This workflow is for operators moving from traditional rouge to LUXI Red. Similarity of use does not mean that compound amount, wheel choice, pressure, speed, or result-assessment logic may be transferred by colour or habit. LUXI Red is an independent product in the LUXI system with its own technical role.

When to use LUXI Red

Use LUXI Red as a minimal-removal finishing compound for copper alloys including brass and bronze, silver alloys, and most gold alloys. Before using it, complete the item geometry, required repair, abrasive preparation, and the appropriate first polishing stage.

No visible marks from the last abrasive, pronounced dullness, lines from the previous compound, or unfinished shape correction should remain. LUXI Red does not replace the first stage and must not be used to correct deep scratches, cracks, open cavities, large pores, or geometry errors.

Working body

Use one of two separate clean finishing tools for LUXI Red:

  • a clean soft unstitched cotton wheel;
  • a clean unstitched Luxol wheel.

The exact Luxol fabric family is not established in the confirmed data and must not be invented in public copy. Do not use felt tools with LUXI Red. A wheel previously used with a first-stage compound, LUXI Super Fine White, or another product must not be used for LUXI Red unless transfer of coarser residue has been fully excluded.

Speed and compound amount

For a wheel approximately 150 mm in diameter, use 2500–3000 rpm as the working starting range. Do not transfer this range automatically to another diameter. Select the operating conditions for another tool according to linear surface speed, contact area and stability, temperature, and the behaviour of the particular alloy.

Apply LUXI Red minimally. The wheel must work directly on the surface rather than slide over a thick layer of compound and removed metal. Work in short, smooth passes, keep the item moving relative to the wheel, use light controlled pressure, and check the temperature and result regularly.

Black trace: a signal, not proof

During polishing with LUXI Red, a black trace may become visible in a micropore, small recess, or irregularity. It identifies an area that must be cleaned and inspected more closely, but it does not prove that a defect is present.

The black trace may be:

  • residue from LUXI Red;
  • wheel contamination;
  • removed metal;
  • a trace in a micropore or recess;
  • an indication of insufficient preparation or an incomplete first stage.

Remove the trace completely and assess the area again only after cleaning. If it disappears, it may have been compound residue or contamination. If a visible pore, crack, depression, or another defect remains on the cleaned surface, return the item to preparation, repair, or a production-suitability decision.

Completion criterion

Complete the operation only after all LUXI Red and removed metal have been removed and the item has been dried and allowed to cool, when directed-light inspection confirms:

  • an even final lustre and uniform reflection;
  • no dull areas or marks from the previous stage;
  • clean recesses and relief;
  • preserved edges and geometry;
  • a stable result after cleaning.

Other finishing choices

LUXI Red and LUXI Super Fine White are alternative finishing solutions, not mandatory consecutive stages. LUXI Orange remains an independent optional choice for an exceptionally high lustre, stricter final inspection, or preparation of open metal before an operation sensitive to compound residue.

Cleaning and coatings

Select the cleaning method for the material, item construction, stones, inserts, joints, existing coating, and next operation. Do not prescribe LUXI iClean, ultrasonic cleaning, heated solution, solvent, or steam automatically.

Use of LUXI Red before future electroplating or PVD is conditional, not mandatory. Before coating open metal, no compound, removed metal, greasy film, wheel contamination, or defect revealed by cleaning may remain.

Do not mechanically polish a thin existing coating that must be preserved. An unknown coating must be identified. A sufficiently thick and stable layer permits only a general test-based assessment; a successful test alone does not create an automatic recommendation for LUXI Red.