On Fri, 17 Mar 2006 21:57:11 -0500, Bob Engelhardt
wrote:

I have used the hot water-baking soda-aluminum foil to remove tarnish
from silver ware, but it doesn't polish it. Polishing is such a PITA
that it made me wonder if vibratory tumbling would polish silver.
Anybody ever done it? How did it work? What medium did you use?

Thanks,
Bob
Greetings Bob,
I use a polishing medium for brass in a vibratory tumbler. It consists
of crushed corn cobs and a mildly abrasive polishing compound. After a
while the polishing compound breaks down and polishes much slower. The
medium can be recharged with liquid polishing compound and it works as
well as when new. This recharging can be done a few times. All that
said, I would not use it to polish my silver flatware without first
trying one piece. A very soft buffing wheel used with either rouge or
Fabulustre would be better. The Fabulustre is made for final polishing
and removes almost no metal. If your silver is just tarnished then a
very fine polishing compound is all that should be used. Rouge
compound is oil based, I think. It seems to come off with solvent
better than just water. Fabulustre is not oily or greasy and just hot
water will remove it.
Cheers,
Eric