Buffing PCGS slabs

Desert Moon

Has anyone tried a Dremel tool with felt buffing tips to clean up dings and scratches on PCGS slabs, using Meguiars PlastX or equivalent? Anyone have a reason why this would not do the job? Thoughts?

Best, SH

AUandAG

I don't see why it wouldn't work. Might test it on a slab you don't care about or in an area on the slab that won't hurt if it goes badly. I think that any damage done could still be reversed by hand polishing. Try it and take pics before and after, we all want to see and learn.
bob:)

Zoins

There used to be a great thread on this with lots of pics.

logger7

You can get what you need at an auto chain, not sure what they have in your neck of the woods. I use a blue poly cloth with Maguires.

lkeigwin

I'm sure it would work at a slow speed. You wouldn't want to generate too much heat.

The problem is the ongoing need to work with a clean cloth. By hand, you rub the polish with effort, turn the cloth, rub more using a little less elbow grease, turn, rub lighter, and then a final polish with another clean spot of the cloth.

If you simply reuse the same spot on the cloth you will impart tiny hairlines from the plastic particles removed and left on the cloth. My guess is using a dremel might not be as efficient and superior as it seems.
Lance.

bolivarshagnasty

Use the search function with "slab renew". Several pages of ideas.

Desert Moon

@lkeigwin said:
I'm sure it would work at a slow speed. You wouldn't want to generate too much heat.

The problem is the ongoing need to work with a clean cloth. By hand, you rub the polish with effort, turn the cloth, rub more using a little less elbow grease, turn, rub lighter, and then a final polish with another clean spot of the cloth.

If you simply reuse the same spot on the cloth you will impart tiny hairlines from the plastic particles removed and left on the cloth. My guess is using a dremel might not be as efficient and superior as it seems.
Lance.

Thanks Lance, I am getting tired of hand rubbing, was hoping for an alternative, perhaps the Dremel is not the way to go.....

Best, SH

BryceM

A dremel is WAY too fast. You'll melt the plastic and have a difficult time getting even coverage. A buffing wheel on a drill is much better. I did a thread a few months ago. When I get to a real PC I'll dig it up and link it here.

DollarAfterDollar

^^^^^^^^ what he said.

davewesen

I like using ' goo gone ' spray gel. It removes stickers and rubbing around with your finger, seems to fill the small scratches long enough for pictures. Lightly wipe excess off with tissue.

illini420

I would also say to not use a Dremmel.

There was a well-known coin photographer who would use a Dremmel to polish the slabs before doing images and on one of the coins I had imaged it came back with a piece of fiber from the buffer melted into the plastic right in the middle of the view of the coin... had to get that one reholdered. The pics came out pretty nice, except for a piece of fiber in the middle of the shot, haha!

BryceM

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/947337/restoring-scratched-slabs-version-2-0-new-improved/p1

ricko

A good Dremel has adjustable speed and can be turned down low and it works fine with plastic polish. Cheers, RickO

LindeDad

I use this.

None of the Dremals I ever owned was slow enouph.

ms70

@LindeDad said:
I use this.

I can't find those buffing pads. I've looked at Home Depot and a local store but none there. I want to see it in hand first so I don't want to get it online.

ldhair

3M makes a few typed of these. You can buy just the holder and there are different pads that attach to it. They also make kits with the holder for polishing headlights. A local paint and body supply store will probably have them.

Desert Moon

Can someone provide product links for say, Amazon, for buffing pads that go on standard drills? I wanna make sure I get exactly the right thing. I just figured a Dremel is easier to deal with than a standard size drill but the comments on speed seems to eliminate Dremel.

Thanks, SH

bigjpst

Here is the one I use. I went and bought it at autozone. Comes with a pad, the arbor with a few different sanding discs and some compound. Sometimes sanding with ultra fine 1000 or 1500 grit sandpaper is necessary to get out the deeper scratches.

3M Headlight Kit

Desert Moon

Thanks for the tips and the link.

Best, SH

topstuf

Simichrome works. But nothing does well on really bad scratches.

Minor lines will disappear with ......Nose grease!

Desert Moon

Update,
I ended up buying some wool felt polishing pads and using these on my drill instead of buying a Dremmel. Seems to work really well. They are small enough so I can focus working on a specific area on the slab, and I use the Meguiar's PlasticX. These buffing pad with PlasticX pretty much gets out anything but deep gouges such that most of the stuff that shows up in images can be buffed out. If one wants to get rid of the deeper gouges, one needs sand paper and to follow the procedure that others have provided the link to above. But these buffing pads are better than hand rubbing with a cloth for sure.

Best, SH

Link to buffing pads on ebay:

ebay.com/itm/322385827132?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

1Bustcollector

I like the posts. Good information!
As an individual who has done woodworking, restoring cars - painting cars, buffing paint it all comes down to the same....it's usually a multi step process to obtain professional results with not only the proper tools, but having experience and "finesse" which comes over time.

ms70

@spacehayduke said:
Can someone provide product links for say, Amazon, for buffing pads that go on standard drills? I wanna make sure I get exactly the right thing. I just figured a Dremel is easier to deal with than a standard size drill but the comments on speed seems to eliminate Dremel.

Thanks, SH

I've destroyed more things with a Dremel than I have fixed.