Aggressive stainless polishing

[m3bullet]

Cleaning/polishing my 1988 vintage S&W 686 with Mother's Mag & Aluminum Polish (MMAP) has always produced excellent results. MMAP produces a smooth and lustrous appearance.

I just acquired a 1984 S&W 66 police revolver with holster and handling scratches which MMAP does not remove. The scratches require a more aggressive polishing. What works? Would Dremel polishing be the solution? How about steel wool? I'd like to match/reproduce the fine brushed appearance of my 686.

 

[Keith J]

Depends

Using the Dremel with rouge and cloth/felt wheels will eventually produce a mirror finish.

The brushed look is done with fine abrasive (400-600 grit), stainless steel wool or brushes. Do not use steel wool or brushes as they could embed in the surface and cause rust spotting.

Try them out on a stainless steel blank to see what the finish will be. Keep in mind, any refinishing on stainless can cause rust to form since this is still a ferrous alloy (50-80% Fe).

 

[C.R.Sam]

Also bear in mind that to polish out a scratch, you have to remove the surrounding metal to the depth of the scratch. To keep a flat surface looking flat that requires a lot of metal removal.

Sam...my sentence structure isn't.

 

[m3bullet]

Good Info Guys

KJ, thanks for the great tip on the SS wool. I think I'll try the very fine SS wool and try to get a "blended" look with the existing scratches. I may try the Mother's polish along with the SS wool.

CR, good point on metal removal to the depth of the scratches. I'd characterize them as mostly "surface" scratches from a holster retention system. It was a police service revolver and got max holster time. The scratches are not deep enough to feel with your finger, but enough to stand out with light reflection.

 

[MPower]

I have found that 1500 grit wet/dry sandpaper to work well. I drop some breakfree on the paper to keep it lubed and the grit in suspension. I have refinished two satin SS revolvers and a few knives in this way.