Hand polished my Eastman

**AZTimZ** · Dec-29-2010, 3:22pm

I recently purchased a new MD805D 2 point Eastman mandolin. I'm a guitar player wanting to learn mandolin also. Very nice instrument but I was alittle disappointed with the finish. The finish was OK but not really finished. I talked to the dealer who said that mandolins in this price range are not finished as well as higher end instruments. Particularly noticable was the area on the top around the fret board and fret board extension. The finish on the top there was dull and not polished at all, he said this was typical and varies from one instrument to another. I asked for a cure, I'm not opposed to doing some hand polishing. They suggested a polish, I tried it and wow. The area around the fret board cleaned up nice and the polish did such a nice job that I spent about an hour hand polishing the entire instrument. The finish overall all was a bit cloudy and now it is rich and clear. I'm so pleased with the finish and thankful for the dealer's suggestion.

Maybe some of you have tried hand polishing....maybe some people shouldn't....some instruments won't need it, but it really made a difference for mine. Work a small few square inch area at a time using cotton T shirt rags and a small dab of polish. You only need to spend 10 to 15 seconds of light rubbing then remove the polish film with another clean cloth. Move on the next area. When done wipe the entire instrument down with a damp cloth and give it final wipe down with another clean rag to dry it off. Don't keep going over it, the finish is thin....you're done!!

I'm a happy Eastman owner....

**George R. Lane** · Dec-29-2010, 3:30pm

What brand of polish did you use?

**AZTimZ** · Dec-29-2010, 3:32pm

Meguiars Scratch X

**barrangatan** · Dec-29-2010, 4:27pm

Good suggestion. I also had good results with the polishing compound and polishing compound from Turtle Wax.

**Mando_Lynn** · Dec-29-2010, 5:31pm

Yeah to Meguiar's! It's the only stuff that I let touch my car. They also make a great "Ultimate Wipe" that's awesome with instruments.

**Jesse Harmon** · Dec-29-2010, 8:57pm

Originally Posted by AZTimZ

Meguiars Scratch X

Could you do that to a circa 1915 American Conservatory bowl back or would that be to risky to use on a finish that old?

**AZTimZ** · Dec-29-2010, 9:24pm

I don't know the value of the instrument you have but I would be hesitant to use any polish on a vintage instrument. With my new Eastman I feel I was finishing what was started on a mid level mandolin, the hand polish brought the finish to life as it should be. Maybe there is someone who is more expert that could weigh in on this.

**Ron Hale** · Dec-30-2010, 12:16am

Originally Posted by AZTimZ

Meguiars Scratch X

I agree. This stuff is really great. The one I use is Meguiars Scratch X 2.0. Might be the same stuff Tim is talking about. I used it on my Rover RM-75 with the same symptoms as his Eastman. It worked wonders in a short time. It also removed pick scratches. When I was doing some bridge work, I did the whole top, and was so impressed, I rubbed out the back and sides.
As an aside... my son bought a car with one new and one old headlight. He was telling me about this high-priced kit you can buy to work out the "frost" that develops on the new fangled headlights, and I tried the Meguiars on it, and it worked. Not as highly polished as the new one, but it's certainly no longer a frosted light bulb.
Paul Hostetter is big on this brand, and while he keeps some on hand, he warned of the company changing the product names as fast as the local banks change their names. I found this to be true. The one I bought is Meguiar's Scratch X2.0 Fine scratch and Blemish Remover. It claims to be totally safe on all paint finishes. Good stuff. It works.

Ronnie

**Ed Goist** · Dec-30-2010, 12:36am

Originally Posted by jesseh

Could you do that to a circa 1915 American Conservatory bowl back or would that be to risky to use on a finish that old?

I would agree with AZTimZ in that you should check with a qualified luthier before considering doing anything to the finish of any vintage instrument. Also, I believe that Meguiars and similar polishes are recommended for mandolins with nitrocellulose lacquer finishes only, and not for those that are varnished or have French Polished finishes. I don't believe that your American Conservatory bowl back has a lacquer finish.

**barrangatan** · Dec-30-2010, 12:59am

Ditto to everyone who had already cautioned using Maguire or other rubbing compound on vintage instruments. My cursory understanding of how this stuff works is that it 'polishes' the instrument by removing tiny bit of the instrument polishes with the fine abrasive compound it contains, thereby giving the instrument an even, polished look. On a vintage instrument that has already had a lot of its original finish worn off over the years, such polishing action may reduce the already thin coat of finish to nothing. Plus, the chemical properties of the polishing compound may not react well with the type of finishes used at the time.