Using a nail polisher to polish pens

[KCat]

Excellent idea, Wim!

 

I tried my again-functional Dremel on a cheapo (and ugly) vintage no-name - i obviously don't have the control and my particular Dremel tool is too fast. Melted plastic.

 

So - I went with the $10 nail kit from a local cosmetics store. They had nicer ones - but this one had three "sanders" that just happen to be exactly the same size as the large Dremel felt pads. Perfect. I don't know how fast it is - but even fully charged it's still a comfortable speed and did a wonderful job on polishing the pens that my wimpness couldn't polish. I couldn't use double-sided tape however. just wouldn't grip the pads. ZIIIIING! tiny felt disc flying across the room.

 

What did work was a craft glue here called Alene's Tacky Glue. It will allow me to peel off the pads when they're crudded up and need replacing.

 

and on that note - how long do you use a single pad? I find that they're getting dirty very quickly. These pens have been polished by hand before so I don't think it's anything I could have done before-hand to prevent it. Part of it is the oxidation on the metal parts. I've tried to limit polishing those areas though some are obviously gold-filled and not just plated.

 

I want to clarify for anyone that hasn't been following the pen polishing discussions - I am not using the sanding wheels "as is" that came with the nail kit! I am gluing a felt pad to the wheels. Should be obvious but i don't always know if I make sense.

Edited February 3, 2005 by KCat

[Mikeo]

Kcat:

 

Those pads should last for 3, 4 or more pens. The discoloration your seeing on the pads is from the metal trim on the pens. This does not mean the pad is dirty. Add some more of you polishig creme and go to town! I rarely ever change the wheels on my bench grinder. Be careful tho. If those pads are hard felt you can get get into trouble on some plastics. Just use a light touch and let the wheel do the work. One more caveat! If you're using more than one kind polishing creme or rouge, to not to mix the polishes on the same wheel. i.e. use a different wheel/pad for each polish.

 

I'm sure that Gerry can give you some more tips as well.

 

Mike O'Bryan

[Gerry]

Normally the felt pads are mounted on a mandrel - a 1/8 inch shaft with a screw thread that is screwed into the tiny hole in the centre of the felt wheel. The wheels are intended to be charged with polishing compound - jewellers rouge for example for metal, a plastic polish for plastic...etc.

 

I continually recharge the wheels with material - so, although they appear to get dirty, a little reapplication of the rouge, and you're good to go again. If the buildup becomes excessive, raking the wheel with a sharp metal pointed or edged instrument is often required. A coarse file or sharp edged ruler often is all you need.

 

I use the wheels until their diameter is obviously reduced and it becomes hard to work with them. Don't discard as soon as they are dirty.

 

Unfortunately, it sounds as if the mounting arrangement is limited on the nail buffer. It is usual to have a number of wheels mounted for various purposes and just change the mounted wheel in the Dremel collet. Don't know how that would work with the nail buffer (although I suspect it was designed to allow interchangeable wheels for different stages in nail buffing...)

 

Good luck with your polishing...

 

BTW, if you want to get back to the Dremel - try purchasing an independent speed control unit, and don't use the felt wheels on plastic - they are too hard and abrasive. Instead, try and locate a cotton buffing wheel - you know, the ones with individual circular pieces of cloth loosely fastened together into a wheel shape. These are much easier on whatever you are polishing.

 

Gerry

Edited February 3, 2005 by Gerry

[KCat]

Thanks guys.

 

I saw the cloth wheels but was concerned about all the stitching in them. Are there others that do not have this stitching or am I overly concerned. The nail buffer runs so much slower than the Dremel. My Dremel's min. speed is 5000 rpm (remembering the warnings re: size of the pad and true "speed") while I'm guessing the nail kit is about 500 rpm at most. and has a slower speed. Thus far it's working beautifully. Because it has three available pieces (no mandrel) I've got one charged with the Maas. One with a light polish from FPH. And one with a carnauba for the final "glow" on the pen.

 

But... the dremel with the speed control would still be preferred in some instances. For example, the nail kit isn't enough to take some pretty hefty scratches out of the stainless steel cap on my Estie cartridge pen. it isn't critical I do so - I mean, those scratches were earned by hubby in Junior HS - but it would be nice. it's pretty sturdy metal otherwise. But I worry that even at 5000, the Dremel might be too much for it. What do you think?

 

Appreciate all the help - this has been fun. Hubby came in while I was working and just smiled and said "That's nice." whu? "my wife doing what she loves to do."

 

awwwwwwwwwww. I'm so spoiled.

[Maja]

Aww, that's so sweet of your husband to say that!

 

I am glad you started a separate thread for the electric nail polisher discussion, KCat; it keeps the FPN threads nice 'n tidy. In case any one is interested, the first part of the discussion was in the Dremel thread here .

 

Just one question: is it OK to use Simichrome as the polishing material, or should I try to find a true plastic polishing compound? I use Simichrome and good old-fashioned elbow grease when I hand-polish my pens, but I don't know if it would be a bit too harsh with an electric polisher? Maybe I am just paranoid after hearing some pen repair folks at the Portland show say how abrasive it can be....

 

Tomorrow, I will endeavour to find one of those nail polishing gizmos and try it out for myself....(a.) first, on parts/junker pens and (b.) while wearing safety glasses, right?

[Gerry]

Well, after your description of the nail polisher, I can see why you'd love it. Pretty gentle machine.

 

Changing diferently charged wheels is exactly the way to go KC. Keep them separate, and don't mix the polishes. It's not crutial, but suppose you're putting a super gloss on something, and one of those lower grade/coarser particles works itself up to the top - well, you step back a few steps in the polishing process...

 

The stitching in the fabric wheels isn't a big problem - although the more stitching, and the tighter the wheel, the firmer it will be and possibly more suited to the earlier stages. I've found that it is more difficult to get the polish on the really loose wheels, but a liquid will be easier to apply than a hard block of polish like I use. Regardless of the stitching, I believe the cloth wheels are more gentle than the felt ones.

 

KC, I don't know exactly what to advise re the scratch. So much depends on the pen and the materials used etc. If it's plated - well you will wear through the plating before removing the scratch, and the larger worn spot will be more obvious than the smaller scratch. If it's SS and solid - no worries. No, the Dremel wouldn't be too much for the metal, and neither would the felt wheel. If the scratch is as significant as you describe, it might be worth starting with an auto body wet and dry sandpaper first - to work a little more quickly at first (don't worry, the sanding marks come out completely just they do in plastic). If you do try this, start with 400 or 600 grit and work lightly at first to see the effect. Progress through the next grades - 400, 600, 1000 - and by then you're ready for the microabrasives. Main things to remember in the polishing game is to progress in reasonably small steps (abrasive grade wise), and always inspect often. When using power, be cautious of excessive pressure as it generates heat, and you may not be looking for a ripple effect in your plastic.

 

Regarding the Simichrome, sure it can be used. Keith uses it quite successfully I think. The machine polishing doesn't make the polish more aggressive, just works a lot faster, so you should inspect often, and polish lightly at first. If you are worried, get a cream product like MicroGlass - Martin sells it. I'm thinking of buying some in bulk - someone mentioned a plastics company in California that has a great product, and I might look into a quart or more of it... If I do, samples would be available

 

Gerry

[Keith with a capital K]

Simichrome is slightly abrasive so should only be used as a polishing compound in low speed set ups as abrasive polish and speed equals heat.

 

Removing deep scratches can be tricky as you do not want to alter the shape of the pen or wear through any coatings like lacquer or plating. Besides using progressively finer grades of sand paper one sometimes has to fill scratches before sanding them. The type of filler used depends on the pen.

 

I like the idea of the nail buffer as it seems effective and low cost to boot. I'll have to check them out.

[rsilver000]

Use the polishing compounds made for buffing. They are very low abrasives and made for use on a higher speed buffing machine/nail polisher. MAAS and simichrome are much high in their abrasive content and would do damage easier. Feel MAAS in between your fingers, you can feel the grit, polishing compound comes in different levels of abrasion and feels smooth. Try to avoid sewn buffing pads they are more aggressive than loose buffs.

Rob

[KCat]

The cap is stainless with no plating. A light polish made it look better - but not good. It looks like someone tried to scratch an M or a W in the cap at some point. Only, that's not something hubby would do and neither initial exists within his immediate family. The rest of the pen glows.

 

I use the Maas only when starting with a very roughed up surface. Yes, it is more abrasive. Flitz *feels* gritty too and the Maas feels about the same but I would imagine that Flitz is a little safer. I've had some of "Terry's Fountain Pen polish for modern plastics" from FPH for some time. Never found that it did anything at all. But decided I'd try it as a second step with the felt pad and nail polisher. NOW it works. It gives a nice sheen to the plastic and is non-abrasive (at least, in as much as that is possible I suppose.) I'm not recommending it for hand polishing unless you're just not as wimpy as I am.

 

Now if Rob or Gerry can tell me where to find a cloth buffing pad of about the same size as the larger Dremel felt wheels.... I'd certainly like to use something that was kinder to the more sensitive plastics.

 

Is Celluloid acetate more delicate? I have not tried to polish much on the few celluloid pens I have. I won't polish the one CN pen I have using anything but hand pressure. For now, that pen has been treated with reverence and doesn't require any polishing anyway. But if in the future I feel the need to buff out small scratches - isn't CN too vulnerable to temp increases?

[Mikeo]

Awright Kcat… the verbose:

 

Now ya went and done it!! I’m gonna have to reveal some of my sources for supplies, and offer some suggestions.

 

First of all, now that you’ve got the Dremel back up and running, it is the preferred weapon of choice. As you have discovered, even at 5000 rpm it WILL melt the plastic with a hard felt buff. As Gerry mentioned, it is the Surface Feet Per Minute (SPFM) that really matters. If you check some of the manufacturer’s web sites, you will find that they recommend a SPFM in the range of 3600-7500 SFPM. SPFM can be calculated by taking ¼ of the diameter of wheel and multiplying it by the shaft speed. In the case of your Dremel, the minimum RPM is 5000. You’re probably using a 1” wheel. Therefore the SPFM @ that speed would be: .25” times 5000 Rpm = 1250 SPFM….approximately 1/3 of the minimum recommended 3600 FPM…..and ya STILL managed to melt the plastic!!! Those recommended SPFM’s are meant for metal polishing, NOT plastics, acrylics, celluloid which softens @ 165 deg. I don’t know of any metal, offhand, which softens at 165 deg. Bottom line….Slower is Better, until you get some experience and find what works

 

First Tip:

Get a speed control, as Gerry suggested. DWL’s penchant for using half discharged battery packs on his rechargeable Dremel to vary the speed is unpredictable at best, and they always run down just when you need ‘em. With this speed control on a 110v. Dremel, you set it and forget it, until you need to change the rpm. The best/cheapest place is Harbor Freight. They’ve got ‘em on sale now for $12.50. It sets on your bench/desk…is continuously variable. It’s rated to 15 amps and your Dremel draws slightly more than one amp. You can use all those neat attachments that came with the Dremel with out gluing anything together. I would set your Dremel at its’ highest RPM setting and use the speed control to vary the rpm. I’ve included a link to the item on their website. Best of all they’ve got stores all around the country….same prices as website. AND there is one on the north side Houston.

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Disp...temnumber=43060

 

As an aside, Harbor Freight has those vaunted section pliers (called spark plug wire removal pliers), that sell for $18- $25 on pen websites, for $2.98, on sale for $1.49 occasionally. They’ve got all kinds of really inexpensive forceps, pliers, “6 long tweezers, Jeweler’s loupes, dental picks, etc. I picked up a “hobby vise” (a clone of the Panavise) which is has a swivel head and rubber covered jaws, and a suction cup base and is perfect for pen repair, for $8 from them. You can call the store and give ‘em a SKU # and they will check to see if they have it in stock. You can also order directly from them on-line.

 

 

Second Tip:

Save the hard felt buffs for seriously pitted metal. Get yourself some muslin (not Muslim) Buffs. Use the triple stitched for general polishing and small pits. Use the single stitched for final polishing. The individual layers really get around and into crevices. And if you really want to treat yourself, get some Chamois buffs for final polish. I use about a 1” wheel. Much bigger than that and they vibrate too badly in a hand held Dremel. “Dress” the buffs before you use them the first time. By that I mean you take a metal nail file and hold the edge of the file across the front of the buff. This trues the buff up and gets the loose muslin fibers out of the buff. The wheel will run smoother and with less vibration. The link below will take you to Kinglsley. They are suppliers to the jewelry trade for tools, supplies. They have ALL kinds of buffs and polishing compounds for silver, gold, platinum and plastics. They also have the Chamois buffs. Much better selection than Dremel. You’ll spend some hours browsing this catalog. If you ask, they will include a free copy with your order.

 

http://www.kingsleynorth.com/jewelers.html

 

Third Tip:

Getting those “love bites” out of Estie cap/barrels (not your hubby's metal cap tho). Here is the method that I use. I will insert a wooden dowel rod about 3” longer than the barrel/cap that fits as close as possible. Put the dowel and pen in a vise to hold it securely. The material on the Esties is more substantial than a lot of pens and so I just screw the cap and barrel together and put in in my hobby vise which has rubber coated jaws. I would not do this on celluloid or other really brittle pens, use the dowel approach. Turn vise so the pen is facing you longitudinally. I start with 2000 grit sandpaper, available at auto parts stores. If the scratches are really really deep, you might want to start with 600 grit. I cut a strip of sandpaper about 8” long by 3/8” or so wide. On the barrel I start by grasping both ends of the sandpaper and using a “shoeshining” motion, pulling the sandpaper down the sides of the barrel, like an inverted "U", LIGHTLY sand across the axis of the pen. Rotate the barrel a quarter turn and repeat all the way round. Then position the sandpaper at 45 deg. angle off to right of the axis and repeat, turning a quarter turn. Then position the sandpaper off to left of the axis and repeat. The reason for this is that you sand any scratches out from the previous application and maintain a nice round barrel with out any dips or gouges in it. This is the method that the gunsmiths use to draw file and polish gun barrels. Finally I use some Micromesh 12000 and finish up. You then can polish as you normally would. This works really well on the Esties because the trim is stainless and even if you accidentally hit the trim with the sandpaper the polish will bring the shine right back up. I just slide the sandpaper up under the cap clip. On gold plated cap rings and other trim, I will use cellophane tape to mask it until I’m ready to polish. It actually takes longer to read this than it does to do it. So bear with me.

 

I too use Simichrome and have no issue with it. However, I’ve read and heard that the Novus line of polishes do a better job. By the way your use of Carnuba wax is a good hint that I will adopt.

 

This method will get 99% of the dings and pits out. If you try and get all of the ding out you may well wind up with a dimple or hollow that is even more visible, when polished, than the small ding that would have been left.

 

Remember these pens are 50 to 80 years of age and have every right to show a few battle scars from final exams and loves won and lost with the written word.

 

I hope this helps………just read my signature line below

 

Mike O’Bryan

Edited February 3, 2005 by Mikeo

[Gerry]

Very well written post Mike. Thanks for sharing.

 

I particularly appreciate the supplies links. Have been making do with what I could find locally, and the supply is quite limited although I have been surprised from time to time.

 

Your aid to SFPM was neat. Hadn't used that approximation before myself, but will certainly remember it now... [For those that would like the math, the circumference of a wheel is pi x D, and is in inches if the Diameter is in inches. As pi is 3.14, and D in feet is D/12 in inches, if the wheel dia is measured in inches - then SFPM = RPM x 3.14159/12 = 0.2617 - close enough to 1/4 for government work...] Now if we only knew RPM reasonably accurately....

 

As you have said, 'experience is best' when working with plastics. One does have to learn the differences between them, and the best way to polish each type. And your advice regarding removing the more pronounced marks is right on. Only thing I would add is to remember that filling is an option to sanding out marks. While metal filling is probably beyond the scope of most casual restorers, plastic filling is not. So before deciding to sand down a serious gouge in a plastic bodied pen, consider filling it as an option. For minor scratches, ordinary CA is good. For larger ones, a CA gel might be needed. A very high quality epoxy might be tried, although sometimes epoxies aren't hard enough to show the same polish as the plastic. Might be cured by filling mostly with epoxy, then coating with CA [Cyanoacrylate].

 

Just got a sample of MAAS creme today. Used it by hand on a gold filled pen I was restoring - what a great polish! Although I had polished this pen a couple of times before, there was an obvious improvement after using the MAAS. Cloth was covered in black oxidation as well, so it is a super cleaner. I haven't had the opportunity to try it under power, but I have high hopes.

 

Just one other thing. I suppose everyone here is enamored with the flexibility and ease of use of a small hand held tool like the Dremel. I am too, and use it. But I want to emphasize that my main plastic polishing is done on a 6" wheel driven by a 1/4 hp ac motor. No variable speed, no frills. Surprisingly, it is more delicate than the Dremel I believe - because the pen is held, and applied to the wheel, not the other way around. The contact area is larger, leading to less concentration of force, and since it is the pen that is held and rotated, pressure is so much easier to control. Extremely light, consistent pressure is very easily applied, so localized heating, gouging and rippling is almost unheard of. A very efficient yet forgiving tool.

 

I have a couple of pieces of advice regarding the 6"wheel should anyone be considering this approach, but since this post is getting long, I'll leave them until later - or soneone asks...

 

 

Gerry

 

Gerry

[KCat]

many thanks everyone!

 

Mike - thanks so much for the resources. Around here, it's catch as catch can just to find the felt buffs or the dremel cloth buff which looked "overstitched" to me. I'd have never expected the speed control to be so cheap. Why can't the driver for my telescope be that cheap?

[wimg]

Hi KCat,

 

A little note regarding the nail polishers as compared to the Dremel.

 

There are a few other reasons to use it, rather than its bigger brother. Nail polishers are extremely portable, small, and easy to manipulate because of their small size. And it is mains independent. Depending on the model you have it'll take (rechargeable) batteries or has a rechargeable built in.

 

Also, they are great for nib work. I still have to try out the (Dremel) diamond disk I got, btw, to see what effect that has . Just use a small disk of mylar, you can cut it yourself quite easily .

 

The 2-sided tape I use is the thick version, that is easy to strip off again when required, and that is much more adhesive than the thin stuff. It gives a little too, due to the padding-like material in the centre, which is nice for pen work.

 

Regarding the number of disks: the more complete nail polisher kits oftten have a lot of disks, and you can use all of them for the purpose described; I do. These are only 2 or 3 euros more expensive over here. Alternatively, at the price you could buy another one to get extra disks.

 

I bought some additional stuff in order to convert one for use with Dremel tools straight away, without having to stick them onto a pad, but with a proper shaft. However, the biggest problem so far is finding enough time to experiment with the creation of a setup that is light and sturdy at the same time.

 

Also, most come with 2 or 3 speed settings, which is neat, too. Again you could build in a speed control fairly easily, takes only very few electronic parts, but I don't have a lot of tinker time at the moment. Reading messages here and on PT is about all I get around to lately , nah .

 

Warm regards,

WtMD

[georgem]

Waaaay off topic....

 

....Why can't the driver for my telescope be that cheap?

 

I was at one time far more interested in amateur astronomy than at present, but would like to obtain a telescope again. Those Maksutovs offered by Meade in the Discovery Channel stores look appealing.

 

Any comments??

[KCat]

you may know all of this but...

 

At one time, I might have had a good technical answer for why I avoided a Mak. But now can't remember.

 

That said - I really think that Orion has some excellent optics for much better prices than the Big Guys (Celestron, Meade). They have a Mak, but they also have what are considered some of the best Dobs for the money. I have a Celestron G5. It was purchased second-hand at Texas Nautical. The G5 is just the C5 on a German Equatorial Mount.

 

Orion also sells other brands - and somewhere there is data on the fact that a lot of them are using the same optics sources anyway. I have a couple of Orion's plossls and they are beautiful.

 

If you're in a light-polluted environment, medium aperture is best. Anything over 8" buys you nothing because of all the scattered light bouncing around in there. 4-6" is best - good light for deep sky viewing, but not as much pollution exaggeration.

 

If you don't have "The Backyard Astronomer's Guide" or "Starware" consider getting them or at least checking them out from your local library. These are excellent resources for determining the scope best for your environment/light situation. One of the reasons a dobsonian/newtonian didn't appeal to me was our humidity here. They're better for drier climates. The sealed tube of the S-C or Mak doesn't fight dust and humidity as much. However, the dobs/newts adjust to temp differences more rapidly. ahh... so many choices.

[georgem]

Kcat,

 

Thanks,

 

if you go to:

 

http://www.scn.org/darksky/slideshow/sld003.htm

 

you can clearly make out the NYC Metro Area. That's where I live even though I'm in the suburbs to the north.

 

Skys are a little better here but still, anything over 5" would be a waste.

 

Back to topic, I'll probably pick up one of the speed controls to use with my Dremel. However, I do most of my polishing by hand. What I do is more for cleaning/maintenance than for restoration.

 

Off Topic again, I'm getting cat hair all over the KB because Jack wants petting and attention (it's an hour to feeding time) and he's on my lap helping type this. Chloe is on the back of the settee behind me.

[RSVP]

This thread reminds me of when I had the **bright** idea of using Acetone to get a mark off a P61.

 

[Keith with a capital K]

Using a nail polisher to polish pens is a whereas using acetone to remove a blemish will result in followed by :bonk: and may even result in...

http://members.shaw.ca/feynn/FPN/boom.gif

[KCat]

Kcat,

 

you can clearly make out the NYC Metro Area. That's where I live even though I'm in the suburbs to the north.

heh.. yeah, you can see our blob on the gulf coast. But the skies are much better in the new place.

 

I just have found that I don't have the hand strength to do as good a job polishing as it seems others can do. I don't think it's really a "problem" (in terms of health) as much as I am just plain outta shape! being way too lazy these days.

 

so the tool just speeds the job up and is less taxing.

 

Let me know what you decide, if you get a 'scope. There are a few pen folk who have done some amateur astronomy. I miss it and do so look forward to a good night of deep sky viewing. We'll be moving in in the summer... miserable in terms of temps, but oh the lovely skies. I could *actually* see the Milky way the other night. I can't even find the pole star from my current backyard - yet I used to be able to. Can't view if you can't align the 'scope. At least, not very well.

[KCat]

This thread reminds me of when I had the **bright** idea of using Acetone to get a mark off a P61.

 

well - I haven't done that one, James. But it's possible I might have tried had I not seen your warning!