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Post by atouchofglass on Mar 17, 2008 6:35:46 GMT 10
Hi All ;D Does anyone have any experience..knowledge on how to polish stainless steel? I'm wanting to clean up the sink in my van and need some advice on how to go about it. what did you use as a polishing compound and what equipment do I need?
thanks to all that answer Atog
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Post by tonyh on Mar 17, 2008 17:20:24 GMT 10
Hey atog, Depends on how bad the stainless is damaged/scratched and if you have a electrical device you can adapt to polish - they can be polished up to look like new. Check out your local Trade Tools store for a woven, stitched mop (cotton polishing wheel that fits onto a tapered spindle) and the light blue compound for stainless. It is worthwhile getting on the good side of your local metal polisher as they get these mops and compounds heaps cheaper and can often give you old mops and bits of compounds for next to nothing. They don't want to come to your house to polish a sink in situ. I polished most of my stainless for my FC on my bench grinder with a spindle from Trade Tools - - won't be able to do my sink on it but will adapt my car buff. ;D Cheers, TonyH
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Post by atouchofglass on Mar 30, 2008 7:58:12 GMT 10
Greetings Tonyh I chickened out and went the jiff and elbow grease way.... cleaned it but no polish.... time is a factor.. need more time making bits for the interior Will probably polish at a later date if I'm not happy with the end result
Thanks for the info Atog
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Post by hooligan on Apr 1, 2008 23:21:06 GMT 10
hi Atog, I find "Autosol" is awesome on most metal, available from most Auto stores, apply with a rag, then buff off excess then buff with a clean rag.
Cheers, Gristy
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Post by atouchofglass on Apr 2, 2008 6:26:43 GMT 10
Gristy I have Autosol but it is a little to fine for the scratches in the sink.. Will keep it in mind if I get to doing a proper polish on it next time..
Atog
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Post by hooligan on Apr 2, 2008 10:24:21 GMT 10
Ok Atog, Another Product - I think "Purple" (very apt for the seventies too), apparently better than Autosol. How deep are the scratches? Will they polish out? If youre game maybe some cutting compound? (No guarantees there, propably an idea to test it on the underside or of the sink first!) Cheers, Gristy
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Post by atouchofglass on Apr 2, 2008 17:37:14 GMT 10
Hi again Hooligan
The scratches are typical of any sink that has had a fair bit of use.. most likely I will use a grinder with a soft pad and cutting compound .... IF I get to that stage. At this point is will remain with the good clean it has already had.
Only after I have finished the van will I continue on this track
Atog
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Post by atouchofglass on Feb 5, 2009 15:17:21 GMT 10
Hey All Thought I'd add this bit of info to the thread Currently working on another project for the caravan Which requires stainless steel.... Thought it might look better polished rather than just a dull matt finish So here's what I've done and learned Cut the stainless angle and flat bar to sizeCut and ground to shape All using standard grinding and cutting disc's on my 100mm grinder and also used a cut off saw from work. OK Then drilled the appropriate holesFirst used a pilot hole Drilled slowly with a drill press Adding squirts of WD40 or similar dewatering fluid If you drill too fast it hardens the stainless and bluntens the drill bit Clamp the pieces before drilling or it will all go horribly wrong Photo shows steel before sanding and polishingSanded the cut and drilled pieces with 60 grit then 80 grit then 120 grit again on the 100mm grinder This takes time and is a total pain to do..... but needs to be done Would have liked to use even finer grits but didn't have them Perhaps an orbital would have been useful as well On to polishing Use a particle mask Your lungs are worth it Used a coarse polishing compound on a stiff calico mop Because I had it Would have liked an even coarser polishing compound but didn't have one The stainless steel after the coarse polishing compound was smooth without a lot of marks and had a dull polish Final polish was with Green rouge on a stitched mop Because I had it The polishing motor is an old 7" grinder with tapered arbors or spindles fittedAgain because I had the polishing motor set up already The finish wasn't as good as I would have normally liked but in this case the pieces won't be easily seen when the van is finished so this finish was good enough The drilling of the holes, sanding and polishing took the best part of two days..... could have done it faster but wasn't really in that much of a rush. The cutting and shaping of the pieces of stainless steel was done some time ago and have waited for an appropriate time to finish the job. You should be able to pick up all the bits and pieces at BOC or similar Gas suppliers They will also be able to help you with the appropriate grits and types of polishing compounds Have you had similar experiences? Please let us all know Cheers Atog
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Post by bobt on Feb 5, 2009 21:50:37 GMT 10
Hey atog Thanks for the tip... one you would not have realized you gave me. I have been given a grinder similar to yours and 1 only mop to go on it. have been on the look out for another. The tip was the way you mounted it. I was just going to build a stand, but what you have done is a much better idea. thanks
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Post by millard1399 on Feb 6, 2009 7:51:40 GMT 10
Hi atog, waaaaay back in the 1970s, coincidentally around the time my Millard was being built , I was a young fella working in a laboratory at the local steelworks. As a young lackey, my job was to cut up steel samples and mount them in a resin & hardener block. Then I would coarse grind one face of the block before progressively grinding it down further with successively smoother wet-and-dry papers...four different grades from memory...200, 400, 800, and 1200 grit. And THEN the face was polished using two different grades of diamond paste (coarse and fine), using kerosene as the means of making a slurry. And I spent HOURS and DAYS and MONTHS of my life doing that routine, all on mild steel samples, and all so there were no scratches on the surface when the steel was looked at under a microscope at 400x magnification. A very, very exacting standard was required! Whenever we had to do stainless steel samples, we would have been wasting our time polishing it by the same mechanical process, as the time required to produce the exacting standard was much, much more than the industry would tolerate. The only way we could polish stainless steel in a timely fashion was to use the electropolishing method. So what I'm trying to illustrate here atog, is that you are a CHAMPION for even attempting to do what you're doing! ;D ;D I'd much rather have a red hot poker up my left nostril, with my *&%# clamped tightly in a vyce, than have to do what you are doing!! How long does polished stainless stay polished for, in your tropical climate? You certainly get my vote for "Restorer of the Month"! ;D ;D ;D ;D cheers, Al.
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Post by atouchofglass on Feb 6, 2009 9:07:05 GMT 10
Hey Al Back in the 70's when I began my apprenticeship the first job I had was polishing Not a lot of fun Then as punishment we had ..... polishing... Not a lot of fun Did a lot of .... polishing ;D ;D ;D So I learned to tune out and think of other things Hence the post... it was thought up while sanding and polishing the stainless
It isn't that hard just mind numbingly boring
As you so rightly pointed out The more fine you can get with the sanding and then at least three grades of finishing compounds on the buffs Separate compounds separate buffs Makes the stainless come up more quickly than trying to do with fewer sanding and polishing steps
As I pointed out on the post..... I used what was at hand
Stainless stays polished for quite some time even in such humid/wet conditions... Hence being used in the marine industries Admittedly they use 316 and I've used what was given.... so not sure if it is 316 or not
Hey Bobt The spindles come in left and right hand They too should be available at BOC or any Gas and Gear shop in your area The box was made cause it keeps all the crap in one spot Again use a particle mask as there are some of these polishing compounds that contain some nasty and possibly carcinogenic compounds... Tripoli being one such compound So take precautions
Cheers Atog
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Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2009 9:22:08 GMT 10
Bloody amazing. I second Millard1399's vote
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Post by mike on Feb 8, 2009 12:27:23 GMT 10
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Post by atouchofglass on Feb 8, 2009 17:19:36 GMT 10
Hey MikeHad the exact same problem as yourself when drilling a piece of stainless Asked the guy that made the door hinges what I was doing wrong. He told me to use WD 40 (NOT Penentrene as I was doing) and drill slowly on a drill press Hey presto !!!! It worked A fair bit of pressure is needed initially to start drilling and then not a lot... Use plenty of WD 40 and drill slowly not letting the metal heat up Remembering to use a pilot drill or several - if you need to drill a large hole Hey BobtThe cabinet idea does have some drawbacks... I need to polish a piece of stainless about a metre long..... Won't fit.. So will have to use one mounted on a stand Horses for courses ... Hey WahroongaI am humbled to think you blokes see it as something Always think to myself .... "If I can do it then anyone can" Stop complimenting him it only encourages him to post moreShut up brain Ohhh did I say that out loud?...... D@mn .......my internal monologue isn't working again ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Atog
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