How to Polish Stainless Steel

[Harold_Bacos]

Hey All,

Aloha! I am new to the forum. I will do an official intro later, but I have a question.

I pulled out a Deuce wheel that was never used and started thinking about using it on my Softail because my chrome is starting to rust and flake but when I saw the stainless spokes they were in bad condition. I am a DIY kinda guy like a lot of you here.

My question is: How do I get the stainless spokes polished up good. They are in new usable condition, but the surfaces have some black spots that I am sure that I can get out but haven't worked with stainless enough.

Here is an example in the pic. I have used only steel wool and Mag's metal polish so far. How much further can I go regarding abrasives?

If you look at the polished ones they still have a bit of black spotting.....I am sure that I can get rid of that. I just need to know how.

I know someone will recommend Buchanan's but I am saving up for extended forward controls first

Thanks all.

Harold

[Faast Ed]

Wizard's has some wadding polish that comes in a small metal container that resembles the old metal bandaid cans. Great stuff for aluminum, stainless or chrome. I use it often on stainless. Napa or some local bikes shops have it.

[Harold_Bacos]

Thanks Ed,

Do you think I should use any high # grit of wet sandpaper?

H

[kustom_flames]

Paper! I recently polished some stainless for my 65 corvair. I started with 320 - 600 - finished with 3000 grit. Harbor Freight has some polishes...

I then polished mine with some metal gloss, and they came out quite nice...

Perhaps a dremmel tool may work well to buff those tiny pieces...

[Harold_Bacos]

Sweet! I will keep you all updated. Now I am totally amped to get this done.

Aloha,
H

P.S. Please continue with the tips " A wise man has a counsel of many."

[kustom_flames]

I can't take full credit, as I was advised by a member of the corvair forum. I will include a link, you will find it very helpful, and wait till you see the results he got!

http://corvaircenter.com/phorum/read.php?1,122143

[kustom_flames]

I have also heard of people soaking in Drano, and using Oven Cleaner....

That of course is to help with the ugly stuff - buffing is still required!

[plongson]

If you have a bench grinder, purchase some flanel polishing wheels and some white rouge designed for stainless...and go to town. anything else and you will just wear yourself out and the stainless will still look like crap.

Option 2: Just take it to a chrome shop and pay the man. Polishing sucks, makes a mess and gets that lint and rouge all over the place.

[kustom_flames]

Will be tedious and messy work...but if you do have some tools it will go pretty smoothly. The dremmel worked real for me, and then I finished with my 3" buffer...but I have all that stuff cuz I'm a painter. The 3000grit I used on my DA is called Trizact from 3m and it's close to $100 for only 15 discs! The buffer I use from Dynabrade is $350...

I mention it b/c that is possibly why it went so smoothly for me - all the right tools...

Again, if you have a dremmel, I think that would be all you need for those, and will get the job done...

[Harold_Bacos]

I started already and noticed that on the spokes that I started to sand with the 300 and 600 sandpaper seems like it is taking off a covering on the spokes....I know it is not chrome but it seems like there is a lighter look and as I sand and get down a bit it turns to a deeper shade......any thoughts.

[CHIPMAKER]

Did you check them with a magnet, sounds like they are plated instead of SS

[Harold_Bacos]

Well since I don't swear......Foul, Filth, Foul, Flarn.....*inhale*.......*Exhale*.......It's plated........Thanks for all of your help.

NOW......Should I go to Chrome or Stainless Spokes......?