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Best polish for nitrocellulose?

Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2011 2:50 pm
by sloop_john_b
Hey Paul, my old Jazz Bass was a little gunky looking after my gig last night, but after wiping it down with a soft cloth and some basic polish, it looked more hazy then before. It has a soft nitro finish. What would work best to bring out the shine and cut the haze? I'm thinking naphtha but I'll defer to you...

Re: Best polish for nitrocellulose?

Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2011 11:43 pm
by jingle_jangle
Hi, JB.

Naphtha is a cleaner and degreaser, but won't put any shine where there wasn't there before. As a matter of fact, it does strip wax from the finish, so it could leave things duller.

Try 3M Scratch and Swirl Remover (black plastic bottle) on a diaper to shine it up and remove any remaining sludge; follow with the usual Zymol.

It's possible that good old Turtle Wax 123 might work; I'm not sure if it's aggressive enough...

No matter what, do not use any strong cleaners like 409 or Fantastik--they etch nitro. Windex is OK to clean. And above all, no solvents like acetone, etc.

Re: Best polish for nitrocellulose?

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 12:21 am
by shamustwin
Lemon pledge is out of the question.

Re: Best polish for nitrocellulose?

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 1:53 pm
by jingle_jangle
shamustwin wrote:Lemon pledge is out of the question.
Works fine on motorcycle seats!!! :D