# Buffing compound questions



## richstick1 (Apr 26, 2007)

I've seen various names for buffing compounds - and I have a couple quick questions:

1.) are white rouge and white diamond(as in the Beall system)the same thing?
2.) are tripoli (as on the Beall system) and brown tripoli (found elswhere) the same thing?

Thanks!


----------



## ahoiberg (Apr 26, 2007)

Here's an excerpt from this site (http://www.sydneywoodturners.com.au/site/articles/finishing/buffing2.html), which has some great info on buffing compounds:

"There are 4 different levels of polishing compounds.

Starting from the coarsest, they are:

    * Cutdown Compounds

      These include the brown tripoli and bobbing compound

    * Intermediate Compounds
      Gray tripoli, graystar, white diamond, crocus. platinum tripoli, yellow bobbing

    * Polishing Compounds
      Red rouge, yellow rouge, hard white, white rouge, black rouge

    * Super Finish Compounds
      Blue magic, green rouge, fabuluster, zam"

so, to answer your question, i believe there's only one kind of brown/red tripoli since't it's its own compound, but there appears to be a difference between white rouge and white diamond.

seeing fabulustre on there, has anyone tried that on a CA finish??

hope this helps.


----------



## richstick1 (Apr 26, 2007)

Great link - thanks!  Interesting the white rouge is finer than the white diamond.  I wonder why white diamond is used with the Beall system instead of a finer compound -maybe they are too fine for anything other than metals??


----------



## ahoiberg (Apr 26, 2007)

yeah, that could be... i think most of this stuff was "accidentally" discovered by woodturners looking for the perfect finish. []


----------



## thewishman (Apr 26, 2007)

Great info - thanks!

Chris


----------



## its_virgil (Apr 26, 2007)

I've heard good reports on a diamond paste sold by http://www.betadiamond.com . They have two kits for penturners but the kits are not on the website. You can call and find out more or order it. Here is what I was told:

_I get my diamond paste from Beta Diamond Products. In fact I am going to put up another ad in the Penturners group tomorrow for Roy (the owner). He's offering two different kits for penmakers now. The new one in the ad for tomorrow is two 4gram tubes for $20 plus shipping. One tube is 1Micron which is equal to 14,000 grit, and the other tube is 1/2 micron equal to 60,000 grit.
The original kit he advertised was 3 smaller tubes (2 grams each) of 8,000, 14,000 and 60,000 grit.
Both kits are available.
He doesn't have these listed on the web site, so you have to call him at:
Roy James
Beta Diamond Products
(714) 777-7144 Tel_

The referenced ad was from last summer so don't go looking for it. I keep intending to order some but I also keep forgetting to do so when I'm ordering stuff. Maybe some one here has used this diamond paste and can report on it.
Do a good turn daily!
Don


----------



## mdburn_em (Apr 26, 2007)

I will say that service from BetaDiamond was fantastic.  The not-so-fantastic part is I'm not at the point, in finishing, that the product does me any good.  It's sitting on my shelf until I become adept   enough at finishing to do some good.


----------

