Can you buff a satin pickguard to gloss?

[bigmikebass]

I have a satin finished Spitfire tort pickguard, but I would like to make it more gloss to fit the bass vibe better. Any tips/procedures?
Thanks in advance for your time,
Mike

 

[Zooberwerx]

Any fine-cut finishing polish will work...even toothpaste. I use 3M Finesse-it II. Micro-mesh pads also work.

Riis

 

[bigmikebass]

With a drill buffer? Or by hand? THANKS for the insight.

 

[rogerbmiller]

Novus plastic polish should do the trick. So should maguier’s magic compound.

 

[ardgedee]

With a drill buffer? Or by hand? THANKS for the insight.

Drill buffer will work fast. Might be overkill but won't hurt to try. When you think about it, toothpaste is also literally a polishing compound, it just tastes better a commercial plastic polish will give you the same result with a little less effort. Daub a little bit (of toothpaste or whatever) on a corner of a microfiber cloth or even just damp paper towel and then go to town.

If the underside is bare plastic rather than lined with shielding, experiment on a small patch of that side. If it works there it'll work on the top side too.

 

[bigmikebass]

The bottom is shielded. Thanks for all the info.

 

[Zooberwerx]

With a drill buffer? Or by hand? THANKS for the insight.

Hand buff for starters just to eval the response. I use mini rag wheels on my Dremel. Don't use the felt buffers as they can get really hot, really fast. The trick is finding the right abrasive. The whole process smacks of treating polycarb auto lenses.

Riis

 

[Stewie]

Go to an auto parts store and buy a kit to buff headlights, took me about 15 minutes to fix my 15 year old lenses. All you need is a drill

 

[BigDrew]

I am intrigued! Can you share your results when you are done?

 

[bigmikebass]

I am intrigued! Can you share your results when you are done?

I will tackle it this weekend.

 

[SC Bassboy]

IF you use an actual buffing wheel on that thing be careful! The pad could grab one of those sharp edges and send that pickguard across the room at Mach8. I like using a good correcting compound for buffing. The grit in it will slowly wear down getting progressively finer. Be careful of speed and heat build up.

 

[Gervais Cote]

If you decide not to do it by hand, just make sure you won’t overheat it.

 

[Geogio]

Semi-chrome polish also works. A craftsman I used to know used to dab a little semichrome polish on a RAG and Polish all the finishes that left his shop. Quick buff looks great.

 

[Jazzdogg]

Before you start, set up a work light so it shines sideways, tangent to the surface of the pick guard. Such a light will enable you to see the surface texture in far more detail than ambient room lighting.

With this tangent light source in place, examine every square inch carefully before you start. If you see textural anomalies, they should be corrected before polishing commences because a fine polishing compound won't be course enough to remove the imperfections.

Using the tangent light while polishing will be highly instructive IME.

Good luck!

 

[Matt Liebenau]

I don’t know about the Spitfire guards but I have seen some pickguards that the tort layer is paper thin. If yours is that way be careful to not buff through it.

 

[ardgedee]

Semi-chrome polish also works.

Simichrome. It's a brand name. What I usually use for polishing small plastic things.

 

[Fender_Bender]

I highly recommend you contact them with this question. My understanding is that they are made differently than normal with them being more of a “casting” process than the norm.

 

[BassHole1]

Very cool looking pickguard. I'd reach out to the company. I can't believe they are $300.00!

 

[808P123]

Novus plastic polish should do the trick. So should maguier’s magic compound.

I would agree, Novus is what I use on vintage bakelite

 

[NathanDetroit]

I'd be much more inclined to add a layer of gloss to the top rather than try to polish the plastic to a shiny finish. They make a variety of spray can gloss, semi-gloss, and matte finishes for acrylic paints that may do the trick here.