Stainless finishing questions ?

[Sampson Jones]

Don't know if it belongs here , but I need some questions answered . I 've never cut stainless yet , my research on material found mill finish , brushed finish , mirror finish . I assume the cut edge will discolor , is this correct ? If so what disc , buffer tools, pads ,etc . do you use to blend on the stainless so it looks all the same .
If you was tig welding 2 d elements to the piece , how would you blend the welds .
Do you clear coat stainless .

Thanks !

[Gamelord]

The edges will turn black when cutting. How you clean the edges up will depend on what finish you are looking for. If you are going for a brushed finish then usually a flap disk of 100 to 200 grit will match in pretty good. It also depends on the thickness you are cutting as well. If you are going for a polished finish get ready to spend some serious time on it. The more time you spend polishing the better your results will be. For a true mirror finish I start with 100 grit to remove the rough pitted finish (if you are getting polished finish to start with, you won't have to remove the mill scale and pits). From there I move up in grits, each one removing the scratches of the other. Also, be sure to sand each grit in the same way as the last, making all scratches go in the same direction. Here's the process....

80-100 grit for taking off the crud.
then move to 180, 240, 320,400, 600 then 800, then 1600 for the ultra fine sanding.
Then move to the polishing/buffing. Start with a rough emery/green compound and sewn wheel, then move to the cotton loose wheel and white compound, be sure to clean thoroughly before switching from one wheel to the next.

Welding will also discolor the stainless. I usually finish all pieces before welding. I found this to be easiest and least time consuming. Then after welding, go back over the welds and clean those up without messing up the rest of the finished areas.

Also, stainless pulls a ton when tig welding. Try to keep the pieces as cool as possible to reduce the deforming of the metal while welding.

[Sampson Jones]

Thanks man ! Any reason to clear coat ? More questions Gamelord , when you move up in grits , what exact tool are you using , I ve not found 4-1/2 Disc above 320 grit ?

[Gamelord]

I use an angle grinder with the stick-on pad just like the body shops use. You can get the paper rolls and pads from most automotive supplies. Make sure to try a couple different pads, the ones that are softest with the most 'sponge' feel seem to work best for me.

With a mirror polish there is really no need to clear coat, the images shared have no coatings on them. Once polished, the surface is super smooth and very shiny. You can clear coat if you wish which will help keep it clean but it may not be necessary.

This type of polish is a labor of love. In most cases, you can never charge enough to cover the manual labor involved with getting this type of finish. LOL It is very daunting and physical but well worth it in the end. For average finishes, you can go to 400 or 600 grit and then buff the crap out of it and it will be acceptable. Going that extra few grits really makes a huge difference in the shine though.

Here's a link to a photo shoot we did with another one of my buggies.
http://lvactionimages.com/tiffaniekites ... #h10de23e8
(click the image for full screen shot)

[Sampson Jones]

Real nice Gamelord ! And the buggy is nice too ! Awesome machines you have there , thanks for the info .

[Gamelord]

Just a note - do NOT use a DA sander (Dual Action). It puts millions of swirls in the metal dulling the finish. You need a single action sander/grinder (one direction) so that all the fine scratch lines all go in the same direction.

With each grit, you basically remove the scratches of the lower grit. A dual action sander never seems to hit the same scratch lines, just puts smaller swirls inside of the other ones. I do have a DA sander, I welded the weight directly to the sander so it only sands in one direction. Be careful though, if the weight slaps your finger it will be painful for months (if not broken). I switched over to a normal angle grinder and modified the end to fit the sanding pads on it.