FAQ
Here is a listing of Frequently Asked Questions that I have compiled.
Q: What types of metal can I use the WatchbandRenew kit on?
A: The WatchbandRenew kit can be used on almost any non-plated metal surface. The most common metals found in watches are Stainless Steel, Gold, and Titanium and the kit works fine on all of them because the abrasives are several times harder than those metals.
Q: What types of watches should not I NOT try to remove scratches from?
A: Do not attempt to remove scratches from plated metals, they are generally identified by markings such as "plated" "electroplate" but sometimes may not be marked. White Gold is usually plated with Rhodium to enhance the appearance of white gold, therefore we do not recommend polishing white gold items except with non abrasive products such as the Cape Cod Cloth. Additionally metals that are painted, PVD (Ion Plated), bead blasted, gun metal finished, blued, or anodized should not be polished as these coatings and surface treatments will likely be compromised. I do not recommend using the kit on ceramic watches, another rarity are watches made from Tungsten (W), this metal is very hard and can only be effectively polished by a diamond abrasive and specialized polishing equipment.
Q: What will happen if I use the WatchbandRenew kit on a gold plated watch?
A: We do not recommend using the WatchbandRenew kit on ANY plated metals. Plating thicknesses vary greatly and you are risking causing damage to the watch by removing the thin gold plating which can be as thin as a few microns. While there is a chance that you may not penetrate through to the base metal, it is a gamble that may end with an ugly scar. If you penetrate the gold plating you will likely reveal a stainless steel base metal that will contrast silver on gold. The only way to repair this damage will be to have the whole watch re-plated with gold at considerable expense. If you choose to use the WatchbandRenew kit on plated items you do so at your own risk. It is your responsibility to know the composition of the item you are polishing, if you are unsure do not use the kit. If you discover your item is plated after you receive your kit we recommend that you do NOT use the kit on that item and simply return the kit for a refund.
Q: How does the kit work?
A: The Kit works by removing microscopic particles of metal as small as some bacteria. Scratches and scuffs are just surface defects to the once smooth and highly polished metal surface in the case of mirrored surfaces. In the case of a brushed or satin finished metal the scuffs and scratches are surface defects that simply interrupt the uniform pattern that the manufacturer etched into the metal with an abrasive similar to those found in my 30 or 15 micron abrasives.To restore a mirrored finish a series of steps are required to systematically remove the high points along the scuff or scratch and produce a flat surface again. The higher numbered abrasives remove larger metal particles and should be used very conservatively, I always recommend starting with the 9 micron (this abrasive is about 1 micron larger than a Red Blood Cell) and step back to the 15 or even 30 if necessary. The step-by-step instructions included with each kit covers the entire process in detail so I won't repeat it here. Brushed finishes are much easier to remove scuff and scratches from, you simply use the coarse (30 or 15 micron) grade abrasives and re-establish the uniform brushed pattern which only takes a few minutes to accomplish.
Q: Is there anything that I should be careful of when using this kit?
A: The single most important thing to understand is that these kits are physically subtractive in nature to the metal surfaces they are used on. Therefore you should always start with lower micron grades (I recommend starting at 9 micron, this abrasive is about 1 micron larger than a Red Blood Cell) and only move to higher grades if the targeted scratches are more severe. Please read the entire instruction sheet that comes with every kit before starting your scratch removal and polishing project. These kits have been used by thousands of customers in more than 50 countries with great success and we are certain that by following the instructions you too will be a repeat customer!
Q: What micron grade do I start with?
A: As stated in the instruction sheet, I recommend starting with the 9 micron and see how well you can engulf the stray scuffs with the uniform 9 micron scratch pattern. You should always start conservatively and work back to higher micron grades if needed.
Q: Is there any special techniques that I need to use when using the micron abrasives?
A: There is one technique to keep in mind, the coarser grades (30 & 15 micron) can be "tuned" by using less pressure while stroking the metal. More pressure will drive the near diamond hard abrasives deeper in the metal surface. For instance the 30 micron abrasive has Carborundum particles that are approximately 30 microns in size. Using less pressure will cause the abrasive to remove less metal with each stroke, this is preferred as when you progress to the next finer micron grade there is less work required to hone the surface to match the abrasive to the surface deficit and cover the previous scratch pattern.
Q: How deep are everyday scuffs found on watches?
A: I will have to make an educated guess here since I don't have the sophisticated equipment to measure scuffs which can be less than 0.00004 inches (1 micron) deep. However, when I refinish my personal watches I am generally able to remove nearly all scuffs with the 9 & 15 micron, occasionally I need to use the 30 micron abrasive for the deeper scratches. So I will deduce that the majority of scuffs ans scratches are in the range of <1 micron to <20 microns deep or so. Of course more severe damage from scuffs and scratches are also possible but these are generally from an specific incident such as a fall.
Q: How do I refinish a brushed stainless steel watch bracelet?
A: When I am refinishing a brushed stainless steel surface I will go straight to the 30 micron (15 micron can be used for a finer brushed finish) and use a firm pressure to restore a brushed pattern in the steel. It is the quickest type of finish to restore.
Q: I am not able to get a clear mirror finish, I still see a lot of the scratch pattern form the coarser abrasives. What do I do now?
A: This is one of the most common issues and is easily corrected. Part of the problem is using too much pressure while using the 30 or 15 micron abrasive. Using lighter pressure on the higher micron grades will cause the abrasive to remove less metal, so more strokes at less pressure is the preferred method to evenly hone the surface without using the full depth of the abrasive. I recommend going back to 15 micron and do 100 bidirectional strokes (about 30-45 seconds) with a medium pressure, then toss that 15 and use a fresh 15 and do 200 strokes at lighter pressure, toss that 15 and use one more 15 with light pressure for another 200. From here move to 9 micron and use 200 bidirectional strokes replace with a new 9 and another 300 strokes, follow on to 3,2,&1 using 300 strokes and swapping the abrasive twice per grade.
Q: What reasons can I return a kit for a for a refund?
A: If you are not satisfied for any reason whatsoever, simply return the kit. We guarantee you will be 100% satisfied and if you are not, we will issue a full refund of the purchase price minus the initial s&h.
Q: How long have you been in business, where do you ship to?
A: We have been in business since 2005, and we are proud to have customers in more than 50 countries!
We ship anywhere that the US Postal Service will deliver!
Q: What types of metal can I use the WatchbandRenew kit on?
A: The WatchbandRenew kit can be used on almost any non-plated metal surface. The most common metals found in watches are Stainless Steel, Gold, and Titanium and the kit works fine on all of them because the abrasives are several times harder than those metals.
Q: What types of watches should not I NOT try to remove scratches from?
A: Do not attempt to remove scratches from plated metals, they are generally identified by markings such as "plated" "electroplate" but sometimes may not be marked. White Gold is usually plated with Rhodium to enhance the appearance of white gold, therefore we do not recommend polishing white gold items except with non abrasive products such as the Cape Cod Cloth. Additionally metals that are painted, PVD (Ion Plated), bead blasted, gun metal finished, blued, or anodized should not be polished as these coatings and surface treatments will likely be compromised. I do not recommend using the kit on ceramic watches, another rarity are watches made from Tungsten (W), this metal is very hard and can only be effectively polished by a diamond abrasive and specialized polishing equipment.
Q: What will happen if I use the WatchbandRenew kit on a gold plated watch?
A: We do not recommend using the WatchbandRenew kit on ANY plated metals. Plating thicknesses vary greatly and you are risking causing damage to the watch by removing the thin gold plating which can be as thin as a few microns. While there is a chance that you may not penetrate through to the base metal, it is a gamble that may end with an ugly scar. If you penetrate the gold plating you will likely reveal a stainless steel base metal that will contrast silver on gold. The only way to repair this damage will be to have the whole watch re-plated with gold at considerable expense. If you choose to use the WatchbandRenew kit on plated items you do so at your own risk. It is your responsibility to know the composition of the item you are polishing, if you are unsure do not use the kit. If you discover your item is plated after you receive your kit we recommend that you do NOT use the kit on that item and simply return the kit for a refund.
Q: How does the kit work?
A: The Kit works by removing microscopic particles of metal as small as some bacteria. Scratches and scuffs are just surface defects to the once smooth and highly polished metal surface in the case of mirrored surfaces. In the case of a brushed or satin finished metal the scuffs and scratches are surface defects that simply interrupt the uniform pattern that the manufacturer etched into the metal with an abrasive similar to those found in my 30 or 15 micron abrasives.To restore a mirrored finish a series of steps are required to systematically remove the high points along the scuff or scratch and produce a flat surface again. The higher numbered abrasives remove larger metal particles and should be used very conservatively, I always recommend starting with the 9 micron (this abrasive is about 1 micron larger than a Red Blood Cell) and step back to the 15 or even 30 if necessary. The step-by-step instructions included with each kit covers the entire process in detail so I won't repeat it here. Brushed finishes are much easier to remove scuff and scratches from, you simply use the coarse (30 or 15 micron) grade abrasives and re-establish the uniform brushed pattern which only takes a few minutes to accomplish.
Q: Is there anything that I should be careful of when using this kit?
A: The single most important thing to understand is that these kits are physically subtractive in nature to the metal surfaces they are used on. Therefore you should always start with lower micron grades (I recommend starting at 9 micron, this abrasive is about 1 micron larger than a Red Blood Cell) and only move to higher grades if the targeted scratches are more severe. Please read the entire instruction sheet that comes with every kit before starting your scratch removal and polishing project. These kits have been used by thousands of customers in more than 50 countries with great success and we are certain that by following the instructions you too will be a repeat customer!
Q: What micron grade do I start with?
A: As stated in the instruction sheet, I recommend starting with the 9 micron and see how well you can engulf the stray scuffs with the uniform 9 micron scratch pattern. You should always start conservatively and work back to higher micron grades if needed.
Q: Is there any special techniques that I need to use when using the micron abrasives?
A: There is one technique to keep in mind, the coarser grades (30 & 15 micron) can be "tuned" by using less pressure while stroking the metal. More pressure will drive the near diamond hard abrasives deeper in the metal surface. For instance the 30 micron abrasive has Carborundum particles that are approximately 30 microns in size. Using less pressure will cause the abrasive to remove less metal with each stroke, this is preferred as when you progress to the next finer micron grade there is less work required to hone the surface to match the abrasive to the surface deficit and cover the previous scratch pattern.
Q: How deep are everyday scuffs found on watches?
A: I will have to make an educated guess here since I don't have the sophisticated equipment to measure scuffs which can be less than 0.00004 inches (1 micron) deep. However, when I refinish my personal watches I am generally able to remove nearly all scuffs with the 9 & 15 micron, occasionally I need to use the 30 micron abrasive for the deeper scratches. So I will deduce that the majority of scuffs ans scratches are in the range of <1 micron to <20 microns deep or so. Of course more severe damage from scuffs and scratches are also possible but these are generally from an specific incident such as a fall.
Q: How do I refinish a brushed stainless steel watch bracelet?
A: When I am refinishing a brushed stainless steel surface I will go straight to the 30 micron (15 micron can be used for a finer brushed finish) and use a firm pressure to restore a brushed pattern in the steel. It is the quickest type of finish to restore.
Q: I am not able to get a clear mirror finish, I still see a lot of the scratch pattern form the coarser abrasives. What do I do now?
A: This is one of the most common issues and is easily corrected. Part of the problem is using too much pressure while using the 30 or 15 micron abrasive. Using lighter pressure on the higher micron grades will cause the abrasive to remove less metal, so more strokes at less pressure is the preferred method to evenly hone the surface without using the full depth of the abrasive. I recommend going back to 15 micron and do 100 bidirectional strokes (about 30-45 seconds) with a medium pressure, then toss that 15 and use a fresh 15 and do 200 strokes at lighter pressure, toss that 15 and use one more 15 with light pressure for another 200. From here move to 9 micron and use 200 bidirectional strokes replace with a new 9 and another 300 strokes, follow on to 3,2,&1 using 300 strokes and swapping the abrasive twice per grade.
Q: What reasons can I return a kit for a for a refund?
A: If you are not satisfied for any reason whatsoever, simply return the kit. We guarantee you will be 100% satisfied and if you are not, we will issue a full refund of the purchase price minus the initial s&h.
Q: How long have you been in business, where do you ship to?
A: We have been in business since 2005, and we are proud to have customers in more than 50 countries!
We ship anywhere that the US Postal Service will deliver!