Scratches in Matte Black finish

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HB

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Is there a secret way to remove very light scratches in Flat black frame - I already tried steel wool - makes it shiny, as does polish. (couple light scratches from a screw being drageed lightly across the finish - just deep enough to feel with your nail.)

Hopefully someone can save this $800 job for me with some good advice!!!! - can't just replace frame - its a jewellery box!
 
MaGuire's ScratchX

You might try going to your local auto parts store and picking up a tube of MaGuire's ScratchX. It's an automotive finish product that removes surface scratches from just about anything. I saved a customer about 60ft of moulding with it once and keep a tube with me wherever I go. Even works on high-gloss laquer mouldings. I'm not sure how it works on cars, but it seems to do the trick on any moulding it touches.
 
:/

HB,

If steel wool didn't work, maybe as a last resort you could try a very fine wet & dry sandpaper ?
Somewhere around 1500grit might do.

If that doesn't get the scratch out, probably all you can do is make another piece.

Strange the steel wool didn't work . . . did you use a really fine 0000 grade ?
Maybe try a coarser grade ? Or a scouring pad ?

Any sort of polish is pretty much guaranteed to fail, you just end up with patchiness in the finish (shiny and flat spots etc).

If you can feel it with your nail, then the scratch is pretty deep !

Are you confident enough to rub the scratch out and respray the whole unit ?
There are usually small aerosol spray packs of matt black at your local auto store.

Not sure whether you can do this with the jewellery box design concerned, just have to mask up anything like the glass etc (or take it apart - sometimes easier / neater).

You would have to rub the scratch out evenly and not get any gouges or finger marks when rubbing the scratch out.
A block of some sort around the sandpaper and 'feather' out the edges (that's the old auto repairer in me, ask Framerguy too).
 
I have been using 0000 steel wool that I slightly wet. The moisture seems to help it from leaving those fine scratches.
 
It's fairly difficult to reproduce a sprayed finish with mechanical means, ie., a matte finish with some sort of abrasive rubbing action. It just doesn't come out with the same look. Most of the scratch removers that are sold for auto use like the McGuires that was mentioned, are designed to remove scratches but they also polish the finish to a high luster in most cases. MJ maybe is using some kind of followup such as a light rubbing with 3M Imperial paper sold at most auto wholesalers and some retailers. You could also try a light rubbing with either a green or grey ScotchBrite pad, not the kind that you buy for cleaning pots and pans but the kind that is also sold in the auto supply stores like NAPA or any that do wholesale to body shops and such.

As Framemakers mentioned, water actually acts as a lubricant and will allow the steel wool to abrade the surface without causing the deeper more noticeable scratches that you get by using it dry. We aren't talking about significant scratches with 0000 wool but any grade of steel wool or wet/dry sandpaper will do a better job with either oil or water as a lubricant. In the case of very fine sandpaper, most anything over 400 grit, it will almost immediately clog up with sanding debris when you try to use it dry.

Yeah Les, that stuff never leaves your brain, eh? That is one of the truly beautiful benefits of education of any kind, once you learn the proper methods, nobody will ever be able to take them away from you!! Kinda like learning to ride a bike.
 
MJ The Romaboy said:
You might try going to your local auto parts store and picking up a tube of MaGuire's ScratchX. It's an automotive finish product that removes surface scratches from just about anything. I saved a customer about 60ft of moulding with it once and keep a tube with me wherever I go. Even works on high-gloss laquer mouldings. I'm not sure how it works on cars, but it seems to do the trick on any moulding it touches.
Click to expand...


McGuire's Scratch X works GREAT on cars. It's made my lil stang look awesome :thumbsup:

Thanks for the tip.. I'll have to bring some into work.
 
Now you have a piece to try out various techniques for scratch removal!:beer:
 
We've used various clear satin or flat spray finishes by allowing the mist to drift across the flat black moulding (spray from 2 feet away) while making sure that we mist the entire frame. That has saved several rebuilds just as you describe. At that point, we didn't have anything to loose if the process didn't work, other than time or a partial can of spray.
 
hangupsgallery said:
Wow, life is too short. Order a new leg and chaulk it up to lessons learned. Matte finishes have to be handled very carefully. I think we've all dinged up a black matte frame or two. Time is money! If it's just one leg, you're only out 1/4 of the price of the frame, less your markup. Your still ahead...yes?
Click to expand...

Not quite that simple with this one - it'l be well over 6 hours to redo this one!

Thanks for all the suggestions - I'll look into it on Monday after my current week long trade show.

Thanks all. - Framerguy & Les - I've done my share of bodywork on hotrods too in my younger years - great memories!
 
Delft clear wood finish sprays (lacquers) come in several dullnesses. I use the satin a LOT. They dry in about 15 minutes and are usually available at Home Depot. Total secret miracle.
 
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