Stupid Question - Polished Stainless Steel?

[DRM]

I have a typical stainless steel 1911...and I'd like to polish it to a high luster ("polished" stainless).

How would one go about this?

 

[.38 Special]

I have polished stainless steel tubing to a chrome-like finish using progressive grits of wet/dry sandpaper, ending with 8000 grit and then polishing with white rouge on a buffing wheel. Unless you are extremely experienced, this method almost guarantees a mirror-like surface with plenty of runs, pulls, and rounded edges that were supposed to be sharp. So I probably wouldn't, if I were you.

 

[rcmodel]

+1
Not a job for amature polishers due to the flats and curves that have to be maintained to make it look right.

But more then that, highly polished stainless will get scratched if you sneeze on it.

It will very shortly look terrible just from normal use & handling.

rc

 

[Patton Vs Rommel]

start with a knife or ever a spoon, something less valuable, then try some non working internal parts like mag well w grip removed. Polishing the trigger bar and mag well reduces friction = lighter trigger pull/crisper trigger break

 

[Drail]

Big +1 on high polish stainless looks good for about two days. Brushed or bead blasted is much more practical.

 

[2nd 41]

Take care of it. Keep it clean...I think it looks good for years. I'll take Mirror Polished Stainless over Nickel or Chrome.
Have it done professionally. As posted before...do not try polishing anything you cherish. Polishing is learned by trial & error and lots of practice.
www.eastwood.com has How To Videos and all kinds of polishing equipment and supplies. These items can be found cheaper but Eastwood has it all.
http://www.eastwood.com/buffing/metal-buffing/buff-compounds.html

 

[beatcop]

The buffing wheels and rouge can take a surprising amount of material off, so be carefull if you decide to proceed. Small parts can also go flying if you lose your grip on them, so make sure you have some kind of mat on the floor under the buffer.

 

[krs]

I prefer nickeled, but whatever Kimber did to this Classic Stainless Gold Match has stayed shiny as when it was new for nearly twenty years of handling and range trips.

I've often wondered if they have some proprietary process to keep stainless guns shiny.

 

[.38 Special]

The shiny stainless I have done did indeed stay shiny with no special attention. It does scratch easily, however. The problem remains, in my experience, that it takes a master polisher to keep flat surfaces flat and round surfaces round. I can't do it, and I've got more than a few hours in front of a polishing wheel. I have never seen an amateur polishing job that didn't look amateur, and I've come across a few professional jobs that looked amateur as well. It just isn't nearly as easy as you'd think.

 

[PattonTime]

High Polish Stainless

I have a friend who is a master Polisher. He does it most often for reblueing but has turned a scratched up Smith 629-1 into a work of art for me.
I also own a "Ultimate Bright Stainless " Python so I do have something to compare to.
I will give his number to any one that wants it and I can assure you , this man is a master. He is also very, very reasonable in price he restored and I do mean restored
a Python to a state that no one at the Minnesota Weapons Collectors show could tell was a re-work. Except for the guys that were mumbling, "I have never seen such a beautiful
Python before".
Well, for what it is worth ,Sorry I guess I sound like an ad.
P.M. if interested , I could show samples of his work.
Chris "PattonTime"

 

[Beelzy]

Don't do that.

;-)