Electropolishing is a crucial metalworking technique for every
craftsman who is interested in perfecting the practice of bringing
a piece of metal craftsmanship to perfection. The basic principle
of electropolishing lies in the use of electrochemical processes
that polish and deburr metal to the point that it becomes
incredibly smooth and resilient. Generally speaking, it is nearly
impossible to bring the true luster out of most metals without
utilizing some form of electropolishing, so nearly all of today’s
leading jewelers and metalworking craftsmen are required to be well
versed in the techniques necessary to apply this process to
precious metals. Here is some basic information that will introduce
you to what electropolishing is all about.
The way that electropolishing works is by the metal to be used
in a project being immersed in solution of water and electrolytes
that is kept at a very specific temperature. The solution is then
connected to an electrode that applies a modest DC current of
electricity to the solution. This current of electricity reacts
with the electrolytes in the solution to cause the metal to become
oxidized. The result of this oxidation results in the removal of
the very fine surface of the metal, which has the same result as
the finest polishing of a piece of metal through high tech abrasive
techniques.
Metalworkers use electropolishing for a wide range of
applications. This is primarily due to the fact that
electropolishing can be used to refine metals in a number of very
complex shapes which would be otherwise very difficult to polish.
For example, electropolishing is the number one process used to
refine the tumbling mechanisms in washing machines and the tools
that are used in surgical procedures. In more high tech industrial
applications, electropolishing is used to refine extremely thin
metal samples that would be irreparably damaged by traditional
abrasive techniques.
In some cases, fairly sophisticated forms of electropolishing
must be put into practice in order to establish a smooth surface on
very rough metals. This is because regular electropolishing would
simply cause deeper grooves in the scratches that occur on damaged
metal. Thankfully, this problem can easily be solved by using two
different conditions of solution that are specially designed to
polish rough metals efficiently
