Simichrome V. Autosol?

[Lorna Reed]

I am finding it hard to get hold of Simichrome in the UK, without paying to have it shipped from the USA. Solvol Autosol is readily available here. Does anyone know if it does the same job as Simichrome? Both are described as metal polishes. Are they similar? And are either or both of them better/different than Weenol or Peek metal polishes? Any advice appreciated.

[hilsedwards]

I am finding it hard to get hold of Simichrome in the UK, without paying to have it shipped from the USA. Solvol Autosol is readily available here. Does anyone know if it does the same job as Simichrome? Both are described as metal polishes. Are they similar? And are either or both of them better/different than Weenol or Peek metal polishes? Any advice appreciated.

 

Lorna check out UK ebay seller chillipea. Not cheap but has Simichrome @£10.99 plus postage

[lcoldfield]

Simichrome is an American metal polish - there is no reason to think that it is any better at the job than UK metal polishes. However, they do not all have the same size abrasive particles, for instance Silvo for silver and Brasso for brass are very different. Auto T-cut is good on a range of metals and also for the cellulose car paint finishes for which it was designed.

 

By the way, just in case you are thinking of polishing plastic pens, none of these are recommended for vintage plastics because they contain solvents which could cause long term damage. An ultrasonic tank will help to get rid of residues, but it is not certain how effective this is. For vintage plastics, always use a water based polish such as MicroGloss (an American product developed for polishing plastic aircraft canopies). This is available in the UK.

Laurence

[EdwardL]

I've been experimenting with Polywatch polish ; sold for use on plastic watch glasses. It seams OK. It's available off ebay at around £5 a go.

[brownargus]

I've been using a product called MAAS Metal Polishing Creme which is available from Lakeland stores £8.99. It seems to be effective.

[rhosygell]

I wouldn't be surprised to find that Simichrome and Solvol are one and the same thing exactly but for a regional variation in trade name.

[ShallowJam]

 

By the way, just in case you are thinking of polishing plastic pens, none of these are recommended for vintage plastics because they contain solvents which could cause long term damage.

 

I was under the impression that many people used simichrome on vintage plastics and just washed off the residues. Of course if you leave it on there bad things will happen, but is it really going to cause long term damage from a short exposure?

[PhatMan]

Lorna,

 

+1 on the MAAS polish; I use it extensively on my straight razors scales (celluloid, acrylic etc.) and have found it to be excellent.

 

Have fun !

 

Best regards

 

Russ

[TMLee]

I am finding it hard to get hold of Simichrome in the UK, without paying to have it shipped from the USA. Solvol Autosol is readily available here. Does anyone know if it does the same job as Simichrome? Both are described as metal polishes. Are they similar? And are either or both of them better/different than Weenol or Peek metal polishes? Any advice appreciated.

 

 

I am not sure what you intend to polish , whether metal or plastics.

 

This was my experience ....

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/102758-the-best-pen-polish/page__view__findpost__p__1368650

 

HTH

[MikeForester]

Simichrome is an American metal polish - there is no reason to think that it is any better at the job than UK metal polishes.

 

Hi, Laurence,

 

German, actually, made by a company called Happich. Apparently its first big success was with US bikers in the 60s, as a chrome polish for Harley Davidsons. http://www.happich.de/de/news_sub.php?id=27

 

-Mike

Edited February 5, 2013 by MikeForester

[VeloVintage]

I am finding it hard to get hold of Simichrome in the UK, without paying to have it shipped from the USA. Solvol Autosol is readily available here. Does anyone know if it does the same job as Simichrome? Both are described as metal polishes. Are they similar? And are either or both of them better/different than Weenol or Peek metal polishes? Any advice appreciated.

 

Hi Lorna, I had the same problem till I accidentally stumbled upon it on Amazon UK.

Shipping is pretty fast and FREE;)

[Paul80]

Hi

 

I am also in the UK and use the following three polishes with good results on all my Vintage pens

 

Simichrome from the eBay seller chillipea

Peek, make sure you shake the tube first though as its much more liquid the Simichrome which is a thick Paste

Plastx Polish

 

I find all three work well but find the Plastx to give the highest shine.

 

Peek is available from most hardware stores and Plastx is available from most Halfords Auto Stores.

 

Not tried Solvol Autosol but suspect its on par with Simichrome.

 

 

Paul

[Marlow]

Simichrome is fantastic at restoring gold filled trim and does a much better job than Autosol which is too harsh for the sometimes delicate trim. Autosol is great on stuff like the metal parts of aerometric filler units as it is more abrasive than simichrome. I also use autosol for removing fine scratches from gold nibs, utilising its greater abrasiveness. In my view it is well worth getting simichrome - buy it from a US seller and get 2 or 3 tubes at once - works out cheaply - one tube goes a very long way. If you're working on a great many pens I believe it advisable to have a supply of several metal and plastic polishes to give yourself the best chance of doing a good finishing job!

[Flounder]

There's different types of autosol. The one I have is called "Autosol Brilliant Chrome Aluminium and Metal Polish.They also do "Autosol M1 cleaning polish for chrome-plated plastic" which I presume is less aggressive. It's pretty great stuff - here's a before and after of an old Summit J bar.

 

http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy19/flounder2009/Summit%20S125/th_SummitS125JBarRemoval010.jpg http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy19/flounder2009/Summit%20S125/th_SummitS125JBarRemoval014.jpg

 

For plastics I use Greygate plastic polish, after reading a recommendation here at FPN (I've never found Novus at a sensible price here in the UK). They do a separate polish specifically for cellulose acetate too.

Edited September 4, 2013 by Flounder

[mbhdesign]

I was looking through this Forum for advice on using polishes for celluloid parts. Looks like the last entry in this thread was nearly 9 years ago.

So, in case anyone else is looking for this kind of info — here's my hat in the ring:

 

In addition to the occasional celluloid fountain pen, I also restore watch cases, typewriters, and vintage bakelite objects.

I've used "AutoSol Gold & Silver Polish" and "AutoSol Metal Polish" on many vintage metal objects for years with great success.

I've never tried any of the other "AutoSol" compounds. I've never tried Simichrome until this week.

 

That's not to say I think one is better than the other for any particular application — I frankly wouldn't know or care to guess as I think there are far too many factors at play.

 

My personal repair philosophy is to trust the tools and materials you are most confident working with first.

If you are not confident in a particular tool, material, or a technique, that's no problem. Just experiment and test with it until you build up your own confidence.

 

I have noticed that while Happich's "Simichrome" and Dursol's "AutoSol Metal Polish" are similar in some respects I find them to be a little different in their chemical composition and potency.

 

Here are the active ingredients printed on their respective tubes:

 

Happich "Simichrome" contains: Naptha (petroleum), hydrosulfurized heavy, Kerosene (petroleum), and ammonium oleate (a "soap" made from an acidic salt soluble in water)

 

Durolsol "AutoSol Metal Polish" contains: 15-30% aliphatic hydrocarbons (a solvent similar to kerosene, methane, or ethylene), 5-15% aromatic hydrocarbons (similar to benzene and toluene), soap made from less than 5% anionic surfactants (similar to ammonium oleates or sodium sulfates)

 

Durolsol "AutoSol Gold & Silver Polish" contains: 15-30% aliphatic hydrocarbons (a solvent similar to kerosene, methane, or ethylene), 5-15% soap (made anionic surfactants - similar to ammonium oleates or sodium sulfates), and less than 5% aromatic hydrocarbons (similar to benzene and toluene).

 

A few caveats from my own experience, in case they help anyone. These are nothing more than my own opinions and observations, but maybe they'll help answer a few questions for those who are new to using these compounds. I highly encourage you to try these for yourself and form your own opinions but, like Mom says, "Not on the good silverware!"

 

• All of these pastes are potent. Too much application, or too aggressive a polishing technique, can very quickly remove thin plating down to base metal in seconds. A little goes a very long way.

 

• I like Durolsol "AutoSol Gold & Silver Polish" for use on gold, silver, and silveroid (nickel plated) watch cases. I've been very happy with how well it has polished and restored lever feeds and clips on my fountain pens, too. I use a toothpick tip size amount and gently rub in with a cotton-tip applicator. Then wipe away with a clean, lint-free cloth within 15-30 seconds.

 

• I would not use Durolsol "AutoSol Metal Polish" on my fountain pen clips, or finely plated metal parts. It's just too strong. I tried it on a few "junker" parts and it quickly took an old fountain pen clip down to brass in one application. It's great at removing tarnish from brass lamp hardware.

 

• I'm just starting to get an idea of what "Simichrome" can do. It's gentler than "AutoSol Metal Polish", and about on par with "AutoSol Gold & Silver Polish" in terms of potency. I like how well it seemed to improve the general look and feel of my "test subject" 1930s Armold fountain pen. I would be nervous attempting to use "AutoSol Gold & Silver Polish" to perform the same operation.

 

• This stuff can easily get everywhere. It's a paste that can harden quickly into a stubborn chalky residue that is really hard to get out of threads and hairline cracks. Be judicious.

 

 

Now, my personal favorite compound for cleaning and polishing bakelite (and other similar phenolics) is to use Cuticle Oil.

 

You can find it in the make up aisle at most drugstores, typically next to the nail files and nail polish remover. It's a mineral oil with carotene, designed to help strengthen fingernails.

It's gentle. It's non-abrasive. It is my go-to for any deep cleaning step after plain room temperature water.

 

Apply liberally with a clean, lint free cloth and allow to sit for at least an hour. Then wipe clean. I will let a very dry object soak this stuff up for 8-12 hours and reapply, if necessary.

 

To reduce heavy scratches and blemishes, I apply Cuticle Oil with the finest grade of steel wool I can get — 0000 is ok, 00000 is better. Again, let the oil soak into the bakelite/phenolic to rejuvinate the material.

 

I have also found it can sometimes bring back lustre to some early plastics (lucites and celluloids) but not always consistently. It's helped reduce "cloudy-ness" from overpolishing on a few of my projects, but it's really best with phenolic plastics. I don't think it would do much of anything to help the more modern styrene-based plastics.

 

Hope this helps somebody out there!

And thanks to all of you who share your repair experiences and techniques here. I love to learn new tips and this place is a gold mine.

 

Michael (mbhdesign)

 

[Emc^2]

On 5/2/2022 at 10:18 AM, mbhdesign said:

I have also found it can sometimes bring back lustre to some early plastics (lucites and celluloids) but not always consistently. It's helped reduce "cloudy-ness" from overpolishing on a few of my projects, but it's really best with phenolic plastics. I don't think it would do much of anything to help the more modern styrene-based plastics.

 

 

Michael (mbhdesign)

 

 

 

Wow, cuticle oil? Now that is a new one for me. Aside from pens, I love Bakelite and I am curious about this method/results. You soak the items, right? I honestly didn't know that Bakelite was porous like that.