Move from coarse to fine

• Projects tend to come out best when polished in a series of steps, moving from coarse polishing bits to fine bits made of felt and cloth for finishing. According to the official Dremel website, hand pressure is not necessary and, in fact, is a mistake. Use your hand only to guide the tool over the surface being polished. The high-speed rotary motor does the real work, so pressing down with your hand could damage the surface your are trying to shine.
  
  

Pick the right accessories for the job

• Dremel tools come with a starter assortment of polishing bits, and thousands more are available for purchase. The key to a successful polishing project is selecting the correct bit, and that depends on the material.
  
  For glass, start with a diamond wheel point, which will remove scratches and polish the surface, then shift to an emery wheel for fine polishing and finish with a felt wheel.
  
  You can polish semiprecious stones with the same bits used to shine glass, although Dremel recommends using one of its polishing compounds with the bit to smooth out the appearance of the stone.
  
  Use a cloth wheel to polish brass, keeping in mind that it is probably not wise to use a Dremel tool on brass plating, only solid brass. A rotary tool can easily grind off brass plate, even when a cloth polishing bit is installed.
  
  Use Dremel bits specifically designated for polishing stainless steel and avoid using any polishing compound, as it can grind its way into the porous surface of the metal.
  
  

Know how to grip the Dremel

• There are three basic ways to hold a Dremel tool: the pencil grip, the paring knife grip and the two-handed golf grip.
  
  The pencil grip offers the most control for detailed polishing.
  
  The paring knife grip, in which the thumb rests on top of the tool with the fingers curled underneath, is a good grip for etching and polishing glass; the bottom of the hand provides cushion between the tool and the fragile surface being polished.
  
  The golf grip requires two hands on the tool, one on either side with thumbs on top. This grip lets you hold the Dremel parallel to the work surface for better control of the tool over large polishing jobs.