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I have some very rough brass pieces that I would like to smooth out

Last year for Christmas, my parents purchased a kit for me to assemble. It is a replica of an old hammer lock, Hawkens, black powder rifle. Included in the parts to be finished and assembled are a brass butt plate, patch box, forend cap, thimble, and wedge. The pieces are very rough in texture, and dull in appearance. The directions that came with the kit give good assembly instructions, but little help in finishing the parts. I would like to know how to give these pieces a very smooth and lusterous finish. I would greatly appreciate any help I could get.

Dustan Paul
Pend Oreille Mechanical - Coeur d'Alen, ID USA
2005

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You very probably have a casting (an import at that) and they are not of a high quality. I would look at a polishing tool at somewhere like Lowes that is stouter than a Moto tool. Sears used to sell a polish kit that had 4 colors of compounds in bars. Follow the instructions.
Manual is totally impossible. You need mechanical help for this.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
2005