Polishing Stainless Trim

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Can anyone comment on the steps for buffing/polishing a piece of stainless trim? Minor blemishes and wear, but no dents. I figure it needs a wheel at least, I am actually thinking of sanding first but cannot remember the suggested starting grit.

Thanks

[Restorer32]

First you need to determine whether the stainless trim has been flash chrome plated. If it has you can't polish it without first having the chrome removed. If you begin polishing and a subtle grey ring begins to appear around the spot you are attempting to polish it's plated. Plated stainless was common after WWII especially on higher end cars like Buick, Caddy etc. You can start with any grit sand paper you want as long as you end up with 400 grit or finer. You can't polish out any scratches coarser than 400, at least not easily.

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Thanks Restorer. I believe the part is "virgin stainless"

Looks like typical stainless with some minor wear. This is a windshield divider for my '39 120. Interesting comment you make about flash plating. The one on my car has been plated and is blistering. Most exterior chrome on this car was plated, and stainless parts polished, they did a quality job it seems, on everything but this particular part.

I have had differing opinions from more knowledgeable Packard folk on what is right for that part, but I have seen a few original cars lately and I believe polished stainless is correct for it, rather than plated.

Since it is a relatively clean part I think I will go 400 - 600 - 1000 - wheel? I know I have to get off my *** as I picked this up at Hershey a year ago!

Hmmm, a follow up question if I may - who removes chrome and at what cost? The one on the car is fine otherwise, and the replacement was not cheap. Wonder if someone can use it?

Thanks again.

Edited September 15, 2011 by Steve_Mack_CT (see edit history)

[Bhigdog]

Scratches should be filed/sanded out finishing with 600 grit. Finer is OK but not necessary. Polish trim with a sisal wheel and black compound to remove and smooth sanding marks finish, with a hard cotton wheel and white compound. The part will got very hot so you will need leather gloves. Eye protection and a face shield are a must, a good respirator is advised.

Be advised that there is the very real potential for injury when buffing. Using an improper wheel or holding the wrong angle while buffing will turn your part into a deadly missal. I have the scars to prove it............Bob

[Restorer32]

Employee of mine was polishing a brass PULLMAN radiator script when it got away from him. He ended up with PU bruised into his belly hard enough that you could read it. The other part of the script ended up lodged in the ceiling insulation. We use a 3 hp buffer that you would not be able to stall if you got wrapped up in it. Any plater can remove the chrome. Flash chromed stainless is virtually indistinguishable from simple polished stainless.

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Thanks guys. Restorer I will definately look for the telltale greying to see if it is flashchrome or not. Always careful even with my little wheel.

[Restorer32]

You will know it when you see it. You will wonder why your polishing wheel is having little effect then after you finally burn thru the chrome with the polishing wheel you will see a faint halo around the spot you polished. Chrome itself is nearly impossible to polish.

[keiser31]

Just a reminder...again....wear heavy gloves when polishing stainless. A friend of mine was polishing a headlamp bezel when it got away from her...three fingers gone.

[Restorer32]

We have 2 pieces of equipment in the shop that will intentionally try to hurt you. One is a commercial 3 hp buffer/ belt machine that would happily wrap you around its shaft with out even slowing down and a wood shaper that is just lying in wait for a misplaced finger. No one uses those two pieces without being thoroughly checked out first. Keiser isn't fooling with the missing fingers. Local guy lost a finger in exactly the same way. Always consider what would happen if the buffer grabs a piece and hold the piece accordingly so that it will slip out of your hands cleanly if it grabs.

[keiser31]

We have 2 pieces of equipment in the shop that will intentionally try to hurt you. One is a commercial 3 hp buffer/ belt machine that would happily wrap you around its shaft with out even slowing down and a wood shaper that is just lying in wait for a misplaced finger. No one uses those two pieces without being thoroughly checked out first. Keiser isn't fooling with the missing fingers. Local guy lost a finger in exactly the same way. Always consider what would happen if the buffer grabs a piece and hold the piece accordingly so that it will slip out of your hands cleanly if it grabs.

Kinda like crank starting an old car without knowing how to hold/turn the crank, except much worse if you lose an appendage.

Edited September 15, 2011 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[auburnseeker]

I wrapped a Headlight ring from a 63 Chevy yesterday in mine. I even told the guy when he dropped the pieces off, that these have gotten ruined before. It's the inside retaining ring. The buffer just loves those sharp inside edges. I have always had to go all the way to 1500 grit before buffing. Otherwise there always seems to be deeper marks in the stainless that you can just see in the right lighting If you are super particular. I have never been able to get them out with buffing only. I always have to go super fine with the paper first. I'm even using the black emery compound. Or atleast that's what they packaged it as. It doesn't seem to do a whole lot more than the white rouge though. Any suggestions on that?

[Bhigdog]

I wrapped a Headlight ring from a 63 Chevy yesterday in mine. I even told the guy when he dropped the pieces off, that these have gotten ruined before. It's the inside retaining ring. The buffer just loves those sharp inside edges. I have always had to go all the way to 1500 grit before buffing. Otherwise there always seems to be deeper marks in the stainless that you can just see in the right lighting If you are super particular. I have never been able to get them out with buffing only. I always have to go super fine with the paper first. I'm even using the black emery compound. Or atleast that's what they packaged it as. It doesn't seem to do a whole lot more than the white rouge though. Any suggestions on that?

Are you using a sisal wheel? That's what it takes to get sanding scratches out. Finish with a hard or semi hard cotton. Loose cotton is death on a stick just looking to grab the piece. Roger the inner head lite ring being a killer. That's what got me. Happened so fast it was all over before I even realized it.

I never even felt it till I saw the blood. Very luckily it was only a few stitches and a tetnus shot. It took me a week to find the ring way up in the rafters totally pretzled. Personally I think the buffer is the most scary thing in shop..............Bob

[Guest Skyking]

You always MUST buff away from the sharp edges. Never into them.

[Bhigdog]

Problem with a piece like the headlamp ring is that it has protruding tabs. Very dicey to polish even if you know the dangers, which I did. I've done them since but I only do the very outer edge. I would advise most folks not to attempt to polish them at all, especially since they are, for the most part, hidden............bob

[Guest Skyking]

Sometimes what I do is rest the piece onto a piece of wood. I have different sizes and radius's that help in different situations. I know this doesn't work on everything, but it helps on certain situations, especially on small pieces.

[auburnseeker]

I was using a sisal wheel from Eastwood and it was shredding so fast that I think I took an inch or 2 off it before I even got down a short door moulding. I was covered with sisal scrap from head to toe. Did I get a Defective wheel? The black bar I got was also more gray than black so maybe I was dooped there as well.

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Duly noted on the safety tips - and thanks all for both technical and safety advice.

Shop safety is always priority one. Most of my career has been as an ops. leader in the insurance industry but I did spend a couple years in between insurance jobs as a sales manager for a company specializing in the woodworking industry (long story). In this job I would often ride with our sales reps covering three NE states and at one time knew almost every cabinet maker in the area. The percentage of clients with missing digits was amazing!

[Restorer32]

We use a 3 HP buffer and start with 12" Sisal buffing wheels and black/dark grey compound. Do a little math. You want that wheel spinning at about 6000 feet per minute surface speed. When using tightly sewn cotton wheels you aren't pressing hard enough unless the wheel sometimes begins to smoke. We reproduce phaeton and roadster top irons in stainless and inevitably after riveting there is a bit of polishing that needs touched up. Holding a 6 ft long articulated top iron assembly up to a buffing wheel is tempting the gods so it's an operation that only my son or I even attempt. Spend a few hours at a buffing wheel holding something cumbersome and you will have a new appreciation for your chrome plater's skill.

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Related question, I have heard many times "good chrome needs buffing" - does older, non pitted chrome respond to buffing - or is that just a popular sales term!

BTW Restorer - was at a club meeting last night at a resto shop where they are fabricating a speedster body, aluminum on wooden frame from scratch. I am always amazed at the skill of craftspeople who can do work like that, as well as plating, etc. We saw some of the tools he had also fabricated out of old bandsaws using the large "C" frame to make body shaping tools - unrelated but it was very impressive to say the least.

Thanks

[Bhigdog]

I was using a sisal wheel from Eastwood and it was shredding so fast that I think I took an inch or 2 off it before I even got down a short door moulding. I was covered with sisal scrap from head to toe. Did I get a Defective wheel? The black bar I got was also more gray than black so maybe I was dooped there as well.

Don't know what to say other than a new sisal wheel will shed pretty good until it breaks in, but I'm still using the same 8" wheel after 4 cars worth of trim. The normal color of emery compound is dark gray.

This is just my opinion but I feel most of Eastwood's products are over priced hobby grade. I buy my buffing supplies from Tar Heel Parts..........Bob

[Restorer32]

McMaster Carr has most of the polishing wheels you would ever need.

[Restorer32]

Polishing materials was what I wanted to type. Wheels, compounds, etc.

[auburnseeker]

I'll check into them. I wasn't real happy with the Eastwood buffing supplies I got. Thanks for the lead.