Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Matte stainless to polished?

What is the best way to polish a matte stainless rifle to make it a polished stainless?

ScotchBrite wheel on a Baldor buffer if you know what you're doing. If you don't have access to a wheel or aren't comfortable using power, most guys shouldn't be, then use progressively finer ScotchBrite pads until you get the finish you desire. Keep the strokes going the same direction for a more even looking finish. You can match the factory Ruger polished SS finish nearly to a T using ScotchBrite pads.

I do combustion consulting to a variety of industries, one of them is Commercial Cooking OEMs (appliance builders for large food chains...fryers...pizza ovens, etc.). The ss sheet that they use is factory "grained" much like you see on your home stove or fridge. When they Tig weld corners, they need to "re-grain" the polished or sanded areas to match the sheet graining. They use power driven flapper wheels that are made of ScotchBrite. Any grain, any matte, any polish. It is all there. Large flat areas take talent, round contours are easier.

Depending on how much texture you are starting with you might need to start with a good wet/dry paper or spend a lifetime with a scotchBrite.

All you need is a Miracle Cloth and polish the firearm while watching TV. It will look like nickle when you're done.

mod...,

what's a miracle cloth n where do you get them ?
thats a new one on me.

O

This.

If heavily textured you will want to first knock it down with wet or dry up through perhaps 500 or 600 grit before switching to Scotchbrite and then polishing wheel and compound.

Just curious but why a polished SS?

(My tastes run the other way - in fact I've been known to paint over SS whatever the polish for a hunt. )