Removing light pick marks from Nitro cellulose finish

**Paul Haley** · Oct-29-2009, 10:59am

Any good tips for removing light pick marks from nitro cellulose finish?

**Big Joe** · Oct-29-2009, 11:09am

Depending upon how deep they are, they may be polished out, or could be professionally buffed. In any case, they may not be able to be removed. It all depends upon how deep they are and how thick the lacquer is. Just be careful with what ever you use because it will be an abrasive in some manner and that will remove finish. The last thing you want to do is remove too much finish in the process.

**Paul Haley** · Oct-29-2009, 11:46am

Joe,

Any polish recommendations? The marks are very light.

**Dale Ludewig** · Oct-30-2009, 7:14am

Paul,
Even if you remove these, more shall appear in the future. If they are light enough to be just buffed out I'd probably just leave them alone. They're part of the aging process.

**sunburst** · Oct-30-2009, 8:33am

My favorite polishes for hand rubbing are MaGuires #7 (also sold as "Step 2" of a three step set) and Novus II polish.

**Big Joe** · Oct-30-2009, 9:51am

I agree with John. That is a good polish.

**mtucker** · Oct-30-2009, 1:35pm

I have a lot of experience with paint on my street rods and what John and Joe said is true. Although I've never used Novus, Zaino Brothers makes great product. The Meguiars are wonderful folks and they make great products also but you should excercise caution or like Joe said, risk burning through the finish. Also, if you decide to tackle the job, you'll want to do the entire surface area, otherwise it will look spotty.

**Paul Haley** · Oct-30-2009, 1:46pm

Is this what you mean John?

**mtucker** · Oct-30-2009, 1:52pm

I don't think you have to get that rad!

**sunburst** · Oct-30-2009, 2:43pm

Paul, I don't think that's it, but MaGuires packages their stuff under so many labels it's hard to tell what product you have a lot of the time.
There is a set of products sold for car finishes, Step 1, Step 2 and Step 3. A Maguires tec told me on the phone that the Step 2 is the same product as #7 polish, and that it is a pure polish; no wax, no silicone, no left-over residue, just polish.
It is a very fine abrasive, it will bring up a mirror gloss on a good quality surface, and it is so fine and slow working that it would take a very long time to rub through an instrument finish of any normal thickness using it by hand.

**Gail Hester** · Oct-30-2009, 3:08pm

MaGuires #7 looks like this. Novus II is also excellant but a little harder to find. These are mild and unless you use them every day you shouldn't have to worry about damaging the finish.

**NAS** · Oct-30-2009, 4:41pm

The Meguiars Three step system goes by the name "Deep Crystal System", I've just been using it to finish off a repair to the lacquer on a guitar headstock. It is available in the UK, I bought the bottle from my local Auto Parts supplier. I have had more difficulty in getting the No7 equivalent, I used to buy it from a supplier of aircraft parts but the price was a bit steep. They sold it for polishing scratches out of acrylic windshields.

Neil

**John Ely** · Oct-30-2009, 5:57pm

Aren't light pick marks just going to show up again when you play the instrument? And then you have to polish it again. And then they show up again . . .

I'd leave it be if they were where pick marks belong.

**sunburst** · Oct-30-2009, 6:30pm

That pick marks will just show up again assumes that the OP put the marks there and will again.
It could be that he got the mando used with pre-installed pick scratches, it could be that he is going to install a pickguard after removing the scratches, it could be that he loaned the mando to a friend with a rather... free pick hand, it could be that he has improved his technique and no longer scratches the top even if he was the one who put the scratches there etc..
The advise on polishes is offered without assumptions, and with the hope that it will not lead to trouble.

**Paul Haley** · Oct-31-2009, 2:01am

John,

You are absolutely correct in your assumption that the pick marks aren't mine. This is a brand new instrument which has received a little scratching in the shop. I have instruments which I have had for many years which have no pick marks on them at all. This is largely as a consequence of the styles of music I play. I have just traded in a fourteen year old mando which the shop is describing as in "as new" condition. I may be an obessive compulsive but I'm a happy one!! Thanks for the advice.

**jlsmandolin1952** · Oct-31-2009, 9:10am

The Maguires Scratch X 2.0 works very well, and you can get it at about any auto parts store, and wal-marts.

**Philphool** · Nov-02-2009, 9:43pm

Originally Posted by jlsmandolin1952

The Maguires Scratch X 2.0 works very well, and you can get it at about any auto parts store, and wal-marts.

I once converted an entire satin finished guitar to a semi-gloss by using this stuff. It works very well.

**Paul Haley** · Nov-03-2009, 5:38am

Thanks for the advice John. I got some #2 polish, tried it and it worked a treat!

**Tom C** · Nov-03-2009, 9:24am

Would this also help haze from one's arm? a damp cloth just does not do it.

**Ed Lee** · Nov-07-2009, 6:32pm

Nitro cellulose??? Why is anyone now using such a finish product. This was the base for the "talkie films" and is very fragile, very often exacerbating heat crackle appearance over years of aging.