For this week’s #tooltalktuesday, I’m showing off a polishing compound available at @riogrande—LUXI! These silica-free polishing compounds are free of animal fats, contain no hazardous materials, and are made of an alumina oxide abrasive in a water-soluble binder (which makes them safer to use). They're designed with vegetable fats and you can use less (saving you money) since the compound stays in place on your buff. The residue is easy to remove because they are water-soluble. @riogrande sent me the LUXI Sample Bar Assortment (Item#: 331111), which is an awesome and inexpensive way to try them all! Always use a dedicated buff for each compound to avoid cross-contamination! Determining which compounds are "best" is subjective but if you want a simple 3-step process, I recommend starting with the gray LUXI (Item#: 331090) an aggressive compound that will do scratch removal and pre-polishing. I used a 4” tight muslin buff (Item#: 330147) on my Foredom Bench Lathe. You can also use a yellow treated buff which is more rigid, allowing you to get more aggressive with your polishing. Next, I used the blue LUXI (Item#: 331095), which I also used with a tight muslin buff. It's also a pre-polish but brings you closer to your final polish. Lastly, the white LUXI (Item#: 331097) with a balloon cloth wheel (Item#: 330651). This got me my final mirror finish! The videos speak for themselves but LUXI is definitely an awesome option for polishing! For your flexshaft you can find the yellow treated, tight muslin and balloon cloth wheels in 1” versions that you can use with a screw mandrel from @riogrande. Also, the Asian Blue, Green, and Purple are formulated to work better at lower speeds and temperatures, so they are ideal for someone like me using a Foredom Bench Lathe (it's slower and not as hot as a polishing cabinet). On full speed, I did get a great finish using Gray, Blue, and White, so feel free to experiment! @riogrande is offering our community 10% off the LUXI sampler with code MTLSMITH5 now through 10/2. It's a great opportunity to give them a try! If you're already using them, tell us which are your favorites! #sponsored