Polishing your pen

[mustud52]

I have read a number of threads over time and become comfortable using micro pads and various creams and pastes to repair light scratches and polish my pens. That has pretty much kept me satisfied. Generally I like to muck around with polishes as little as possible as I figure I am more likely to do harm than good.

Well, that is so far. The other week I bought a Pelikan 100N even though I knew the cap looked rather ordinary - however it had a nice looking nib I was keen to try, an OBB. Nib is fine, but now the rather dull finish of the pen is stirring an interest to DO SOMETHING. I have started. Micropads (I am a chicken, I always use 6000 and above), goos and pastes and a fair bit of time. The cap looks much smother and even feels not too bad after some carnauba wax. But factory style finish? Nup. Let's call it a dullish mustud finish.

So, has anyone out there had real experience restoring that high gloss finish? Do I really need to get a rotary buff and special pastes? If so, what is the method and what equipment do I need? I really am keen to learn how to do this.

And no, I will not start with the 100N. More likely will gain experience by polishing the tv remote or Mrs Mustud's hair dryer.

Any help will be much appreciated.

[Jon Szanto]

This is what I use (click photo for link to Amazon with description):

[mhosea]

I'm going to give the Novus stuff a try. However, in answer to the question of what I am actually using, it is a series of 3M Tri-Mite Wet or Dry sheets. In my case, 1200 (9 micron), 4000 (3 micron), 6000 (2 micron), 8000 (1 micron). I have so far been using them dry. The effects appear to be conservative in nature--a shine is restored by removing the finer microscratches, but not enough material is removed to affect deeper scratches, or at least this does not happen with my brief use.

[Jon Szanto]

Mike, nothing I've done with the Novus is for deep scratches, either. I just use this to bring a moderately ok pen to a little more lustre - I'm pretty conservative in my restorations.

[mhosea]

I wouldn't have expected otherwise. I have thought about getting a buffer and buffing compound, but I decided against it because I surmised that it was too easy to overdo it. There's a guy selling very shiny vintage pens on eBay who effectively "talked me out of it" with his pen photos. A careful look at the contours at key points shows very clearly what you shouldn't do.

[kirchh]

I'm not a fan of the Novus products because they leave behinds silicone and carnauba wax, both of which can be difficult to remove. I also do not like the feel of the surface, and I have concerns about wax releasing acids over time.

--Daniel

[Flounder]

Daniel - is this all the Novus 123 products? I had deep scratches on lucite that 3 removed and 2 improved the finish of. The '1' (labelled antistatic and dust repellant - which it was) left an odd looking final finish which I didn't prefer to Greygate's plastic polish.

Do you think the silicone & wax would account for the additional claims on the no.1? I found the 3 to be especially effective removing an ugly scratch, so hope the silicones are left out.

mustud52, I find the Greygate stuff very good for a high gloss finish on non-celluloid pens. They make a specific polish for cellulose acetate, which I haven't any experience of.

[Flounder]

forgot to mention - you can get very inexpensive sample sachets of novus 123 on eBay, if you want to try it without cluttering up the place with bottles.

[Jeph]

What is most important is that if you have a Pelikan 100, the cap is almost certainly hard rubber. Restoration of hard rubber is somewhat more complicated that just polishing out some scratches. You can remove all of the discoloration down to fresh hard rubber but that will not last without coating and perpetual care.

I have, and sometimes still do, used the Novus products to lightly polish pens. I have played around with using them for deep scratches and even engravings with some success but still not to the point that I would do that to a "real" pen. Still, my #1 polishing tool is just a simple jewelry polishing cloth. But that will not do much of anything for discolored hard rubber.

The hard rubber discussion gets into things that I am not prepared to take responsibility for establishing a position on. I suggest a search on restoring hard rubber.

[kirchh]

Daniel - is this all the Novus 123 products? I had deep scratches on lucite that 3 removed and 2 improved the finish of. The '1' (labelled antistatic and dust repellant - which it was) left an odd looking final finish which I didn't prefer to Greygate's plastic polish.

Do you think the silicone & wax would account for the additional claims on the no.1? I found the 3 to be especially effective removing an ugly scratch, so hope the silicones are left out.

Novus 1 has silicone, and Novus 2 has silicone and carnauba wax. I don't think Novus 3 has any such gloss enhancers or purported protectants as it is not intended to be used as a final finishing product.

I take a conservative approach to restoration, and I don't like intentionally leaving anything behind attached to a pen's surfaces that was not originally there unless there is a strongly compelling reason for doing so, and making a pen super-shiny doesn't qualify for me.

--Daniel

[Wile E Coyote]

Unless you are planning on painting the pen, what is wrong with silicone?

[kirchh]

Unless you are planning on painting the pen, what is wrong with silicone?

What effect does it have on the surface of hard rubber or celluloid pens over long periods of time? How does it feel? How do you remove it if you don't like the feel, appearance, or effect on the pen, or if you want to apply something else to the surface?

I don't know what the long-term effects might be; I don't like the way it feels; I don't know how to remove it completely with no negative side-effects. So, for me, those are three things "wrong with silicone."

ETA: I also don't like the appearance. So, for me, there is nothing right with silicone.

--Daniel

[Jon Szanto]

Daniel, let me just ask, then: after disabusing us from the use of the Novus and similar products, what *would* you suggest in terms of products and/or techniques for light exterior pen restoration?

[Flounder]

Probably something inert like microgloss. Though even if I could get it at a sensible price in the UK, I would feel a trifle uneasy about microscopic bits of glass getting under my skin during application, into the bloodstream, to do who knows what etc.

[kirchh]

Daniel, let me just ask, then: after disabusing us from the use of the Novus and similar products, what *would* you suggest in terms of products and/or techniques for light exterior pen restoration?

I avoid liquids and creams because the residue finds its way everywhere; if I do feel I have to resort to such a product I use Micro-gloss, which, as far as I can determine, is not formulated to leave anything behind (though some powdery residue may need to be removed from crevices, threads, and seams). For a light polish with little residue I may use a Sunshine cloth; its action can be modulated by the careful application of tiny amounts of moisture, lending a useful degree of control. I don't use a powered buffer, and I don't mask anything, as I do all the work by hand and I've become practiced at avoiding degradation of chasing and imprints, and I find that masking often imparts a telltale shadow effect to the surface finish.

Other than that, a careful wipedown with a cotton cloth is generally the first treatment I'll apply to a pen's exterior. A final wipe with a Selvyt cloth (the most expensive one) brightens things up.

--Daniel

[kirchh]

Probably something inert like microgloss. Though even if I could get it at a sensible price in the UK, I would feel a trifle uneasy about microscopic bits of glass getting under my skin during application, into the bloodstream, to do who knows what etc.

Why do you believe that Micro-gloss contains glass?

--Daniel

[Flounder]

I thought the 'abrasive crystals' in microgloss are glass. Do I have that wrong? Is there a spec sheet somewhere?

[mmahany]

"Polishing" and "Sanding" are nearly syonymous terms.

The idea behind polishing is to correct deep scratches by creating new (but less severe) scratches. It's generally not for the faint of heart.

I generally start with a medium abrasive polish. In this case, it's better to take off too little than too much.
I gradually use more abrasive polishes until the deepest scratches are no longer visible.
In extreme cases, wet sanding is needed, but certainly avoid it if at all possible.

Note: at this point, the pen will look very dull and disappointing. That's to be expected.

After the deepest scratches are corrected, gradually work up to finer polishes until the pen begins to show some promise. It's a very tedious process and 90% of time is spent polishing out the smallest scratches to achieve a surface that begins to shine

Notes:
1.) Most polishes are activated by heat. Too little heat and you're wasting your time. Too much heat and you'll literally burn the surface you're working on. After a while, you'll be able to see the point when a polish actually breaks down and begins to work.

2.) Most polishes you find in general crafts stores or automotive parts stores are nothing more than filler polishes. They're very user friendly and hard to use....because they don't actually correct scratches. They just mask them. Abrasive polishes should be used with care and have the potential to cause further damage than before you started (when used improperly)

3.) Good lighting is extremely important when polishing. It's very helpful to have a direct light shining on the surface you're working with. The idea is to capture the scratches on the surface to ensure none are neglected

4.) Proper tools and accessories are just as important. While polishes can be done by hand, it takes exponentially longer than using power tools. Again, the idea it to build up heat (but not too much heat) in order for the polish to break down.

5.) Make sure you're using polishes that are intended for the media/material you're working on. Rubber/Celluloid is a media I don't have much experience with. I'm inclined to say that a polish meant for plastics would not be a good choice for celluloid.

Of note: The bulk of my knowledge is from working on cars and specifically paint correction and aluminum polishing. The process is very similar when working on pens with the obvious difference being a much smaller surface area to work on.

[kirchh]

I thought the 'abrasive crystals' in microgloss are glass. Do I have that wrong? Is there a spec sheet somewhere?

No, the crystals are aluminum oxide, which is by far the most common abrasive. Glass isn't crystalline, it's amorphous.

--Daniel

[Flounder]

That's reassuring. Is there a similar sounding product with glass in it or something?