Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Best way to polish 304L Stainless?

I use 304L (and a little 409 sometimes) stainless tubing on the twin turbo systems I design.

I want to polish this to a chrome-like finish. I don't want to use a buffing wheel, what I would prefer is something I can put on an air grinder, 4.5" electric grinder or lastly a Dremel [on eBay or Amazon] tool.

I have been told that there are some type of pads (said it looked like a scrunched up SOS pad [on eBay or Amazon]) that already have some type of treatment on them (like Nevr-Dull [affil links] ?) and these pads are counted on a mandrel so they can be used in an air grinder, drill, etc.

The tubing is just too complicated a shape to use a buffing wheel.

What do you recommend?

Rad Craig
- Chouteau, Oklahoma
2003

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First of two simultaneous responses --

Electropolish is the best way. Find someone in your hometown that does it. Alternatively you can use wheels made of radially mounted sandpaper every time finer down to felt with polishing paste like Brasso [on eBay or Amazon], Hapich or whatever, but it will be very time consuming and probably won't get into recesses well.

Guillermo Marrufo
Monterrey, NL, Mexico
2003

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Second of two simultaneous responses --

Most abrasive wheel manufacturers have or handle a line of non-woven wheels that work like grinding wheels. They are easy to control and deburr as well as produce good uniform smooth surface finishes.

AF Kenton
retired business owner - Hatboro, Pennsylvania
2003