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How to polish stainless steel column?

Rudd

Stainless
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
Location
savannah, jaw-ja
We have a job where a fix is to install (2) 6" x 6" x 9' stainless steel tube columns. Architect would like a "better than matte" finish, hopefully somewhat reflective. I suggested going at it with a belt sander with successivly finer grits, ending up about 600 grit, which I think would be a matt finish, from there, I dunno.. buffing?

Time, as in change order money, is an issue. Any thoughts on time or method of getting from matte to "somewhat reflective"?

It's 303 stainless as I recall.

thanks in advance

Rudd
 
When we fab various 303 sheets it is nearly impossible to avoid scratches and nicks. We would use a die grinder with a 3M roll lock disk to put swirls back into the finish. I believe this practice started as an old hotrod trick with pencil erasers and a drill press / mill on instrument panels. If the person applying the swirls lays it out well it gives a nice look.
 
I've a buddy that does a lot of polished stainless architectural type fab etc who I sometimes help out, and the polishing seems to take longer than you think.

First off, if you can get it professionally polished, at least in length form so you'll only have the odds and sods to finish.

If possible select the material carefully, a missed blemish will take a lot of extra work, bear in mind when polishing you're removing surrounding material down to the depth of the blemish.

IMO&E when it comes to polishing it's a specialised trade in it's self, but if you're attempting it, there are no shortcuts, as you say progressively finer grits then a sizal type buff with a fine cutting compound followed by final polish with a stiched cotton mop.

Keep all the marks when sanding and polishing going in the same direction.

Beware of excessive heat, as you know stainless just doesn't get rid of it, and I've seen 3x3x3/16 box bent through too much work on one face at a time.

Beware dirty hands and gloves as well as handling, polished stainless will almost mark it'self;)


Have fun:D
 
"Architect would like a "better than matte" finish, hopefully somewhat reflective. "

That's a pretty vague specification. I'd get clarification before I went much further
with the project.
I worked with and for Architects and Interior Designers for about 25 years in California
and both those professions can be real "sticklers" about finishes. {:>(

Larry Swearingen
Fort Wayne, IN
 
I'd use a scotchbrite wheel on either a straight shank grinder or an angle grinder. In either case, I'm talking about grinders capable of handling a 6" or 8" wheel, and not any of the mini grinders.

The problem with a belt sander, particularly on stainless, is if the belt loads the least bit in just one spot it'll do more damage to the finish in a matter of seconds than you can correct with hours of work.

With scotchbrite wheels its fairly easy to duplicate a #4 finish that's common on a lot of stainless work in commercial kitchens. People who build kitchen equipment that's large enough to be shipped in sections and then welded together in the field use the above process to blend and restore the finish after welding.

I think the architect might not really like a finish that's any more reflective than something like a #4 finish because the faces of most square tubing tend to be sorta wavy. That won't show as long as the finish is brushed, but it will show as you move toward a polished finish and it'll look like pure hell. IMO any full polished surface that the eye expects to be flat, but isn't, ends up looking like some half done piece of cheap chromed junk, regardless of what it may have really cost. If he wanted it fully polished, he shoulda spec'd round columns.

From a maintenance standpoint most any brushed finish is easy to maintain and minor scratches that occur during use can be easily blended and hidden with the proper scotchbrite hand pad.
 
polishing Stainless

I worked in a custom fab shop for a dozen years or so. Our specialty was control consoles, when we made SS cabnets we would have to grind the welded corners and re blend and polish them to match the rest of the box. We would use a pnumatic polisher that had a slow turning inflatable wheel about 4 inches wide and about six inches in Dia. it took different grit's of scotch-brite belts and finished with a rag wheel and polishing compound.
-Chris-
 
Chris - you mean like this?

prodimage.php


Dynabrade makes a whole line of equipment just to put a directional finish on stainless. - http://www.dynabrade.com/regions/1/ind/midFrameset/srchresults2.php?pf=20&sub=009
 








 
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