Light scratching removal

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BenzComander

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 17, 2004
Messages
1,044
Location
Bucks
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E320 Avantgarde Estate
Any top tips on tidying up the wood on the center console. It is OK as in undamaged, but has light surface scratching.

Has anybody had any success in removing this?
 
BenzComander said:
Any top tips on tidying up the wood on the center console. It is OK as in undamaged, but has light surface scratching.

Has anybody had any success in removing this?

i'd be interested in this too. i asked the questoon a while ago but no results!
 
Glass polish works well.

Not glass cleaner, proper glass polish, it's like thinner brasso.
 
I used 3M Finesse-It finisher on mine today. It got the light scratches out nicely, but left one or two of the heavier ones. Still a vast improvement though - really shiny. I popped the wood out of the centre console, then popped the switches out and buffed it for about 15 mins while watching telly. One quick coat of Zymol and back in, looks a treat.
 
nickmann said:
I used 3M Finesse-It finisher on mine today. It got the light scratches out nicely, but left one or two of the heavier ones. Still a vast improvement though - really shiny. I popped the wood out of the centre console, then popped the switches out and buffed it for about 15 mins while watching telly. One quick coat of Zymol and back in, looks a treat.


where do u get 3M finesse?
 
I got it from a local valeter - they use it on a mop to remove swirl marks. I bought it for that purpose. I reckon you could get it (or something very similar) from any bodyshop. Its basically just a very light cutting compound that is the last stage in paint preparation.

I had tried Cif first (Jif for oldies) but that turned out be be a big mistake. I had some 3M left over so I gave it a try and it was great.
 
nickmann said:
I got it from a local valeter - they use it on a mop to remove swirl marks. I bought it for that purpose. I reckon you could get it (or something very similar) from any bodyshop. Its basically just a very light cutting compound that is the last stage in paint preparation.

I had tried Cif first (Jif for oldies) but that turned out be be a big mistake. I had some 3M left over so I gave it a try and it was great.

dont suppose you know if Halfords sell this stuff?
 
That's the stuff! I would be inclined to try any light compound though, if you can't lay your hands on the 3M. Dunno about Halfords - they don't trade over here.

MercedesBent - I'm not sure about the clouding, I s'pose it depends what has caused it. When I 'Ciffed' my console it went all cloudy, because I put a million light scratches into it. The 3M fixed that. If the clouding is a 'bloom' caused by UV or damp then I guess it wouldn't fix it.
 
Either valeters glaze or a car polish, not wax, will do the trick.
 
Dieselman said:
Either valeters glaze or a car polish, not wax, will do the trick.

bought some stuff from Halfords at the weekend which is suppoosed to removed surface scratches on plastics etc, so should do the trick
 
I've refinished wood in car interiors very sucesssfully before - stripping it back to bare wood with paint stripper, then putting on a LOT of coats of spray clear laquer. Use 1500 grade wet'n dry with soapy water to flat the laquer, using a small block where you can (i.e. the flat bits). Polish up with Farecla G3 compound, then G10, then Finesse-it. It actually ended up looking better than the original - more like wood and less like plastic! The wood in my W124 looks very plasticky, it might have to get this treatment at some stage......
 
MB250D said:
I've refinished wood in car interiors very sucesssfully before - stripping it back to bare wood with paint stripper, then putting on a LOT of coats of spray clear laquer. Use 1500 grade wet'n dry with soapy water to flat the laquer, using a small block where you can (i.e. the flat bits). Polish up with Farecla G3 compound, then G10, then Finesse-it. It actually ended up looking better than the original - more like wood and less like plastic! The wood in my W124 looks very plasticky, it might have to get this treatment at some stage......

i'd love to do that but sounds way too scary and expensive if u **** it up!
 

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