Advice re metal finishing

[Reokeane]

I live in a 20 apartment loft building in Manhattan that used to be a factory. Our elevators are old and beat up but that's in keeping with the overall feel of lots of old exposed pipes and radiators etc. Recently we decided to spruce up the lobby "a bit" and stripped 40 something year old paint off the elevator doors and surrounds (see pics). Now looking to clean them up - not to lose the industrial look but to bring them up from where they are. Would like to remove scratches and polish till somewhat glossy but not looking for perfection. Was thinking the Festool polishes mpa 5000, 8000, and 11000 (good/bad idea?). I have a shinex polisher as well as a couple of sanders (ets 150/3 & Rotex 150).

My question is - should I start with an abrasive paper and, if yes, which ones, in order to smooth the metal, remove scratches and not leave swirls?

Would be grateful for any advice from someone experienced with polishing bare metal. I'm guessing these are steel but don't think they're stainless steel. With some brass fittings

 

[leakyroof]

Each rotary type of sander will leave marks from its rotation but you could be really happy with the results if you blend things in . You can also use a Linear sander like the LS130 and make a grain pattern. A belt sander could do a straight pattern and you carefully line up the pattern marks as you go, but it's tiring to use it for that.
Some people like overlapping rotation marks , you see this on refinished elevator doors around here in Chicago.
Flap Wheels mounted in a straight spindle sander would be another thought.
With just Festool stuff, Vlies disc mounted in an ETS Sander or a 150 Rotex could do some nice work too, then polish with your Shinex to blend things in a bit, or use a Rotex 150 to polish.

 

[scary]

You can also use red scotchbrite to affect an even but duller finish. Regular steel is tricky to finish because if you touch it at all after polishing it ,it will show up after you clear coat it. I wouldnt bother with a high polish,its ALOT of Work. And if you dont get all the bits evenly, it looks bad.

 

[rst]

It mostly depends on how you intend to finish these.  If paint then the light scratches are irrelevant.  Sanding sealer, sand with 320, and paint.  If you want a really good result, sanding sealer, sand, and repeat until the surface meets your expectations and them paint.
If clear, it's a lot more sanding and ending with conditioning pads.  It also will be difficult to remove deep scratches for a clear finish.

 

[Reokeane]

Thank you for the responses so far. I should have made clear we do in fact want to keep the doors bare steel (not paint) - so any suggestions on a clear coat finish would be welcome too.

We have been happy with how some pipes have come up with the bare rather than painted look (see attached pic of a stripped down heating pipe)

I guess I was hoping that if I treated it like wood - i.e. progressing steadily through the grits and then moving onto the Festool mpa 5000 through 11000 polishes but it sounds as if consensus is I'd never get rid of the swirls/scratches cthat either currently exist or which would be created by the sanding. Is that a fair summary?

 

[rst]

With a clear finish you'll end up with an entry that shows it's character.

 

[mike_aa]

Another idea that might be worth looking into is to try using a wipe-on metal protectant.  You may have to apply a coat every few years, but it won't chip like some clear coats.  One I've used on raw steel is Metalguard.  Another that I haven't tried is Sharkhide.  It is primarily used for aluminum, but the company claims it works on other metals like steel.

 

[Tayler_mann]

Just clear coat it and polish the clear with the shined and liquid polish. It'll leave the character on the metal and give it a nice refinished look.

 

[Reokeane]

Thanks again for responses. Any recommendations on clear coat?

The guy who did the pipes in the picture said he used this:
http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum®-7872830-Specialty-Polyurethane-Spray/dp/B0009X8M3U

 

[leakyroof]

Thanks again for responses. Any recommendations on clear coat?

The guy who did the pipes in the picture said he used this:
http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum®-7872830-Specialty-Polyurethane-Spray/dp/B0009X8M3U

. I think the pipe looks great!!