[FWDLK] polishing stainless

["Deane Allinson" <deane.allinson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Title: polishing stainless

John,
First I beat out any dents with hammers and anvils as smooth as possible an file with a fine tooth file until it is smooth. Then I use a sizle (s.i.c.) buff,the one with the fibers in it. I use a little"black emery" compound to remove the file marks and blend the area smooth with the rest of the surfaces. I have a small wimpy bench type grinder that has a 1/3 hp motor and turns at 3200 rpms the speed is right but I have found that I can only use a 3/8"-1/2" wide buffing wheels effectively. If I had a 1 hp motor I could use a bigger width buff and make the job go faster. Also I can only use a 6"dia because of the machine is really the auxiliary wheel on a water wheel slowspeed grinder used to sharpen wood plane and chisel blades. After the rough work in done I then use a spiral sewn firm type buff with black emery. I go over the entire piece with this. It is kind of like sandpaper and it will remove all the scratches. I use this until I can't see any more random scratches and I make sure that I make a lot of very light passes at the end. I then use another buff of the same type with "Brown Tripoli"compound, I use a separate one so that none of the previous compounds will be there to cut too deep. I also clean the previous compound off the part with lacquer thinner before going to the next one. I don't see much difference between the Black and Brown compounds though so I might be wasting my time here. Then I come to the hardest part that makes me feel that I'm missing a step some where. I use a white compound on another buff just like the ones before. The "White Diamond"compound is what really brings up a super finish. I buff the parts with each new buff and compound until I cant see any of the previous compounds scratches. I found that at this step that I would get a Real shinny spot where I had filed a dent and that the whole piece would get that shinny if I kept working at it. Apply a little compound to the buff and

try pulling the part toward you while  you polish. This seems to spread a film of compound over the part and it becomes stiffer when the area cools. I then come back and push the part the other direction (toward the floor) with a scrubbing type motion and this removes the harder film and seems to cut better. I need to use ear plugs here because it's so loud. Here is where that I think that another compound should come either before or after this "White Diamond" compound because I spend forever at this step removing the haze from the stainless. Eastwood company had a stainless polishing set of three compounds and a video on "How to" that I may have to break down and buy because their "Stainless" compound may be the one that I should be using before or after the white one that I'm using now. I then use a "loose spiral" buff with the same white compound to finish off to a fine polish. I comes up just as bright as new chrome! Then wax and you have a new looking piece of stainless. I think that I'll go ahead and send this to the whole group to see if there is a real polisher out there to tell me where I'm off in this process(it just seems to take too long at one stage). Right now I'm dead broke, my dentist has all of Car Painting Money and for some time to come, so at least I feel like I accomplishing something this winter on my resto. I've found the "names" of the compounds are different and confusing from one manufacturer to another other than Black Emery,Brown Tripoly,and Red Rouge (I've found it doesn't do much of anything to stainless). Sorry for the long note. PLEASE if someone could give other insight or corrections please do it.

Deane
'60 Polara
I'm saving those huge rear gravel shields to polish last.

-----Original Message-----
From: John Bartell [mailto:jrbartell@xxxxxxx]
Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2000 9:58 AM
To: L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [FWDLK] Wheel cover paint

Deane,
        Would you care to share your methods with us?  John in WI

> Deane Allinson wrote:

> Deane,
> '60 Polara (with a lot of stainless trim)
> I've just about learned to polish stainless
> after 9 covers and 30-40 hours of redoing,
> because the 2nd. was better than the 1st.
> and the 7th was better than the 6th etc.
>
>