best polish for celluloid

neiasden

neiasden

Senior Member
Vacumatic said:
Perhaps some photographs would help, that is more than one, with the light coming from different angles.
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my picture taking is not so good but I will try. balance is an issue for me holding the camera still is about impossible, making for blurry pictures. I'll see if I can get one of the AIDS to help me take some. do you have a brand of flush cutters that don't break the first time you use them LOL I have bought three different pairs, three different prices, tempered, but the ones that get under where you can clip it the blade break the ones thick enough to clip them I cannot get under neath to clip it
 
Vacumatic

Vacumatic

Testy
I have seen a lot worse.

I would still stand by the advice of using micro mesh and plastic polish as sold by GC Abrasives and others.

If you don't want to buy a kit for one small job then you might know someone who is involved in car paint preparation, often called a detailer and see if they have any tiny amounts that they will part with, 5ml will be sufficient.

Something like Solvol Autosol (if you are in the Americas then a comparable product is Simichrome) to start with, Autoglym srp to refine the surface followed by a car wax, almost anything will do.

There are tutorials on YouTube on polishing celluloid, try Grandmia Pens on How to polish a Fountain Pen.

Best of Luck
 
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Grayswandir

Veteran
I don't know what I'm doing wrong? I sanded for probably 5 minutes with 800 and it never did just get pretty and clear. so I went up to 1500 and then 2000 and it just doesn't seem like it gets any clearer. but when I look at the other one in comparison I can see a little different but that's a lot of work for barely noticeable LOL
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You need to go past 800 grit, especially if you're working on transparent acrylics. It doesn't start to look good until you hit 1500 grit. After that I hit it with the black and then the green on my buffer and they look fantastic. Once I'm done buffing, I hand polish with Simichrome (tissue paper, toilet paper, paper towel, microfiber, whatever you have) and I'm good to go. I'm sure Flitz and similar products do a fine job as well.

I can get away with sanding to 800 then going right to the buffer (start with black on sisal wheel, hardly any pressure at all). After that I move to a cotton sewn wheel and the green compound, very light pressure so you don't burn up the scales.

Anyway, go 400-600-800-1000-1200-1500....Buff with black and green (in that order) very little pressure, then hand polish with Simichrome or Flitz, Maas, etc. If you don't have a buffer, then just buy some finer sandpaper 2000k-12k. Use water while you're sanding. A small spray bottle or spirtz bottle works well.

If the scales have some deeper scratches or marring, then use 220-240-320grit paper with water, then switch to the finer papers.
 
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Grayswandir

Veteran
neiasden said:
View attachment 123715View attachment 123716View attachment 123717
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I can see some pretty deep scratches and dents near the pivot and wedge end holes. Depending on how thick the scales are, they can be completely removed with 220 grit sandpaper, then 240, 320, etc. If those yellow scales don't have any embossing on them I'd just buy some yellow transparent acrylic and make a new set. You can trace the old scales on some paper, cut out the traced shape and tape it to the sheet of acrylic and start cutting, or you can just buy some doube-sided tape and stick the original scales right to the acrylic sheet and cut around them.
 
straightened

straightened

Regular Member
Vacumatic said:
Forgive me if this sounds like an insult but there are many that confuse the word polish and wax.

There is a product made by Meguiars called Plast Rx, it is designed for polishing plastics such as headlights. I have used this for years and it is good at removing micro scratches

A company called GC Abrasives sells a kit including micro mesh pads and a plastic polish, it is sold for polishing fountain pens but should work just as well for you
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that's useful to know sir. sometimes we just learn things whether we expected to or not LOL
 
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stephenleon

Noob
The best polish for celluloid is typically a combination of green compound, brown Tripoli, and black Emery, which should cover celluloid scales and blades, as well as stainless steel and carbon. As for wax polish for wood, it's not necessary for celluloid.
 
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