Produce polished and finished jewellery or silverware items using advanced techniques
Overview
This standard covers the skills to produce buffed, polished and finished surfaces using advanced techniques such as metal colouring, barrel-polishing, electro-polishing, lacquering and lapping. You will finish polishing work to achieve commercial standards on a range of materials using both hand and mechanical processes as required.
In producing polished surfaces, you will be required to work to instructions and to use a range of hand and mechanical techniques appropriate to the type of material being used and the type of articles being produced.
You will be expected to take personal responsibility for your own actions and for the quality and accuracy of the work. You will be expected to check the quality of your work using visual inspection guidelines which are appropriate to the aspects being checked, and specifications required. You will need to be able to recognise any defects, determine the appropriate action to rectify them and ensure that the finished work meets the required specification.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- research hand tools and mechanical techniques to achieve advanced polishes and finishes on different materials in line with project needs
- perform advanced buffing on a wide range of surfaces **in line with industry best practice
- complete advanced polish work on a wide range of materials in line with industry best practice
- finish work to a commercial standard covering a wide range of *advanced *techniques in line with industry best practice
- complete initial checks that components have no excessive marks visible in line with project needs
- check the work for defects in line with project needs
- take action to rectify any defects detected in line with workplace instructions
- complete the work to the given specification in line with workplace instructions
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- safety precautions to be taken when producing advanced finishes
- uses of advanced compounds including abrasive, polishing, finishing and matting
- uses of specialised mops, brushes, felt bobs, and composition wheels
- how to dress custom made mops and bobs
- masking techniques
- uses of mixed finishes on one object
- the importance of cleanliness in polishing and finishing
- the correct sequence in removing fire-stain, preliminary, abrasive, polishing, bright polishing and finishing
- methods and uses of chemicals for removal of polishing residue
- how to use lathe and pendant motors
- how to finish plated items
- polishing techniques for a range of non-metallic materials
- surface treatments
- the sequence of application to remove surface marks
- how to check that the advanced finishes meets the needs of the specification
- best practice in advanced finishes within chosen jewellery industry
- the importance of following the given specification and timescales
- common defects and ways to rectify these
Scope/range
1. Polish materials can include:
- silver
- gold
- platinum
- palladium
2. Finish work using advanced techniques can include:
- polishing lathe
- pendant motor
- metal colouring
- barrel-polishing
- electro-polishing
- lacquering
- lapping