Stainless trim spiff-up, anyone?

[CanyonCarver515]

Hello,

I was told that I can strip the dull anodization with oven cleaner, on the various stainless steel trim pieces around the grille and trunk of my ’67.

I am thinking of polishing them to a mirror-like shine so they look better.

Am I fooling myself or is this something that's been done before?

 

[enferno]

try brake cleaner and them some #0000 steel wool.

anything more course than #0000 will put tiny scratches, but the 4-aught works great. cleans and polishes

 

[CanyonCarver515]

Well I am planning on running the trim through my bench buffer and use a stainless steel polishing bar.

Anyone tried this?
Does the polish hold over time. It should, provided that we're dealing with stainless and not aluminum.

Anyone cares to weigh in on this?

 

[truck90278]

Simply buff it with compound, that is all that is needed. use two grits, one, sorry don't recall the specific name it is black in color and then follow up with white rouge. Go on line to Eastwood, their catalogue shows all the different compounds and what they shoud be used for. I polish stainless regularly, I have 10" buff wheels. It will cleanup fairly nicely. It will take some time and it may be difficult to get all the real small scratchs out.

 

[entdoc]

I do not believe there is anodization on SS, only aluminum( oven cleaner will strip it). Just polish on a wheel.

 

[66forfun]

watch out for the crisp corners, you dont want to buff off those. tape up the edges and go slow with the rouge. dont let the wheel grab the part and destroy hard to find parts. good luck.

 

[CanyonCarver515]

Thank you for the advice. I do have two kinds of rouge and a 10-inch buffing wheel.
I'll be testing this with the old damaged parts I am replacing. It will be good practice.

 

[calpolymustang]

I had Dave Turner in Fresno, CA polish up all my stainless. He does top notch repair work too (for dents and tears). He might be under Turner Construction in the phone book, cant remember if thats him of not, but my window frames look shinnier than a rapper's wheels.

 

[CanyonCarver515]

Thank you for the tip.
Laughing about the rapper wheels comparison!

I'd like to see pictures of your car. It sounds pretty peachy.

 

[truck90278]

It is difficult to get at home the same results as a professional polisher. While I do small items and bolts, when I want it the best, then I have it done professionally. When professionally done, it looks more like chrome. As 66forfun said be careful. A wheel can grab small parts particularly easy and damage them or more seriously severly injury you when then are grabbed out or your hands. Be sure to wear some gloves and eye protection

 

[CanyonCarver515]

Of course. I actually have polished a lof of items in the past and have a decent experience with it. I have propelled enough bolts and various pieces into the wall or on my legs when I was younger,

 

[enferno]

Simply buff it with compound, that is all that is needed. use two grits, one, sorry don't recall the specific name it is black in color and then follow up with white rouge. Go on line to Eastwood, their catalogue shows all the different compounds and what they shoud be used for. I polish stainless regularly, I have 10" buff wheels. It will cleanup fairly nicely. It will take some time and it may be difficult to get all the real small scratchs out.

i believe the polish is called tripoli

 

[CanyonCarver515]

I have heard the term before. You might be right.

i believe the polish is called tripoli

 

[bnickel]

I have heard the term before. You might be right.

you want to start with an emory actually. also harbor freight has some pretty dedicated buffing motors for less than $100, if you catch them on sale you get the really nice ones for around $50-65. dedicated buffing motors have more HP and run slower so they don't send parts flying as often.

i used my little cheapie bench grinder to al the stainless on my car and some of the "bright dipped" aluminum. on the aluminum you have to remove the anodizing or "bright dipping" polish the part and clear it.