Micro mesh

[AJL]

Hi,

I've heard micro mesh polishing cloths mentioned a number of times in modeling magazines.  I've been thinking of buying some for polishing gloss finishes and aircraft canopies.  I was wondering whether anyone here had any experience of using them and if so, a) are they any good? b) Would you recommend any particular grades? & c) Are cloths or pads better for modeling?

I'm tempted by the 'craft kit' of pads or the simpler sheets (cloth) kit MMK-2. Info here:

http://www.sisweb.com/micromesh/craftsman_kits.htm

Ant.

[spiffitz]

I bought a set of these many years ago because the other guys swore by them. I did get great results but they are expensive. As they clog fast, I found myself trying to clean them because I didn't want to buy another set so soon. For high-gloss applications I got equal results with much cheaper 1500- to 2000-grit automotive wet/dry sandpaper and a bottle of 3M rubbing compound, easily purchased at your local auto parts store.

Micro-mesh is one of those "You need this because we tell you!" modeling products that you don't really need. There is pretty much no reason to require stepped grits to achieve a smooth finish on models. If your orange peel is that bad you have other issues.