Thread: Hand polishing compounds

Well, compound might not be the right word. Ive made a few scales lately and only have elbow grease for the polishing of items so id like to find out what others are using to polish scales with. Wood, acrylic, horn, bone, plastics. If i could find one product for all would be a bonus but i know how that goes.
Tha ks for any comments.

Renaissance wax come to mind.

Here are some possibilities:

For polishing:
Flitz, Maas, any headlight polish, 3M products, pumice powder...etc. Even the old standby Johnson's Glass Wax. Toothpastes work a treat!

For protection:
Renwax, most furniture waxes, bee's wax, many carnauba wax car waxes, etc.
I 've tried many over the last 60 years and depending upon the reflective quality you want, the finer gives a harder reflection.
Neetsfoot oil is a natural for horn scales.
The car waxes can have a strong odor.

Lots out there to play with!
Have fun!
~Richard

Someone posted about a chemical that neutralizes rust awhile back. Anyone remember what that was? Does it clean tarnish? Thanks

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Most times my final polish is on a low speed 8" sewn wheel with a mystery compound on it. I am sort of kidding. I don't really know what it is but it is some sort of greaseless compound. Likely rouge. I use very little on the wheel and do not load it often, less is more. The wheel is checked in a low speed high torque drill, that is clamps in a bench vise. The step before that is polish for plastic headlight lenses, and before that is often mothers with steel wool. Before that is 2K grit wet sanding. In general I get a nice finish, but I have seen what looks like much higher gloss finishes on some posts here.

Originally Posted by RezDog

Before that is 2K grit wet sanding. In general I get a nice finish, but I have seen what looks like much higher gloss finishes on some posts here.

Yea, and if you look too closely, you will scare yourself as they have created funhouse mirrors. I much prefer your method, and I think everybody can appreciate the hard work that goes into a proper restoration.

The trick to polishing, is sanding out all the deep scratches, use progressive finer grits, ending at least at 2k before moving to polishes.

Micro mesh sanding pads are worth the money, and last a long time. You can find fine Wet and Dry, sand papers at Wallmart, up to 4-5k in the Automotive department, some Ace hardware and at Automotive Paint supply stores, or on line.

Novus is a great polish designed for plastics, come in 3 grits and a small bottle set sells for about $12, great on headlights. Most good metal polishes will polish plastics, horn and bone.

I like Mothers, Mass and Flitz and lately been using the 3M marine metal polish recommended by Outback in the, What are you working on thread recently.

Originally Posted by Clayglen

Someone posted about a chemical that neutralizes rust awhile back. Anyone remember what that was? Does it clean tarnish? Thanks

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Evaporust is the stuff.
Neutralizes rust but blackens the steel requiring wet sanding to remove that before final finish.

Good info above!!
Be sure to "WASH" your wet dry paper in warm water with a little detergent. You can have no idea how often I have been in a hurry and found that I scratched the project because of foreign grit on the paper.

"Vapo-Rust" is the roduct the guys suggest for getting surface rust off.

~Richard

Originally Posted by MikeB52

Evaporust is the stuff.
Neutralizes rust but blackens the steel requiring wet sanding to remove that before final finish.

Thanks. I was hoping there was a product that might be a miracle for embedded tarnish, especially near etchings.
I've used navel jelly... naval jelly?... on car parts. I think the chemical was phosphoric acid. It turns rust black and hard and turns it into a paintable surface. On a razor, I'd think that would have to be sanded away.

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