Removing fine scratches from French Polish finish

[Towzer]

Any suggestions ?
Thanks

[Mark Hatcher]

There is no easier finish to repair! You can just rub another coat on and it will melt right in. If you aren't inclined to try that a good luthier could knock that right off for you. I'd suggest that you don't try to sand or compound the scratches out though because if you go through the finish you will end up having to strip the whole surface and start over

[Towzer]

yeh im not a luthier . I was hoping I could buy a bottle of scratch remover but i guess not. John

[Ken Franklin]

Pictures???

[Mischief]

Fastest way to remove small fine scratched is with an angle grinder. One zip and you won't see the fine scratches at all. In fact after one treatment you'll actually wish you only had small fine scratches in that spot.
No need to thank me I'm always here to help. [emoji16]


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[Portland Bill]

You can use a car paint cutting polish, in the UK the most famous one being T Cut, not sure what it's called in the US.
This will only work on fine surface scratches though.

[Ned Milburn]

You got 2 good suggestions already.

1) Have the area lightly rubbed by a pro with some more shellac.

2) Or try a bit of mild automotive "swirl remover". Many brands exist.

Agreed with Mark that you should not try to sand out the scratches, but disagree that the whole finish would need to be stripped and re-done if you removed too much in that small area. Simply rubbing more shellac into the bare spot, and blending to the surrounding area is all that is needed. One would never consider removing all the paint on a car and re-painting just because of one scratch. Entirely unnecessary.

[Kitchen Guitars]

Originally Posted by Mischief

Fastest way to remove small fine scratched is with an angle grinder. One zip and you won't see the fine scratches at all. In fact after one treatment you'll actually wish you only had small fine scratches in that spot.
No need to thank me I'm always here to help. [emoji16]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well that didn't work!

[Towzer]

Thanks everyone for replies. Just noticed now that they moved my post to this forum

[Quickstep192]

I recently made a banjo and finished it with sprayed shellac. Not exactly French polish I know, but... I polished it using Meguiar's Show Car Glaze, an automotive product. It is an extremely non aggressive polish. It will not really remove anything but fine scratches.This means that it may take several applications to remove scratches, but it also means you have better control. I'm kind of a scared-y-cat when it comes to ruining a nice finish, so I like being able to take baby steps.

[Howard Klepper]

I am amazed that with no description of the guitar other than "fine scratches" and no photo, people are nonetheless able to prescribe specific treatments.

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

I am amazed that with no description of the guitar other than "fine scratches" and no photo, people are nonetheless able to prescribe specific treatments.

Some folks are just good.

Originally Posted by Quickstep192

It is an extremely non aggressive polish.

Or, as my step-father used to say when asked about the weather, "Extremely mild".

[Rodger Knox]

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

I am amazed that with no description of the guitar other than "fine scratches" and no photo, people are nonetheless able to prescribe specific treatments.

What makes you think the French Polish is on a guitar?

[arie]

Originally Posted by Rodger Knox

What makes you think the French Polish is on a guitar?

well, in post #1 we are assuming that a guitar is involved since this is a guitar specific forum.

in post #3 the op mentions the word "luthier" further suggesting that said item could possibly be from the stringed instrument family.

let's consider:
-op posts to a acoustic guitar forum...
-op asks a question about "french polish finish"...
-as builders, guitar folk, etc... "french polish" is a process we should be familiar with....

questions to ask ourselves:
-are we assuming the op doesn't know the difference between a credenza and a guitar? the preponderance of the evidence presented so far would seem to suggest that the object is in all probability a guitar.
-would an esteemed luthier in high regard respond to such a post if in fact the object were not a guitar?
-would the op have been better served by posting his concerns to another forum, say "sawmill creek", if the object were not a member of the stringed instrument family?
-with the use of the word "luthier" and the fact that we are reading this question on a "guitar specific" forum, could the use of that word by the op possibly suggest a concern that a "luthier" might be a person to be consulted with regarding the claim of "fine scratches in french polish finish"?
-considering the use of the word "luthier", do said persons in fact derive a living from the building and repair of stringed instruments?

hmm,,,

but maybe it's a rocking horse?

[Ned Milburn]

Originally Posted by arie

well, in post #1 we are assuming that a guitar is involved since this is a guitar specific forum.

in post #3 the op mentions the word "luthier" further suggesting that said item could possibly be from the stringed instrument family.

let's consider:
-op posts to a acoustic guitar forum...
-op asks a question about "french polish finish"...
-as builders, guitar folk, etc... "french polish" is a process we should be familiar with....

questions to ask ourselves:
-are we assuming the op doesn't know the difference between a credenza and a guitar? the preponderance of the evidence presented so far would seem to suggest that the object is in all probability a guitar.
-would an esteemed luthier in high regard respond to such a post if in fact the object were not a guitar?
-would the op have been better served by posting his concerns to another forum, say "sawmill creek", if the object were not a member of the stringed instrument family?
-with the use of the word "luthier" and the fact that we are reading this question on a "guitar specific" forum, could the use of that word by the op possibly suggest a concern that a "luthier" might be a person to be consulted with regarding the claim of "fine scratches in french polish finish"?
-considering the use of the word "luthier", do said persons in fact derive a living from the building and repair of stringed instruments?

hmm,,,

but maybe it's a rocking horse?

I think you missed Roger's point, Arie. ;-)