Does anybody have a good way to remove surface scratches from the gold plated trim of pens? When you use a pen daily, it will accumulate tiny scratches...I've not found a way to avoid it yet, though Lord knows I try.

Question is, aside from buffing it and removing a layer of the plating, is there another way to remove these?

I've often wondered, once a pen is buffed and polished, if a light coating of carnuba wax would help to "absorb" (for lack of a better word) daily-use surface scratches that would otherwise ding the metal?

you can burnish the surface with a tiny burnisher and a ton of patience. That's THE prime surface treatment choice if you're looking for a resistent shiny look. Benefits: you're not removing material but actually sealing pores (wich adds for plating durability since prevents the oxidization of the base material) cons. very (and I mean very) time consuming, tricky to work around the edges (you can master it)

if you have access to old computer parts, floppy disk and CD-ROM drives has mirror polished hardened reading heads guides

Hi jicaino,
Could you elaborate on this process for me, my limited understanding, is that burnishing is another word for polishing ?

Thanks,
et

"burnishing" is compactation of the surface by rubbing it with a harder metal. You don't remove material. The shine comes from reducing as much as possible the surface uneveness thru the process. Polishing is removing part of the surface by means of an abrasive substance (tripoli earth mixed with grease, or other polishing compounds) and a rag, buff, piece of cloth, depending if you're doing it by hand or by power machine means.

Many good plated stuff is (was) burnished instead of polished. I can provide you with examples on woodwind instruments, i.e. Conn's Artist saxophones, heavy gold plating, shiny keys and accents, satin body. All the shiny pieces were hand burnished (no wonder how the gold plated instrument did cost 10 times or more the price of what a bare brass one would sell for!)

Ah, I understand now, and it makes perfect sense, also the time factor and care involved.

Thanks for that,

Eric

I guess I'll stick with my lacquered MarkVI.

OK then... I'll beat you with my delaquered B400 THC

seriously now, have you tried good delaquered horns? they'll beat any laquered horn... even those old nitrocellulose laquers such as those found in early MkVI's and "super" balanced actions.

sorry to hijack this post with sax player stuff

My tenor, a mid 60's 136XXX MkVI, has less than 50% of its laquer remaining but plays outstandingly (I wish I could find the time to play it as, sadly, it's been untouched for several years). My soprano, an early 70's MkVI, has all its laquer intact and plays nicely, too. Does delaquering, something I was unaware of until now, make a horn more in risk of corrosion?

My Wright-Cumberfield Butterthruster with brass whey-gate is working perfectly now that the lacquer is off.

For pens of no great consequence, I've found a blop of cheap toothpaste on a paper towel does a nice job. Less durable than burnishing, but a lot less time investment.

Do most of my polishing with a jewelers cloth. I have taken semichrome to a couple of nasty nibs and trims from Ebay purchases. Got to go light there or all plating will quickly go away.

actually it helps to reduce the wear caused by corrosion, by evening the galvanic currents that goes thru the horn. When you have a laquered portion and several pits on that laquer, the corrosion eats wildly on the pinpoint delaquered spots. You can easily see that on horns that has been delaquered, if they haven't been power buffed, you'll see and will be able to tell wich part loose the lacquer first, because it's the most worn part / section of that horn. Once you have delacquered it, you'll never have to buff it again, you just go around life with a ugly looking, heavenly sounding axe

actually it helps to reduce the wear caused by corrosion, by evening the galvanic currents that goes thru the horn. When you have a laquered portion and several pits on that laquer, the corrosion eats wildly on the pinpoint delaquered spots. You can easily see that on horns that has been delaquered, if they haven't been power buffed, you'll see and will be able to tell wich part loose the lacquer first, because it's the most worn part / section of that horn. Once you have delacquered it, you'll never have to buff it again, you just go around life with a ugly looking, heavenly sounding axe
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Which may go some way to understanding why Rory Gallagher's Strat, sounded the way it did.

et

I used a blow drier on my Waterman #3 plastic/acrylic pen to make the bite marks less deep. I kept an eye out for smoke rising...

Delacquered French horns are also better than lacquered (and they look more professional ) . However, nowadays Conn (among others) is using an extremely hard epoxy coating, which is expensive to have removed. I think the average cost for lacquer removal and buffing is around $400. In the old days you could easily remove lacquer with boiling water.

Richard L