How to Polish Stainless Steel?

[Cableaddict]

I have a brushed SS dishwasher that has gotten some bad stains on it. They seem to be deep into the finish and so must be remove with some kind of abrasive.  

The original finish is a very slick (almost wet) looking, possibly with a clear laquer covering, though I don't think so.   I'd like to get as close to that as possible when done.

So, any ideas on how to do this?  I'm thinking of starting with something like Vlies 80 or 100, to get down past the stains.  Good idea, or should I sand first?   With either, shoudl I go dry, with water, or with some kind of compound?

-  And then what additional abrasives & compounds to finish?

-Thanks.

 

[awdriven]

What kind of stains are they? It'll be very hard to get an even-looking brushed finish back on that panel. I'd try some more cleaning products on it. One thing I know I have used at home that works well is P21s Total Auto Wash. It's a citrus degreaser / cleaner.

 

[Mike Goetzke]

I have an all stainless gas grill that has a brushed finish. They recommended using 120 grit sandpaper to match the brushed look. Don't use a rotary sander! Find a spot that you won't see and experiment with different grits.

 

[Cableaddict]

Thanks, guys.

I tried CitrusStrip, but it did nothing.  I think the stains are some kind of chemical reaction with the Aluminum.

Mike, Why not a rotary sander? Is it supposed to be done by hand, in a straight line?  I can't imagine that they did it that way at the factory.  And sandpaper not Vlies / Scotchbrite?  Because you want the tiny scratches for the brushed looked, yes?

Did they say to sand dry, or with some lubricant?

-thanks.

 

[nclemmons]

Have you tried Lime Away?

Wonder if what you see is hard water deposits?

If there is a toe kick on the bottom, you might see if it has the same finish and try abrasion / cleaning in a less conspicuous spot.

neil

 

[tbellemare]

I have a customer that uses the LS 130 for the "brushed" look. He seems to be pretty happy with it.

Admittedly, I think he's using it on pieces that he creates from scratch (pun intended...).

Tom

 

[mwildt]

Are you sure this is aluminum ? Stainless steel is way more common for appliances. Problem with alu is that its soft and stains/oxidizes easily. I wouldn't use a machine for this since almost all brushed steel look is long stroke and not a circular motion.

 

[venk67]

CAn I ask what one would use on a stainless steel range top?  It is a gas range made by decor, and I had imagined that i could use a rotex 90 on it, does the stainless steel make this possible?  Or is it the same as with aluminium?  You do not want the circular swirls?  I guess the delta pad would produce similar swirls???

Venk

 

[tbellemare]

VenK:

Can you take a picture of the surface, with a ruler involved?

It would help a lot to try to figure out what might mimic the pattern.

Tom

 

[justinmcf]

I would guess that the stain is probably hard water deposits, as Neil stated earlier.

I have several Stainless Steel products such as food blenders and an espresso machine.

They all get that crusty look after approx 1 year of use in the kitchen.

I am very keen to hear from the original poster whether the issue is easily rectified.

Justin.

 

[Corwin]

A few decades ago I worked making stainless steel ovens.  We put a grain on the stainless with very large belt sanders made for this purpose, and some handheld air belt sanders for corner work.  If this is the type finish you have, maybe this video will help you understand what is needed to repair to damage.

YouTube: How to Remove Scratches from Stainless Steel

 

[Cableaddict]

I am very keen to hear from the original poster whether the issue is easily rectified.

Well, I'm not done yet.

I got the initial stains out using Vlies 100 grit, (same as Scotchbrite) with Brasso polish. (I believe now that I could have simply used the Vlies water, though the Brasso was easier to "keep" on the vertical surface.)    After that step, I had to wipe it down (hard) with laquer thinner.  This removed the very fine layer of "metal slurry."

At that point, it of course looked wrong. It wasn't so much "swirly," the RO did an impressive job of making it eve,  but it sure didn't have that "brushed" look. 

For the final finish,  I was afraid to try sandpaper, so as an experiment I used the 280 grit fabric circle that came with the RO 90.  (light blueish grey color)  I assume that's also Vlies but it might be Platin2. 
I used it dry, and it left an amazingly smooth finish, with no swirls. - It actually looks laquered. 

However, this is now TOO slick, so now I have to take a deep breath and try something by hand in a linear motion. 

120 sandpaper has been suggested, though the video posted above by Corwin recommends Scotchbrite on a block of wood. That seems safer, though my dishwasher's original finish was a little smoother that the " #4 " brushed look. 

Maybe I should try 800 grit, or maybe steel wool?
------

Note that the guy in that video ended up with not the best result.  As he says, they actually use a machine.
I'm thinking it might be easier to do this final surfacing with a hand-held belt sander, if you can get Scotchbrite belts for them.

Still, the Festool RO was amazing at doing the inital prep, without any gouging and with minimal swirling.
And yeah, this is probably stainless steel, now that you guys mentioned it.

 

[Corwin]

...
Still, the Festool RO was amazing at doing the inital prep, without any gouging and with minimal swirling.
And yeah, this is probably stainless steel, now that you guys mentioned it.

Actually, as mentioned by other posters above, a random orbit sander is the wrong sander for this job.  Here you would want a belt sander, as you want a straight grain pattern.  I haven't yet tried this with Vlies on my LS130 sander but this may not work so well on the larger surface you are attempting.  Years ago, I had use orbital sanders (they only go around in a circle, nothing random) to create a jeweled look on metal like you see on fine machine tools -- but, that's getting off topic.

 

[Cableaddict]

- And I (respectfully) disagree.  Again,  for the INITIAL PREP,  the RO was great.   I think a belt sander might be dangerous with courser grits.

- but we shall see.  Maybe the final step with a finer abrasive, going across, won't give enough of the "brushed" look all by itself.  
I'll know in a few days, & report back.

 

[awdriven]

Don't be afraid to work by hand - just start with finer grain paper in a small area and pay attention to what is happening with each stroke. Test in an inconspicuous place and step up in grits until you get a look you are happy with. Working by hand is almost always safer in terms of not ruining your work piece, as long as you are using the right tool/abrasive and being cautious. That brushed look is from fine, long 'scratches' in the stainless from a linear sanding motion.

 

[deepcreek]

I had some scratched up copper and used a ROS with 220 to buff the pieces out.  It initially left a dull surface but seemed to gain sheen after a few days.

 

[justinmcf]

Just a thought.

Maybe the original poster should change his subject title to include stainless steel.

If he is certain it is stainless steel, then it would be less confusing for people using this forum in the future.

Justin.

 

[Cableaddict]

^  Good Point.

Done.

 

[peter halle]

All responses changed to "...... stainless steel"

P.Halle - moderator

 

[Kevin D.]

Have you tried contacting the manufacturer and asking them what to do?  You may also want to try one of those stores that sell recon/used appliances and asking them what to do.