. Very nice !!

anoldcrab