Preferred Polish

[Ken Berner]

I have been using 3M Imperial Hand Glaze (show car finish), but am open to suggestions for a better polish.

[red7flag]

I am a big fan of Dave Harvey's Jubilee Polish. This works extremely well on my varnished instruments. I have also used it on lacquered instrument. Only negative is it has a kind funky smell during application, but does not linger. You can obtain it from Steve Smith at Cumberland Music, who also sells the great bridges.

[mandroid]

I like barbecued Kiełbasy..

[George R. Lane]

I have been using 3M Imperial Hand Glaze (show car finish), but am open to suggestions for a better polish.

Ken,
That is the polish Bruce Weber recommends. He said to use a clean cloth each time you use it, because of buildup.

[Paul Hird]

Are these polishes something you can "clean up" an instrument with, such as minor scuffs and very minor scratches? Will it look like the final polish and match the quality of what the instrument looked like when I bought it? Sorry if this is a silly question!

[multidon]

3M Imperial Hand Glaze, as George says, is what Weber uses as a final polish before shipping. They do recommend it's occasional use and say that it will put a factory fresh shine on things and even remove minor scratches.

I had a respectful disagreement with Bruce over the use of this product when, based on the recommendation on their Web site, I used it on my full gloss Custom Bitterroot F. At the time there was nothing on the Web site about using a fresh cloth. So my instrument got even more scratched the more I used it and eventually sent it back to them for a complimentary re-buff. Turns out, after extensively discussing the matter directly with Bruce, that when they use it at the shop, they don't use cloth at all, but rather a paper towel. Not just any paper towel, but a special shop towel, soft and cloth like, a brand that is only sold by the case to industry. That way, it can be discarded after a single use. In other words, to get the optimal results, you would have to use something unavailable to the average person. Bruce was a total gentleman about it, and bent over backwards to make sure I was happy. But the experience has soured me on the use of that product in particular and abrasive polishes in general. It is just too easy to screw up. I have sworn off all polishes, and now I just use a dry cloth and maybe my breath. If I get tiny scratches, and I have, I will just let them accumulate instead of obsessing about removing them. I think that is the wisest choice.

[George R. Lane]

Don,
I remember when you stated that in another thread and I forgot the part about the special paper towels. Like you, I only use a lint free cloth to polish my Yellowstone.

[Ken Berner]

Thanks, George, It is for my '99 Weber Beartooth and '92 Flatiron F5 Artist; both still going strong! For scratches, I use a "kit" brand product, Scratch Out, which does well. I don't use anything very often, however.

[Matt Harris]

You don't need to use any sort of special industry proprietary paper towel to buff. I've used standard blue shop towels on several instruments I've made, to great effect. And from what I know their use is not that uncommon.

Link:

Blue Shop Towels

[yankees1]

I am a big fan of Dave Harvey's Jubilee Polish. This works extremely well on my varnished instruments. I have also used it on lacquered instrument. Only negative is it has a kind funky smell during application, but does not linger. You can obtain it from Steve Smith at Cumberland Music, who also sells the great bridges.

I second it for Harvey's Jubilee but--------- I love the smell !

[soliver]

One more reason I like a satin finish like in my Eastman 305... not a big fan of super shiny anything really. Really all I need is a microfiber cloth to wipe the dust off mine occasionally.

Of course, I didn't pay the Weber price for it, but imagine that down the road when the time comes for me to upgrade, I will probably get something with a satin finish on it for the same reason.

I realize this doesn't help so I apologize to the OP.

[Skip Kelley]

I have always used the polish from International Violin. It isn't expensive and lasts a long time.

[Timbofood]

Polish?

[mtucker]

I've played Ken Smith's basses for years and use his classic wax on my varnish instruments.

[Marty Jacobson]

Meguiar's Swirl Remover and Fine-Cut Cleaner are two good options which contain abrasives. They do cut, and you can definitely rub through your finish with them, so they need to be used infrequently and with some care. I use it on beat-up instruments that come into the shop to clean them up and take some of the finer surface scratches.
I suspect the reason why Imperial Hand Glaze is recommended so often is that it really does nothing. An OCD customer who wants to polish their mandolin once a week will wear through the finish on any instrument in a month or two with anything containing abrasives.

[Steve Ostrander]

Really all I need is a microfiber cloth to wipe the dust off mine occasionally.

+1. All I use is a micro cloth. Occasionally I dampen it as needed.

[fentonjames]

Violin varnish cleaner.

[Tim Griffin]

Virtuoso makes a Polish and a Cleaner.

[CarlM]

There was this thread on the secret Gibson polish formula from their heyday.

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...hlight=formula

[foldedpath]

Polish?

Well, there is polishing and there is cleaning, not exactly the same thing. I use products like this as a cleaner once in a while, when hand/finger gunk gets built up to the point where it doesn't come off easily with a damp cloth.

I just use a dab of Preservation Polish from Stewmac for cleaning. I'm not a fan of polishing for its own sake. It's a musical instrument, not a show car.

Whatever you use, keep it away from the fret slots. You don't want the end grain in there absorbing any lubricants or other synthetics that could make refretting more difficult down the road.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Thanks for the info.regarding what Weber use as a final polishing media - i just might buy a bottle,
Ivan

[dorenac]

This is what I've used for years, quite pricey but a very little bit goes a long ways. I even rub a tiny amount on my strings sometimes when it's getting time to change them but I'm too lazy to do it: http://www.woodcraft.com/product/08g...sance-wax.aspx

It's also available on Amazon and some other restoration supply sources. I regularly apply it on the area where a pickguard would protect the treble side from my fingernails touching the top.

[multidon]

In case anyone wants to know exactly what's in 3M Imperial Hand Glaze, its water, naphtha, mineral oil, glycerine, and a proprietary ceramic based abrasive. And a tiny amount of a chemical with a very long name, the purpose of which I have no clue. All of this is on their MSDS if anyone cares to look it up.

[Ken Berner]

Received the David Harvey Jubilee polish from friend Steve Smith and it does a fine job on my lacquered mandolins! Thanks for your suggestions.

[Tavy]

Meguiar's Swirl Remover and Fine-Cut Cleaner are two good options which contain abrasives. They do cut, and you can definitely rub through your finish with them, so they need to be used infrequently and with some care. I use it on beat-up instruments that come into the shop to clean them up and take some of the finer surface scratches.
I suspect the reason why Imperial Hand Glaze is recommended so often is that it really does nothing. An OCD customer who wants to polish their mandolin once a week will wear through the finish on any instrument in a month or two with anything containing abrasives.

Be careful with the swirl remover - it does add visible scratches to the instrument - you really need to buff afterwards to get back to a good shine (with Maguiars #2 or similar). If the instrument just has "worked in dirt" that won't come off with the usual "do almost nothing cleaners", then Maguiars #2 on a soft cloth often works wonders, very good deep clean as well as buffing the shine on again.