Need advise on polishing stainless for the non armorer....

[Glaukos the Athenian]

Greetings,

I am expecting to receive some stainless pieces that are finished but not polished. Now I am not all that keen on super prefect surfaces as they don't look period, but I'd love to get them shiny, imperfections and all.

Good O'Quinn calls this the "Rowan polish" and he si quite masterful at doing it just like I like it, but he is in Canada and I am in Northern Atlantia.
So I cannot just walk to his shop and ask him to polish something he did not even make.

Besides, I'd love to try doing it myself. For tools I have an angle grinder and an electric drill.

All this said, how do I polish the surfaces of these pieces to get them shiny? I don't need to remove every hammer mark or scratch, rather get the surfaces nice an shiny to match the rest of my armour...

Thanks!!!

Rowan
(in his final weeks....)

[Angusm0628]

If you're not worried bout getting out all the marks. Take some fine grit sandpaper 400 and up hand sand it a bit and then put it to the buffing wheel with a quality rouge.

[Glaukos the Athenian]

Thanks Angus,

How do you use the sandpaper? by hand it may to cut it, and I am afraid the angle grinder will leave machine marks, which I do mind.

I know the rouge (I think I need the white type for stainless) will work with a cloth brush... (this may be a time to finally break down and buy a bench grinder for polishing) I am wondering about the sanding?

A flap sandpaper wheel? a soft-backed regular wheel?

Years ago I had access to a machine shop and some polishing equipment, so that at least I have some clue as what the equipment can be. I am trying to do this in a simple way...

Thanks again, I appreciate your suggestion and will surely follow it. I just want to make sure I don't screw up stuff...

Rowan

[Angusm0628]

I'd just do it by hand. takes a little longer but you get the option of more or less pressure as needed as you need it right at yer fingertips. (all puns intended). Work it in small passes so you can blend in your work to the next section. I'd start with a 400 grit. mebbe a couple swipes with some 600 then to the wheel with it. Gets that almost but not quite polishing you want.

[mattmaus]

(this may be a time to finally break down and buy a bench grinder for polishing)

If it's just a one off project, or touch up, you can get a buffing wheel on an arbor that will fit in your drill.

[Glaukos the Athenian]

Does a drill have enough rpms to polish stainless? do they make these wheels for angle grinders?


Thanks!

R

[Konstantin the Red]

It's lots easier to find buffer wheels for your drill. As you already know, different wheels for different finenesses of buffing compounds. And it's almost like a hand buff, what with moving either the drill over a very well fixed piece, or parking your drill in your vise, hitting the lock switch to lock it on, and handling the piece like you were bellying up to a buffer on a stand. But watch it; unless you build it on yourself, you have no shelf/bracket to prop your piece on for stability.

With a mechanic's bench vise in particular, though, I've no doubt you could place some suitably thick chunks of wood upon the bench beneath where the buffing wheel is turning, to prop your work on.

[mrks]

hi there

I use scotchbrite wheels and follow it up with a buffer run.

you can get them on ebay.com: http://cgi.ebay.com/3M-Scotch-Brite-Deb ... 7C294%3A50

I use them on my 11000 rpm angle grinder(wear glasses as they can shatter/shred) you can also cut them down to 4" or so and they willl run slower but be much safer.

they will knock down a weld easily and remove surface imperfections so you cant tell they were there(after using a buffer)

best of luck