Darn it, I scratched my Roland Now what


For some stupid reason I was cleaning one of the shelves of my stero rack and a I accidently hit the top of the shelf with my Roland gear causing a nice scratch on the top plate. ( black ) Thanfully it is not to the metal but more of a good rub mark. This is ( was ) an expensive piece of equipment. Any ideas on how I could possibly remove this dreadful mark.
garebear
Depends on how good you want it to look and how much you want to pay. You can get it perfect by repainting it--but it doesn't sound that bad. I would suggest going to the local Auto Parts store. Get some rubbing compound, designed to remove similar type of scratches from cars. Use it on a hidden area first (like a back lower corner) to make sure it doesn't dull the finish. Once you've done the rubbing compound there is usually either a finishing compound or even a wax based compound that will brighten it up. Again--try it on an inconspicuous area first. I've had worse scratches that went to the metal--fortunately, this stuff happens all the time with cars--so the auto industry has already solved these problems for us.
The response by Abstract7 was good -- you could also use some jeweler's rouge as a buffing compound (the kind used on buffing wheels). Rub some rouge on a soft, damp cloth and apply. When the scratch is reduced to an acceptable point, some liquid car polish on the entire top plate should complete the job.
jeff rowland's products are anodized rather than painted. in my experience, products designed to deal with painted surfaces do not work very well on anodized surfaces and can, in fact, cause greater harm than good. i've had the same problems with scratches/scuffs; i've been able to correct them, i'm sorry to say, only by obtaining replacement parts. can't hurt to try abstact7's solution, of course, but do test on the underside of your piece first. good luck. i hate it when that happens! -kelly