# Bar Keeper's Friend to Remove Scratches



## TonyL (Nov 21, 2014)

Any one try this? I am going to give it a shot on AA blank and see what happens.


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## snyiper (Nov 21, 2014)

I use Mothers Mag Polish to remove small scratches.


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## Dan Masshardt (Nov 21, 2014)

Why?


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## TonyL (Nov 21, 2014)

Hi Dan. I am assuming you are asking me why. I am content with what I currently use, but always looking for a way to reducing sanding time. I am about to order the Dr. Kirk's" system".

So far I have tried on acrylic and CA (and all after MM to 4k or 12k):

Meguire's 105 and 205 - which still works the best for me
Hut's
Mequire's Plastx
Novus 2
One Step (which is the same as Flitz)
The blue rouge (sp?) buffing system 

I enjoy trying/experimenting with different things.


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## Edward Cypher (Nov 21, 2014)

Keep experimenting Tony and let us know what you get.  I just tried Flitz and was not overly impressed for the amount it cost.


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## BSea (Nov 21, 2014)

Edward Cypher said:


> Keep experimenting Tony and let us know what you get.  I just tried Flitz and was not overly impressed for the amount it cost.


I agree.  Keep experimenting.  It's how we get better.  Every failure is a lesson learned.


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## avbill (Nov 21, 2014)

There a difference  between sanding the barrel  and polishing the barrel  which step do you want to reduce in time.


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## TonyL (Nov 21, 2014)

Both.


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## nativewooder (Nov 21, 2014)

Wow, Tony.  Please don't take offense at my suggestions, but, to reduce your sanding time, increase the sharp edge on your tools.  If you're using carbide, that is part of your problem.  After you finish sanding with sandpaper, about 400 grit, then wet sand with MicroMesh all the way to 12000 grit and you will have no scratches.  In my humble opinion, Barkeeper's Friend is like sanding with coarse sandpaper.:wink:


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## Ed McDonnell (Nov 21, 2014)

TonyL said:


> ...always looking for a way to reducing sanding time...



I'll offer a very different suggestion for reducing sanding time.  Take a hands on class with a professional turner (at your local AAW chapter or someplace like Arrowmont / John C Campbell...).  If you learn to sharpen and turn like  a pro you will be able to forget about sanding and go direct to polishing.  You might even be able to skip polishing.

Just a thought.  Wonderful things come in bottles and cans, but sometimes the best solution to problems lies elsewhere.

Ed


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## Dan Masshardt (Nov 21, 2014)

It seems like Tony is really talking about polishing here not sanding.  

I'm happy with novus.  I was pretty happy with plastx.   I'm happy buffing. They all work and work good and work fast. 

I personally have no desire to search for a better way.  

But I'm glad when other people experiment and share the fruits of their experimentation. .


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## TonyL (Nov 21, 2014)

Hi Barry:  No offense taken at all (never taken...if one attempts to offend me  ).
I like the questions/advice...that is want I am hoping to spur.  I do all of what you recommended and just started getting into HSS instead of carbide, but have a way to go first.  I have achieved a scratch-less finish (under a 10x loop), but want to achieve it more quickly and at a lower cost if possible. Just having fun with trial and error - mostly error LOL. Have a great one!


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## edstreet (Nov 21, 2014)

Let me save you the trouble you are going to encounter.

..


The main ingredient in bar keeps friend is 5-10% oxalic acid (prolonged exposure causes contact dermatitis)  Acid by nature is not archival friendly, meaning that acids also causes discoloration and eats away at material.  If it is enclosed then the rate will be faster.


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## KenV (Nov 21, 2014)

Bar keepers friend will do a great job of taking stains off your metal pens --  Not sure you want the chemistry to work on your other finishes as even milder acids tend to etch.

Barkeepers friend runs on a chemical action rather than abrasive -- and advertises as such.

Want to take the polish to a higher level --  look at diamond polishes at ultra high grit numbers.   There are processes in place to go far beyond micromesh in terms of reduced scratch pattern sizes.

Dabble a bit with the optical polishing folks and you will discover a whole different level of fanatic about scratch patterns.


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## TonyL (Nov 21, 2014)

Ed and Ken...good to know. Thank you.


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## Bean_Counter (Nov 21, 2014)

Tony, just a question but why is it important to achieve a scratch less finish under a 10x loupe. Personally if someone busted out a loupe on one of pens I wouldn't want them to purchase it anyway. Most if not all "kits" would have the same scratches under a 10x loupe as your finish does.


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## TonyL (Nov 21, 2014)

It is not important to my customers. I only sell about a third of the pens I make and they are pleased with them (I give away most as gifts or to raise money for charity). I don't have an inventory; I am really just a beginner and a hobbyist. The process I use works great; I just want to shorten it. Why the 10X loop? It just happens to be the level of finish that I like as the maker (no visible scratches under a 10X loop). It is also "tells" me when its time for me to throw out my MM. Just my way of doing things.


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## Bean_Counter (Nov 21, 2014)

Thanks Tony I was just curious, to each his own right


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## KenV (Nov 21, 2014)

Bean_Counter said:


> Tony, just a question but why is it important to achieve a scratch less finish under a 10x loupe. Personally if someone busted out a loupe on one of pens I wouldn't want them to purchase it anyway. Most if not all "kits" would have the same scratches under a 10x loupe as your finish does.



If you get around the fountain pen collector market -- be ready to see magnification come out.   It is a specialty market -- but it is a real one where the higher prices are more commonly found.


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## Wildman (Nov 21, 2014)

When started turning acrylic used this product to polish pen barrels Hut Ultra Gloss Plastic Polish.  Think PSI sells a similar product which have not used. 

HUT Ultra Gloss Plastic Polish- 8oz-hutproducts.com

People here used to recommend using Brasso on acrylics, have not seen that recommend in years.  In my former life used that stuff to shine my uniform & sword brass.  Never tried it on a pen barrel!  

Due to old eyes, fluorescent shop lights and really needing new reading glasses started taking barrels outside into sunlight before start sanding/polishing with micromesh.  Well have new reading glasses and still take them outside!  

Have used auto paste & liquid fine compound products if found scratches with varying amount of success when that does not work back to wet sanding! 

Sharp tools just partial answer to scratches, lathe speed another consideration.  JMHO, higher lathe speed less visible scratches lower lathe speed scratches more visible.


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## TonyL (Nov 21, 2014)

*10x loop*



Bean_Counter said:


> Thanks Tony I was just curious, to each his own right


 
You are exactly right.


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## TonyL (Nov 21, 2014)

I got the 10x loop "idea" when I attended a pen turning workshop early March, I didn't even own a lathe yet. This very respected and well known pen turner mentioned that his process achieves a scratch less finish under 10X magnification. So, it kind of stuck with me back when I wasn't sure that pen turning was even a hobby. The funny thing is, I bought his process (and many of us probably own it) and was very happy with it until started turning dark AA (probably my 10th pen ever). That's when I noticed the radial scratches and headed into my garage to see what auto polishes I had (I also enjoy auto detailing). That's where i tried Meguires 105 and 205 and became my method of choice. That is not to say the the other system was no good. It may not have been aggressive enough for how I turned back them (remember, I was the mandrel-bender)


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## TonyL (Nov 21, 2014)

*Huts*



Wildman said:


> When started turning acrylic used this product to polish pen barrels Hut Ultra Gloss Plastic Polish.  Think PSI sells a similar product which have not used.
> 
> HUT Ultra Gloss Plastic Polish- 8oz-hutproducts.com
> 
> ...




Hut's is on my list of products tried.

So far I have tried on acrylic and CA (and all after MM to 4k or 12k):

Meguire's 105 and 205 - which still works the best for me
*Hut's*
Mequire's Plastx
Novus 2
One Step (which is the same as Flitz)
The blue rouge (sp?) buffing system 

I have to make a solid black cigar and a solid red bolt tec. Let's see what I find


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## Glenn McCullough (Nov 21, 2014)

I use "Finesse it", I find it to be the best!


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## TonyL (Nov 21, 2014)

I may pick some up tomorrow. Thanks for the idea. I also bought the Dr. Kirk's. I like experimenting.


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