abrasive powder to the wheel, allowing it to color or burnish out the scratch marks left by previous
buffing operations.
Bars containing powdered lime as the abrasive are used for coloring nickel plate and, in some cases,
for coloring brass. Compositions with fine unfused aluminum oxide powders are used in coloring
stainless steel, nickel and chromium plate, and sometimes brass and aluminum.
However, brass and aluminum are generally colored with bars containing soft whit silica powders in the
finer sizes positions composed of the finest abrasive powders so a minimum of scratches will show in
the final finish.
Fast cutting is not required in such operations, and binders are formulated primarily to hold the selected
abrasive powder to the wheel, allowing it to color or burnish out the scratch marks left by previous
buffing operations. Bars containing powdered lime as the abrasive are used for coloring nickel plate
and, in some cases, for coloring brass.
Compositions with fine unfused aluminum oxide powders are used in coloring stainless steel, nickel and
chromium plate, and sometimes brass and aluminum. However, brass and aluminum are generally
colored with bars containing soft white silica powder in the finer sizes.
Fine chromium oxide powder is used in compositions for coloring stainless steel and chromium. Rouge
compositions, containing the finest red iron oxide powders, are widely used in coloring gold and silver.
The fine red oxide powder has unique burnishing qualities to bring out the required high luster on the
soft precious metals. Although the speeds for buffing with grease-bars will vary greatly from job-to-job
and operator-to-operator, the following figures in surface feet per minute will serve as a starting point for
hand buffing operations.
Buffing speeds may vary, as the contact of the work to the wheel can be more definitely fixed without
depending upon the physical ability of the hand buffer to maintain the proper position and pressure.