Polishing stainless steel rails

camperjohn

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What is the best way to polish the cabinet rails and handrest on a pinball machine?

Should I get a bench mounted grinder with a polishing wheel? Or a drill mounted polishing wheel?

What kind of wheels are available? Is there a compound I should use in combination with the wheel?

Ideas?
 
I used Mothers Metal polish on the lockdown bar and side rails. I put 4 coats and They shined up like new condition. I did it by hand with micro-fiber towel. I polish everything metal with Mother's. Camperjohn polish the metal habitrails on your HS get them shiny, most HS habitrails are like rusty looking, I got lucky mine look NEW when I bought the machine.
 
Depending how bad / dirty it is, try using a red scotch-brite pad, then the mothers. I've had good results with this. Make sure it's the red version, not the green :)
 
BRASSO and a rag.

Just got some "Brasso" and it also will take out most scratches on your DVD's & CD's. Guy there at Wally world said to do that, as I got this for metal cleaning & polishing. So what the hell, another use for it. Thanks for the tip Ken Layton.
 
Just got some "Brasso" and it also will take out most scratches on your DVD's & CD's. Guy there at Wally world said to do that, as I got this for metal cleaning & polishing. So what the hell, another use for it. Thanks for the tip Ken Layton.

I wouldn't do that if I were you. Brasso and plastic sounds like a bad combination. It's brass polish. If you want to clean your CDs use Novus #2.

I use Brasso with fine steel wool.
 
Checking out my rails again, they are not just dull, they are scratched. Will Mothers/Brasso take out scratches or sould I use emery paper first? What grit if I do?

Suggestions?
 
I wouldn't do that if I were you. Brasso and plastic sounds like a bad combination. It's brass polish. If you want to clean your CDs use Novus #2.

I use Brasso with fine steel wool.

Well Novus is for plastic and we use it for the pf's. I was told about it at check out stand and seen some videos on YouTube with positive results for using it on dvd's &cd's. I tried it and it does take out the scratches, kinda like the magic "eraser" DONT scrub hard!
 
How is that at all relevant? :)
I think what he's trying to say is that we use Novus for something other than what it's intened for. Like useing Brasso on a CD. Although Seems like brasso would not be good for a CD.
Glennon
 
After watching your video, I think I will buy a bench grinder on craigslist, use it to buff the sides, then sell it when I am done. I think power is the way to go.
 
Used the wheel with metal rosin on my lock down bars. They gleam. I have since mounted the grinder to my work bench. I have done netflix dics like crazy. If it wont rip I buff. I buff my pinballs too. Mirror finish aint got nothing on my balls ;)
 
I think what he's trying to say is that we use Novus for something other than what it's intened for. Like useing Brasso on a CD. Although Seems like brasso would not be good for a CD.
Glennon

I get that... it's just not relevant. It would be like me saying you should drink drain cleaner because I use Novus on playfields.

Maybe Brasso is great on plastic... who knows... but I've used the shit a lot and it's some toxic stuff. To me it doesn't "feel" like the kind of product you should use on plastic... especially when there's Novus which is pretty harmless by comparison.

I'm just saying "I wouldn't do that". People can do whatever they want :)
 
Update:

I finally got around to polishing the lockdown bar, and will do the side rails when I repaint the cabinet.

I used 100/200/320/600 sandpaper on my orbital sander, then used the drill mounted polishing kit you get at Home Depot for $10.

Pretty much got a mirrored finish, all gouges and scratches gone. I probably could have done a better job if I was more patient with the sanding and polishing, but I finished the job probably in about 30 minutes will all grits down the the polishing.

I will not polish the side rails to a mirrored finish like the lockdown bar, but I will at least sand them then polish them some to get rid of the gouges from 23 years of use.
 
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