What type of polish/wax has a hard finish

[Castaway]

Hi all,

this is to used for use on plastics...

Would like to know what is the best polish/wax that will give the highest gloss (wet look) but also has a hard finish. I have been using a quality pure carnuba polish, its pretty good but find if its a dark coloured plastic its easy to leave a streak in it if you rub your finger across the finish. Do you think danish oil will work on plastic to produce a high gloss hard finish. What are the other choices. Most woodworking finishing polishes/waxes will probably work on plastic as well so if you have ANY suggestions I will experiment on the plastic, it just needs to be a hard finish that does'nt leave fingerprints or streaks.

Cheers in advance.

[Jim Carroll]

Mcguires car polish

[Big Shed]

I think you may have to be a bit more specific, "plastics" covers a multitude of sins.

[Castaway]

I think you may have to be a bit more specific, "plastics" covers a multitude of sins.

Hard plastics, polyurathane and the like.

[Castaway]

Mcguires car polish

Jim if its anything like the kitten range it will leave fingerprints and smear very easily. Needs to be a hard finish.

[Jim Carroll]

If applied properly no worries at all.

Some tend to put too much on and this leaves a residue.

[Castaway]

If applied properly no worries at all.

Some tend to put too much on and this leaves a residue.

Jim Still after something that has a hard finish like a hard finish carnuba etc, will give the mcguires ago anyway and see how it goes. Are there any hard finish furniture waxes/polishes that would work on plastics.

[Big Shed]

Hard plastics, polyurathane and the like.

Only polyurethane I have experience with is Alumilite pen blanks. It is hard to get a really good shine on these. I normally use cast polyester pen blanks and you can get a very good shine on these.

Normal polishing process I use is wet sanding with MicroMesh 1500 thru 12000 grit, then F&H Fibreglass polish, which normalyy gives an excellent shine.

If I want to protect it further I use a lathe applied film of Renaiisance Wax, a microcrystalline wax used by museum curators etc to protect from finger prints. I also use this on brass and it does a good job.

[Castaway]

Only polyurethane I have experience with is Alumilite pen blanks. It is hard to get a really good shine on these. I normally use cast polyester pen blanks and you can get a very good shine on these.

Normal polishing process I use is wet sanding with MicroMesh 1500 thru 12000 grit, then F&H Fibreglass polish, which normalyy gives an excellent shine.

If I want to protect it further I use a lathe applied film of Renaiisance Wax, a microcrystalline wax used by museum curators etc to protect from finger prints. I also use this on brass and it does a good job.

Have just startted using the micomesh, works a treat. What I've then been doing is using a carnuba wax to creat a high gloss finish, will the carnuba cure so it will leave a hard finsh so it wont smear or leave fingerprints or do I have to then use something like Renaisance Wax to stop this. Will give the fibreglass polish ago. But what other hard finish waxes/polishes are there. Visited U-Beaut Polishes and was wondering if things like shellac cream and the EEE-ultra shine will work. On hard plastics. Just after a few options so that I can give them ago and experiment.

[ubeaut]

What exactly is this plastic being used for? Are you turning it on the lathe?

Shellawax Cream - NO.

Why on earth do you want to put a wax on a product that's already hard. There really isn't a finish that will harden a plastic. You may think it is but it more than likely isn't.

What you need to do is to polish it to a higher shine with something like EEE, Mcguires, micromesh, etc and if you do it right you shouldn't need anything else on top. However you do need to remove the entire cutting compound to stop finger marks etc. It's the wax (carrier) which keeps the abrasive in suspension that's allowing for fingermarks. etc. this must be removed completely.

If using EEE the minute amount of wax that's left behind (if any) will harden if left for a day or so and may be buffed to a higher shine.

You're calling carnauba wax a heard finish but if it leaves streaks when you rub your finger across it then I guess it isn't what you would really call a hard finish. Sounds to me like you're stopping short of finishing it properly. There should be no discernible wax left on the surface, if there is it should be buffed with clean soft rag, turning it regularly to remove it or it will almost certainly show marks

Pic of the plastic and info on what you're trying to do with it would certainly help as a lot of the info you get will only be guess work as to what is the right thing to do to bring it up to the high shine you want.

Hope this is of some help.

Cheers - Neil

[Castaway]

Neil,

Sounds like I need to continue the process abit longer to rid the surface of any residue. As to making the plastic harder, that's not what I want to achieve, its hard enough. To be specific its a clock sort of like bakelite (hard plastic) that I'm trying to polish up, don't have pics as yet. Thought I had mentioned it in my other post but as I can see I didn't.

Hope this helps.

Cheers