Headlight, cowl light, radiator shell Stainless Restoration?

[CC-Mo]

A question for restoring these bits to the group.
I could write a book on polishing aluminum but am new to stainless.
My 90 y/o paint has enough character to go around but I'd like my stainless parts to look decent.
They have character that won't polish out fully with metal polish.
Question is, do the restorers use 4000 grit and then polish out?
I've repaired aluminum blemishes this way. 2k, 3k, and then follow up with 4K grit and then metal polish.
Thanks in advance for any pro-tips from those that have been down this road!

[mach0415]

Most of the bright work on my 28 Tudor is nickel plated and not ss.

[Jack Shaft]

22,000 rpm die grinder,wool discs and jeweler's rouge.

[Bob Bidonde]

Ditto Jack Shaft.

[old31]

Jack, I need sunglasses to see that headlight.

CC, I have done a fair amount of stainless polishing over the years.

This is the buffer that I use.

https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-1-...ual-speed.html

Depending how deep is the deepest scratch, that is the sandpaper that you would start with. It could be 180-200-400-or 600 grit that you would start with and then keep going up to about 1500-2000 and then buff it out using different compounds depending how it looks starting with a stainless compound and ending with a red/jewelers compound.

https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-bu...compounds.html

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

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Originally Posted by CC-Mo

A question for restoring these bits to the group.
I could write a book on polishing aluminum but am new to stainless.
My 90 y/o paint has enough character to go around but I'd like my stainless parts to look decent.
They have character that won't polish out fully with metal polish.
Question is, do the restorers use 4000 grit and then polish out?
I've repaired aluminum blemishes this way. 2k, 3k, and then follow up with 4K grit and then metal polish.
Thanks in advance for any pro-tips from those that have been down this road!

Just as in aluminum, the key to a shine is how smooth the surface will be. The benefit of a mechanical buffer is the time saved however you will find that water-sanding with grits up to 5000 will produce a very respectable lustre without using a wheel. Rouge is a medium that removes material, however it typically induces heat that allows a strong potential for warpage. I have a 7½ hp Cincinnati buffer that is used to gloss up after each piece has been repaired and water sanded to 5000 grit.

I don't have any pictures of my headlight case or the headlight rim fixture, but below are pictures of the fixture we use to hold a radiator shell. Notice there is a flat surface tightly adjoining any area where the spinning pad could grab the work. Not only does this protect the operator and the work piece, but it also maintains the proper shape of the piece to keep from distorting it during the polishing process.

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[Jack Shaft]

Heat control with a die grinder is easy,just monitor your work.Less chance of injury than with the standing buffer shown

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Jack Shaft

Heat control with a die grinder is easy,just monitor your work.Less chance of injury than with the standing buffer shown

So why do you suppose professional polishers don't just use die grinders then?

[Jack Shaft]

The same reason hobbyists dont use stand buffers

[CC-Mo]

Originally Posted by Jack Shaft

22,000 rpm die grinder,wool discs and jeweler's rouge.

Perfect! Now that's a shine.

[CC-Mo]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

Just as in aluminum, the key to a shine is how smooth the surface will be. The benefit of a mechanical buffer is the time saved however you will find that water-sanding with grits up to 5000 will produce a very respectable lustre without using a wheel. Rouge is a medium that removes material, however it typically induces heat that allows a strong potential for warpage. I have a 7½ hp Cincinnati buffer that is used to gloss up after each piece has been repaired and water sanded to 5000 grit.

I don't have any pictures of my headlight case or the headlight rim fixture, but below are pictures of the fixture we use to hold a radiator shell. Notice there is a flat surface tightly adjoining any area where the spinning pad could grab the work. Not only does this protect the operator and the work piece, but it also maintains the proper shape of the piece to keep from distorting it during the polishing process.

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Brent, thank you! That's the answer I was searching for, the ability to use 4-5k grit paper prior to polishing without damage.
On off-topic extremely expensive mirror polished aluminum wheels/parts, I've done this with great success. Now they didn't have 90 years of (never been polished) behind them but I have repaired & maintained them with good luck all the same. Normally the main culprit was just baked on water spots and some minor scratches & blemishes.
I actually prefer to polish by hand. I'm just not set up to do it mechanically and like the full control of doing it manually.
I researched last night where Henry was promoting "rustless steel" on the headlights, grille & trim for 1930. But the 28-29 like mentioned above are actually nickel plate? It seems like stainless would be 100% forgiving for polishing but nickel plate a guy could possibly burn through?
That would be a bad day. I've priced new headlight/cowl buckets & they are high!
Edit: Google took me to a MARC link where it shows all A metal finishes. 30-31 are indeed stainless as compared to 28-29 that used more nickel and chrome.

[Dutie]

Hey CC Mo, Lots of mothers and a slow speed polisher with lots of patience will amaze you. Good luck with yours and happy motoring.....Dutie

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Jack Shaft

The same reason hobbyists dont use stand buffers

....... Ohhh but the Good Ones do!!

Originally Posted by CC-Mo

Brent, thank you! That's the answer I was searching for, the ability to use 4-5k grit paper prior to polishing without damage.

I actually prefer to polish by hand. I'm just not set up to do it mechanically and like the full control of doing it manually.

Just so we are clear, the same damage can be done with sandpaper vs medium on a buffing pad. The benefit I see in doing by hand sanding is you can use water to keep the surface flushed clean. It is easier to keep the heat away when using sandpaper & water. We often use an air-powered palm sander with velcro-loop paper in some of the bigger areas.

Nothing wrong with using hand methods. The reason we use the big buffer is control. While this may seem to be the opposite, notice how wide our pads are. I have felt pads that are 4 inches wide and spin at quite a few RPMs (-not sure what the speed of our machine is) and because of the higher horsepower, the big machine does not labor nor does the pad deflect any. This allows great control because the pad is not trying to grab like they will on a smaller under-powered machine. Also, the grease that is in the compounds will evaporate on the higher Hp machines whereas it turns to a gummy black residue on a under-powered machine.

FWIW, the grease can be removed with Wax & Grease Remover followed by dusting with baking flour. I am still learning how to do this process of restoration mainly because all of the stainless restorers seemingly have aged-out and are no longer able to supply the hobby. Fortunately I was able to spend a day with a professional polisher who tutored me. The next phase for us is perfecting our straightening techniques and crack repair. There was a stainless restorer named Doug Bruce who could straighten an A shell to near perfection. Sadly he passed away without sharing his secrets to his craft. Most restorers of shells polish them without straightening the side panels. Doug's were near perfect in those areas. We are slowly mastering the technique of straightening the sides too.

[Charlie Stephens]

A few suggestions:
1. Unlike aluminum the thin stainless steel warps and ripples easily. If your wheel is spinning too fast and you press the part into the wheel it will generate enough heat to locally warp/ripple the metal. I have seen '30-'31 radiator shells destroyed by this technique.
2. Be careful you don't catch an edge in the buffing wheel.
3. Draw a pattern of one inch squares on the parts with a felt tip and buff one square at a time, redraw and do it again.
4. Specialized compounds are available from places like Eastwood. Don't even think of using the stuff from a local hardware store.
5. Good luck.

Charlie Stephens

[old31]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

Just as in aluminum, the key to a shine is how smooth the surface will be. The benefit of a mechanical buffer is the time saved however you will find that water-sanding with grits up to 5000 will produce a very respectable lustre without using a wheel. Rouge is a medium that removes material, however it typically induces heat that allows a strong potential for warpage. I have a 7½ hp Cincinnati buffer that is used to gloss up after each piece has been repaired and water sanded to 5000 grit.

I don't have any pictures of my headlight case or the headlight rim fixture, but below are pictures of the fixture we use to hold a radiator shell. Notice there is a flat surface tightly adjoining any area where the spinning pad could grab the work. Not only does this protect the operator and the work piece, but it also maintains the proper shape of the piece to keep from distorting it during the polishing process.

.
.

WOW, now thats a manly buffer. A guy like me would easily hurt my self with that thing. Ouch.