Dremel tools

[Russ Nobbs]

You CAN use a Dremel (or a Foredom type flex shaft tool) for polishing. It's better to use a 4 to 8" muslin buff mounted on a polishing motor spindle in a hooded, fan equipped housing but the small tools will do the job, slowly.

The sanding stuff that Dremel sells is pretty coarse, too rough for much jewelry finish work. Better to use fine sanding disks (Adalox, etc) that snap on to a spindle in the Dremel. Rio, TSI and other tool places have them.

Craytex (rubber abrasive) wheels are good for smoothing, also.  Small files and fine grit ( 320, 600 ) sand paper is better for jewelry.

Then use the tiny hard felt disks with Tripoli for fast preliminary polishing and the small muslin buffing wheels with Zam or Rouge polishing compound for final polishing. R&T does carry the polishing compounds as do all the jewelry tool places and some Dremel distributors.

If you can get a "real" jeweler (like a silver or goldsmith) or repair shop to show you their workshop, tools, buffer and the like you'll get a better picture of what I'm talking about.

[Metalfairy]

I want to polish metal pieces ( gold, silver, brass,etc.). Can I use a dremel tool?  What tools are best, like the fan sandpaper or the barrel sandpaper. Buffers etc?  

[Metalman]

Dremel has a flex shft attachment that helps alot for the small work.  Many of the other hand held tools like the Dremel have them as well but be careful as you buy - they are not always compatible when you switch manufacturers.  There a loads of jeweler 's tools intended for this sort of working.  The tool you will find in the jewelers tool catalog is called a flex shaft, and is generally more durable then the dremel type tools.
My partner and I have gone through a couple of the flex attachments for our Dremel and now we have a proper flex shaft.