I have tried the search function to no avail (well not exactly what I want).

I want to get the stainless trim on my car looking better than it does. It is pretty shiny BUT it has quite a few fine scratches etc attributed to 40+ years on the road.

I found quite alot on different metal polishes BUT I'm more interested in something that can 'cut' out alot of the fine scratches (I'm thinking more along the lines of a cut & polish for paintwork but the equiv. for stainless).

Obviously after I 'cut' the scratches out I would do it with actual polish (that webbing stuff in the yellow can / purple / autosol etc). I would like my trim to be VERY shiny afterwards.

Does anyone understand what I mean?

Cheers, Nick

<edit> don't worry about elbow grease - I also have access to a dremel and a bench grinder with a polishing wheel

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"In two years time your car will be like a lady's clothes, out of date, my car will still be in fashion when I am dead" - Sir Alec speaking to Pininfarina

Nothing like AutoSol

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Cheap, Fast, Reliable. Choose two.

I was always under the impression that it was more of a polish than a scratch remover. I'll give it a better go again (as I have some in the garage). Thanks Stuwey.

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"In two years time your car will be like a lady's clothes, out of date, my car will still be in fashion when I am dead" - Sir Alec speaking to Pininfarina

You can always try a bit of toothpaste as well , it's a very mild abrasive , just go gently at first to make sure it's not too harsh for the stainless trim , it works well on other metals but I'm not sure about thin trim ...

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Thanks for the tip Ian. I would never have thought of toothpaste. I'll have to go out and buy some more polishing wheels tomorrow and I'll give it a go.

This will be much more fun than doing uni assignments

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"In two years time your car will be like a lady's clothes, out of date, my car will still be in fashion when I am dead" - Sir Alec speaking to Pininfarina

Well you could try a buffing machine, they work by taking away metal with a very fine abrasive and will leave a very good finish if you use the right buff and compound. But that said you would have to try and maneuver a bumper etc. around the buffing machine or you could possibly try buying a hand held buffer, I have never tried this though...

I have used my buffing machine on my over-riders, hub caps, mirrors, lamp rings, etc. and all have come up a treat. I used a fast cut first on the big scratches then used a finishing compound on the rest and they have come up very shiny, it is also very time consuming so forget about those uni assignments for a few weeks...

Cheers,
Alex

Alex, do you happen to remember the name of the stuff that you used? My bumpers are fine and I got them done by a pro. I'm talking about the smaller bits of trim.

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"In two years time your car will be like a lady's clothes, out of date, my car will still be in fashion when I am dead" - Sir Alec speaking to Pininfarina

Very fine steel wool and then polish.

Allex you hit the nail on th head.
If you want to give it a Go read this.
Its form a Great Metal polishing forum

http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/buffman.htm

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Stop Licking the Dog...I Don't Care Who Started It

Try some GUMPTION, get it in the kitchen cleaning isle in the supermarket. we use it on stainless in the hospitals.

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I live with fear everyday. but sometimes she lets me race.

I went and bought a bench grinder, two spindle attachments with tapered threads (one for each side), a stitched buff, a looses buff, a fast cut compound and a polishing compound. Put it all together, made a stand so I could get clear access to both wheels and away I went. I
can't remember the name but your local bunnings, mitre ten, or hardware store should stock that sort of stuff. I went to trade tools for the industrial machines as opposed to the Chinese stuff because it will get a work out over the years.

So far I have done lots with it, the hardest being the wiper motor bits but they all look really good. A few things to watch out for, rig up a guard to catch the hot wax that flings off the wheel, wear goggles (again for the wax), be carefull with the fast cut it really does take metal away pretty quick, eg. no more chrome plate, and always wash the part in turps of meths or something to get rid of the compounds between swapping wheels. Oh and get the machine at the right height or else your back will hurt...
I would get some pic's but I can't find the camera.

Cheers,
Alex

don't try it yourself - in case you mark it more. Stainless steel is so hard that if you accidentally use something too abrasive you'll take all the shine off and end up with a dull mark.

Get out your Yellow Pages and check out the Commercial Kitchen Equipment and/or Catering Equipment

We recently bought a new stainless kitchen sink and the #@!#$@! idiot that drilled the tap hole let the drill slip and put an 8 inch big deep scratch in the sink. We took it to a friend in the trade - he couldn't garentee that he could buff it out, but he braought it back the next day with a better than new (in was anyway) mirror finish over the whole sink.

fine steel wool and warm soapy water worked for me.. after that i just used aluminium polish and it came up alright.. just make sure the steel wool is fine enough so it doesnt scratch the crap out of it

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Hi Nick,
I suggest you find a good metal polisher near you. I think you'll find that is the only way you'll get your s/s looking like new. My guy here does a lovely job and cahrges very little, probably less than a couple of bottles of metal polish.

Regards
Al

if using steelwool you can get 000 grade which is very fine bust i have gotten some scratches out with Autosol.
I you use eather of these you want make the scratchs any worse but will show how deep the other scratchs are

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Stop Licking the Dog...I Don't Care Who Started It