Polishing SS to a mirror finish

[snakebitx1]

Hi guys,

Well I have something I bought that is SS, but it was pretty scuffed up and had swirls on it so i tried to wet sand it with 2000 grit paper, but it left it hazy. Any ideas on how to get the finish back to mirror finish by hand. I also have a PC buffer, but I don`t know if that`d help. Any and all tips are welcome.

Thanks,

Zach

[longdx]

Wet sanding will leave the finish dull/hazy. that is because it is taking the high spots off of the clear coat. You need to use a dedicated polish afterwards to bring back the gloss in the paint. You can either use the polish via by hand or PC.

[imported_themightytimmah]

Wetsanded SS can be a real challenge to correct via PC - I`d suggest Meguiars 105/orange, Meguiar`s 83/white, Meguiars #80/white to bring the paint to a like new finish. Follow with Meguiar`s #7 and a carnauaba wax of your choice.

[Joel_MD]

Hi guys,

Well I have something I bought that is SS, but it was pretty scuffed up and had swirls on it so i tried to wet sand it with 2000 grit paper, but it left it hazy. Any ideas on how to get the finish back to mirror finish by hand. I also have a PC buffer, but I don`t know if that`d help. Any and all tips are welcome.

Thanks,

Zach



When you say "SS" do you mean single stage paint, or perhaps bare stainless steel?

[Setec Astronomy]

Yeah, I thought he meant stainless steel. If that`s the case, I doubt that the 2000 grit paper really took the scuffs out of it, you probably just can`t see them now. You need some metal polish and a wool pad for your PC, it will take a long time and turn the pad black, but you will get it back to shiny...and be able to see the scratches again. If you want to get them out you will need to start with something like 240 or 320 paper (a little finer, 400 or 600 if they are not deep) and work your way back up to the 2000 and then buff. Make sure you spur or wipe the wool pad periodically to remove buildup.

[snakebitx1]

Yeah I meant stainless steel... I only did a small part and got scared to do more until I knew I could get the shine back so I`ll try what you said setec astronomy. Thanks

[snakebitx1]

So I used optimum compound on one of my old orange pads and it brought the shine back pretty good and then I hand polished it with optimum polish and it brought the shine back great! Thanks for the help

[AEsco48]

Mother Aluminum and Mag Polish works wonders