ClassicCar

dougc_portland

I want to try my hand at polishing the metal trim on my car. I have some old throwaway pieces I can practice on. Can anyone give me some tips on doing this?

If anyone else is interested in doing this go to the website caswellplating.com. They have a booklet you can download for free and there is a good article on this as well. I am just trying to gather as much info as I can.

Thanks,

Doug, 54 Special

rpmonroe

Ask away Doug

I'm here

Aaron D. IL

I've recently been doing the stainless steel trim on my '47 C8 sedan and there's a lot of it. I got a kit from Eastwood that had a set of 3 polishing pastes and 3 polishing wheels to go on an eletric motor. Basically the pastes have different grits and you let em rub on to the different grades of wheels then makes passes on the trim piece, and go to progressively finer grits until you get that mirror finish on the stainless trim. works pretty good, takes a little practice though and you have to stay on top of it lest you kink a piece of trim by not holding it steady.

rpmonroe

The site you've mentioned is helpful somewhat but has much information designed to sell unnecessary amounts of product.

I rarely use a wood block or dowel to move the metal. Common methods and tools such as a pick and file are never used when I straighten trim. A file is a tool I haven't used in seven years or more.

Don't pick a piece to practise on that is too easy because you'll probably get discouraged because your repair will be more noticeable than the small blemish you intended to fix.

Try choosing something that you think could be a little more challenging and stay patient

oldhudsons

I've used various grits of "rouge" etc. on my buffer wheel on which I have 2 different buffing wheels - that part is just a matter of practice & what works best for you.

What is trickier I've found, is removing dents & imperfections. I made up a set of various sizes & shapes of wood pieces to hammer out these dents. I always use a wood base too rather than a metal one onto which the piece is laid. One must be delicate in doing this or you'll pound a concave dent into a converse one which has to be pushed back in or filed down (which is bad because it creates scratches which have to be buffed out). Also if you do & redo the work too often it weakens the metal by making it thinner.

Dave53-7C

I take the easy way out and have a local shop do my polishing. They can remove little boo boos much better than I could. Someone who knows what they're doing can make stainless mirror-like.

Kdancy

One of the members of the Studebaker Drivers club posted a good series on stainless polishing -- look under

http://www.studebakerdriversclub.com/techtips.asp

SuperDave

Kdancy wrote:

One of the members of the Studebaker Drivers club posted a good series on stainless polishing -- look under

http://www.studebakerdriversclub.com/techtips.asp

Not only informative, but entertaining as well!

Thanks for posting.Those stud buster guys are a lot like us.

Birdman

The following link is the best I have seen on the subject. http://www.moparmusclemagazine.com/projectbuild/5136_1969_plymouth_road_runner_stainless_trim/index.html

rpmonroe

Well, it would surely be a benefit to the club if i could take the time to put together a good detailed video of how to straighten and polish trim.

The problem is finding some time to do it.

It may be necessary to set a camera on my workbench and just go at it because these examples of the "how to" of this trade aren't very thorough to say the least.

There are many ways to go about things I guess. After polishing a professional should NOT need to go over the piece with a screwdriver handle and fix ANY low areas. If you ask any body man worth his salt he'll be the first to mention the FINE Professional craftsmanship of those who have spent so much time messing up a panel for him to fix. I share the same joy.

Look, the step by step instructions a novice is supposed to follow in the last one I read said " nothing fancy here, just pound out the dent"

Right.

That's like showing a picture of a bodyman leaning against a beat up fender with a body hammer in his had and saying " before adding body filler, just pound out the dent

nothing fancy about it".

If anyone needs help with this stuff just call me (210) 584-5856

I might just do the camera on the workbench thing and make some DVDs available

would any of you folks be interested in that?

bobdriveshudson

ME, thanks for offering, Bob

rpmonroe

Give me a jingle----I think I'll need verbal motivation

Huddy42

Just so happens I have just watched a segment on metal polishing on our local TV to air station, one of his tips was to start with a small wheel rather than a big one, and his main tip was, NOT to try and polish your grill yourself as this can turn to disaster if not experienced in metal polishing, it is possible to lose a hand as well as destroy your grill. Start by pollishing straight trim.

rpmonroe

That's there is good advice

it can ugly fast

rpmonroe

I suppose I'll ask this question again since there hasn't been much of a response and the thread left the front page.

Do any of you club folks want me to produce a very detailed "how to" DVD or set of DVDs on how to straiten and polish stainless and aluminum?

SRCraftsman2

rpmonroe wrote:

I suppose I'll ask this question again since there hasn't been much of a response and the thread left the front page.

Do any of you club folks want me to produce a very detailed "how to" DVD or set of DVDs on how to straiten and polish stainless and aluminum?

Yes definitely. I meant to post the reply before but got involved with other things. I have done some repair of stainless, but I am really a newbie.

rpmonroe

Pat,

Thanx for the response and hopefully there'll be more to follow----i'd be happy to help you out

call if you need to also (210)584-5856

dougc_portland

Yes, I think something like that would be great.

Doug

54 Special

Eugene, OR

SuperDave

dougc_portland wrote:

Yes, I think something like that would be great.

Doug

54 Special

Eugene, OR

Yes, I too think that would be great!

RL Chilton

Rick-

We've since talked on the phone, but you know I'm all for it. My only addition is that it should be a professionally made video, with quality picture, sound, graphics. There are plenty of poorly made "DIY" tapes and DVD's out there that charge top dollar and are poor quality productions. Remember that the quality of your DVD's reflect the quality of your work, which is superior.

rpmonroe

I appreciate that advice and the cuddos. There is a friend of mine in the HET club that does produce tech videos as a profession

I may solicit his help in it.

duncan

That sounds like a good idea and I'm interested. Just as long as I don't

have to sell our Hollywood to pay for it .. HE HE just kidding Ray

rpmonroe

When it's finished you'll get a lot of bang for the buck---you'll see

bobdriveshudson

What the name of the movie.....Field of Dreams

You build it and they will come, I believe they will. Thanks, Bob

rpmonroe

Well I guess we should put this thing in shoe-leather then and get at it

Hudson Grandpa

Rick, I am a recipient of your work. If it weren't for my thin wallet I'd have you do the whole car. That bent peice that you had in Shiner throughly convinced me you do know what you are doing.

Just do it. By all means it is an art, and a lot of us would like to keep the stainless, stainless, and without little boogers. I'm #! on the CD list.

Ducor Kid

I too would be interested in a DVD on restoring stainless.

My efforts so far have so so.

Larry

ski4life65

I'm in. I painted my hornet almost 20 years ago, and I still don't have the rocker stainless on it (I can't seem to get it straight enough!) I don't want to mess it up more than it already is, so an instructional video would be great.

Don

rpmonroe

Hang in there then, help is on the way

Richie

rpmonroe wrote:

I suppose I'll ask this question again since there hasn't been much of a response and the thread left the front page.

Do any of you club folks want me to produce a very detailed "how to" DVD or set of DVDs on how to straiten and polish stainless and aluminum?

Yes sir !!! Thanks, Richie.

Fred C

Rick

It was good hearing from you today - Keep up the good work

Fred

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