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Field restoration of stainless steel #4 brush finish damaged by transit [Pennsylvania] 

August 11, 2008

I am looking for advise on how to restore a #4 brush finish on the door of an electrical contol panel made of 304 stainless.

We made the mistake of shipping these units without any protective barrier between the styrofoam sheet packing material and the stainless cabinet. There must have been some weight on top of the package during transport across country the weight and vibration created an ugly appearance ruining the #4 brush finish. The finish now looks like the bumpy surface of styrofoam sheeting.

This was proven by doing an accellerated test using a vibratory sander and a piece of styrofoam. Within 5 minutes we had minor damage to the finish very similar to the damage created during shipment.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to restore that finish?

JOE SMITH
FABRICATOR OEM - HAMBUG, PA, USA

Hi, Joe. Try wetting the stainless steel and seeing what it looks like. If the appearance is satisfactory when wet, meaning that the dull burnishing is thin, often a clear coat like Everbrite can make it right. If it doesn't look good wet, I think you need to take the doors off and have someone local redo them with a Timesaver (large belt sanding machine).

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.  finishing.com Brick, New Jersey