Jason Schiedel

Hi Bill, Thanks for your thoughts. I didn't take a "shine" to vibratory polishing because of the interior of the vase, which is glazed clear. Would vibratory polishing affect the interior as well as the exterior? I only want to polish the outside, and not damage the glaze inside. Best, Jason

Yes I have a home studio and the changes I'd need to make (new compressor, water supply, drainage) for the pneumatics is pretty significant. I will be looking into bench top solutions. Might be the most practical for my situation. Thanks Bill!

Now I'm closer to picturing what you had in mind. Good suggestion. Thanks Tom!

Hi there, I just reread your comments and wondered if by a bench top unit you're talking about something along the lines of a buffing wheel... I first pictured a belt sander of some sort, which I don't think would work on the curves. But a buffing wheel, like glass artists use is definitely worth considering. The wheel has some give to it, which could work on the curves. Thanks for this suggestion! Jason

I use Diamond Core Tools' diamond "sandpaper" and polishing pads. The porcelain is incredibly hard, so it needs a diamond polishing agent. I will be test a finishing cream for the final stages, it could take things to the next level! I never thought about a bench top unit. I like how it would give me two hands to maneuver the piece. But I suspect the diameter of the belt exceeds the cleft I'd be polishing into... Perhaps there are narrow units, I will give that a look. The air tool would require me to upgrade my compressor- that's the big expense. So I may go low tech for now and see if the right Dremel set up helps. Thanks for your thoughts and compliment! Jason

Hi Everyone, I polish my slip cast porcelain vessels by hand (instead of glazing). The process leaves the pieces silky smooth, but is VERY labor intensive. Anyone out there ever use a pneumatic water polisher? I am specifically interested in the Alpha AIR-300 mini polisher. It is 1.6 lbs (very light for a polishing tool) and ergonomically designed to easily maneuver in small areas like sink rims and bowls. The only question I have about the tool is that it's meant for concave surfaces, and I'd be polishing a convex surface with compound curves. My solution might be a combination of hand polishing (for hard to reach areas) with the pneumatic tool for larger open areas. I"d appreciate comments from anyone who has experience with this particular tool- positive or negative! Thanks, Jason