Stainless Steel Repair & Interior Question

[bobbersax]

Greetings and Salutations: I have a 31 Model A radiator shell that has a few dings and scratches. I live in West Des Moines and I am looking for someone close by or in an adjoining state that does stainless repair.


Also, in my restoration process, I am changing the paint color scheme to Lombard Blue which was on of the colors for a Standard Tudor that year. I am looking for someone that could give me information on the interior for that particular color scheme. (I was communicating with Le Barron Bonney until they went out of business so if there is another good quality interior company out there, I would be interested in knowing that as well.) Thx

[31Tudor]

The interior was the gray check combination, for a 31 Standard Tudor. Classtique has the kit available, I am guessing he is pretty busy now, with LB closing.

[Oldbluoval]

Check with Berts or Brent maybe they will address this
All the good stainless folks I know/knew have passed

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Oldbluoval

Check with Berts or Brent maybe they will address this
All the good stainless folks I know/knew have passed

Well Bill, you are correct about the good guys. Brent struggled with the very same thing so he bought a buffer the size of a Model-AA rear end along with all the stuff to polish with to be able to do them. Now Brent is trying to grow a set of testicles the size needed to operate this 7½ hp 3-phase buffer as he really has visions of this thing throwing someone into the middle of next week should things go bad!! And, it likely will hurt if things do go bad!!




Actually, I don't know what the solution is going to be because I still have 3 or 4 shells leftover from when the late Doug Bruce restored them and when I compare his to what I am having done, there is night and day difference. Doug's shells did not have any waves in the sides and the stainless had a deep shine. I have built a wooden shrinker and have started learning the process on how to straighten them. I have also found a local guy that can weld them really nicely albeit he is VERY expensive. On two fairly nice shells, I have about 8 hours a piece in each one by the time the splits were repaired, the waves and dings removed, and sanded up though 2000 grit and ready for buffing. I figure I will probably have another 2 hours in the buffing process as I have been told that it is all about keeping the metal cool so you cannot buff continuously. By the time you do the math on these, the day of the $500-600 shell restoration is over with if you want them to look worth a flip.


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[Alaska Mike]

Brent, you got the right buffer, you just need some better wheels and right compound. This outfit, https://www.buschshineproducts.com/ is a great resource for all things about polishing. Good website and great advice on the phone. I have used them for years. They generally do several presentations at the big truck show in Louisville Kentucky, and have a big booth.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

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Originally Posted by Alaska Mike

Brent, you got the right buffer, you just need some better wheels and right compound. This outfit, https://www.buschshineproducts.com/ is a great resource for all things about polishing. Good website and great advice on the phone. I have used them for years. They generally do several presentations at the big truck show in Louisville Kentucky, and have a big booth.

Thanks Mike. I did not show all my new stuff but I purchased several 12" Sisal wheels along with some 10" Flannel airbuffs. I have 4 different compounds too. I am still modifying the machine to suit the stuff I will mostly restore. I made a wooden shrinking disc that is working but I need to re-invent the process to shrink the side a little better. I need to purchase some different hammers and tune the face of the heads a little different than what you would use on sheetmetal. This, like many things is just a learning process.

[mike657894]

ive polished a few stainless guns to mirror shine. 1000 1200 1500 2000 3000 then mothers mag and aluminum polish by hand. but the mothers has more cut than other polishes and will micro pit if used with a buffer. and any scratch you put in needs to be taken out by the the next level of paper. the best result requires every step to be worked thoroughly. I find machine means will leave some slight wave in it. perfection takes a lot of time. I think i did 40 hours of work on a rifle and about 20 hours on a pistol. A lot of that time is trying to pull the investment cast texture out of the crevices by stretching small strips of the paper over a plastic card. My memory of the gun work has left me saying those few scratches are just fine on my car.