Polishing acrylic wedges

[Pumpkin]

If you're using an acrylic wedge, do you polish it before fitting, or after?

I'm currently working on a pair of maple scales with a black acrylic wedge (thanks Chris). I've shaped it by hand sanding to match the scales' profile and have got to 800 grit wet and dry sandpaper. It's still a bit dull and I'd like to get the mirror shine effect I've seen in some restores here.
The scales have already had a couple of coats of clear, polyurethane varnish.

 

[Freedom]

It depends on the wood coating, if the coating is going to be polished I would polish most of the scales avoiding the wedge end while unpinned then pin the wedge with microfastners and polish the end, then pin the razor (if you weren't going to use microfastners). edit: thinking about it actually I would do this the other way around,fasten the wedge and polish that end then unfasten and polish the main scale)

If the coating isn't going to be polished up you will have to do it before but I would be careful not to bevel the ends of the acrylic (either sandwich it between some sacrificial material and polish it, or make sure the sandpaper is kept flat like wrap it around some wood and keep it perpendicular to the surface your polishing.