Emperor Penguin Posted September 21, 2008 Report Share Posted September 21, 2008 I made a tiny mistake of putting a scratch on my AP ROO case while removing the bracelet. The screwdriver slipped and made a diagonal scratch along the brushed finish. It's a long scratch line, but noticeable when looking specifically for it. Most people wouldn't notice, but I would because I was the one who messed it up in the first place. Is there any way to buff it out and maintain the brushed finish? Should I get a Dremel or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
italiano17771 Posted September 21, 2008 Report Share Posted September 21, 2008 i bought a dremel about 6 months ago for around $75 and its come in handy atleast once a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poopypants Posted September 21, 2008 Report Share Posted September 21, 2008 (edited) if its brushed, a light scotch brite pad should do the trick... cut it up into a small piece so you don't scratch other areas... the trick is to start on one end of the scratch and follow through to the end of it... you want to brush it as straight as possible... DO NOT scratch back and forth as the brushed area may not look straight! might actually put curved brush mark into the case... hope this helps ya! Edited September 21, 2008 by poopypants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DemonSlayer Posted September 21, 2008 Report Share Posted September 21, 2008 I have made a couple of these on 2 watches, I too think the dremel method would seem the best way. Depending on how deep it is, quite a bit of metal would have to be removed for it to blend in with the rest of the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kronos twin Posted September 22, 2008 Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 while the dremel has been brought up, does anyone have any advice what sort of rotary tool (corded or corldess, model type) you would recommend for these sorts of tasks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor Penguin Posted September 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 if its brushed, a light scotch brite pad should do the trick... cut it up into a small piece so you don't scratch other areas... the trick is to start on one end of the scratch and follow through to the end of it... you want to brush it as straight as possible... DO NOT scratch back and forth as the brushed area may not look straight! might actually put curved brush mark into the case... hope this helps ya! Dude, the scratch lies diagonally across the direction of the brushing. Maybe I should push the Scotch Brite pad along the brushing lines? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbc Posted September 22, 2008 Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 (edited) Dude, the scratch lies diagonally across the direction of the brushing. Maybe I should push the Scotch Brite pad along the brushing lines? Try a nail buff. Go to the manicure section & get one of those 4 grade nail buffs. They have 4 buffing surfaces (2 on each side) from rough to superfine. Start with the 3 roughest & work your way to the finest grade. If this cheap solution doesn't work ... than pony up for a dremel. Edited September 22, 2008 by gbc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poopypants Posted September 22, 2008 Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 (edited) Dude, the scratch lies diagonally across the direction of the brushing. Maybe I should push the Scotch Brite pad along the brushing lines? i apologize... what i meant to say is: the trick is to start on one end of the scratch "FOLLOWING THE DIRECTION OF THE BRUSHED METAL" (not the scratch) and follow through to the end of it... you want to brush it as straight as possible... sorry man! honestly, telling someone to use a Dremel especially when he/she doesn't own one, or has possibly never used one, is bad advice!!! those things are less forgiving than work done by hand... we are talking about a scratch on a case, not a total re-shape and buff... i normally use my dremel to re-shape cases/buff cases in regards to lugs, cg's, etc... jobs when 'some amount' of metal needs to be removed... you simply need to rebrush your case to look like new... a Dremel should not have to be used for this!!! also, the nail buff only offers a FLAT sanding surface which most likely wont work, since it cannot contour to the shape of the case... i do understand that some of these are padded, but still a flat surface! i would tape off all areas that do not need any work... that way to keep the integrity of the rest of the case... take the SB pad and work it until the scratch disappears! Then finish it by following my advice above...smooth, straight, strokes in the direction of the brush on the case... Edited September 22, 2008 by poopypants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor Penguin Posted September 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 Scotch Brite pad, huh? Well before I go to the hardware store to find some, I'm wondering if there are different grades of Scotch Brite suitable for brushed stainless steel. Before I try this, I think I will practice first on some leftover bracelet links. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poopypants Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 (edited) try to find the least abrasive... i use a maroon version of the scotch brite family which is a fine grit... this is what i use to remove the desk marks from ALL of my brushed bracelets. Edited September 23, 2008 by poopypants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooky Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 How about just the 'old fashioned' watch smith? i had a scratch on a PAM. went to my local watch smith who works on reps. He got it out very easily and has several tools to get it out. He uses a few, first for the rough part then some other for finishing the brushed steel. i would advice this specially if the scratch is quite deep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor Penguin Posted September 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 Dude, the watch smith is indeed the best alternative, but part of the fun is to do it by yourself and save lots of money in the process without screwing up the watch more. I did a little research on the net and I learned about jewelers cloths. Let me copy and paste. BRUSHED SS 1. To remove fine scratches, use a jewelers cloth. Be GENTLE or you will put a shine on the finish, which will not quite match the brushed look. If that happens, you can put the brushed finish back on by following Step 3 below. 2. For scratches over a small area, use a fiber-glass brush (e.g. the German-made Eurotool sold by watch-tool suppliers). It looks like a mechanical pencil with a bundle of glass fibers instead of lead that can be dispensed from the tip. You brush this glass-fiber tip on the SS surface to remove the scratches and to create a new brush finish. I would not recommend using this tool over a large area because the brush strokes tend to be uneven, especially around curves, though you can get better with practice. WARNING: The broken fiber glass on your skin can cause unpleasant itches. Wear a thin latex glove and use a brush to remove fiber-glass debris from your watch after repair. 3. For scratches over a large area, use a Styrofoam block made for polishing finger nails (sold in beauty supply store). Each block is about an inch thick and 3 inches long. Its surface is impregnated with a very fine abrasive material. Brush gently with the grain to remove the scratches and to blend the new brush strokes with the original ones. I prefer this Styrofoam block to sand paper or steel wool as it is easy to grip and to maneuver. The soft Styrofoam also conforms to curved surfaces and is very forgiving. With patience, you can even remove deep dents and reshape small parts safely with this Styrofoam polisher. I just bought my jeweler's cloth from eBay for about eight bucks and it's on the way here. I think I'll try it first on a bracelet link and see if I can do it on my own. Of course, if I do it and screw the watch up, I can still take it to the watch smith. I'll be very careful here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooky Posted September 25, 2008 Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 (edited) He (my watch smith) charged me nothing and it was done in 5 minutes... Edited September 25, 2008 by hooky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.