Polishing Stainless Trim

[Mr Lee]

I was kinda looking forward to polishing my own trim but am finding it much more time consuming and difficult than I anticipated.  Specifically the sanding part.  I keep winding up with sanding marks / scratches left behind and it's really bothering me.  I must confess, I want it like a mirror with no scratches.   I watched Cody's videos on it and found them helpful and informative but I know there is also almost always more than one way to do something.  In his video's he starts with a low grit and works all the way up to 1500 before taking it to the buffer.  I talked to a guy who does this for a living and he is going from 240 grit, to 320 and then right to the buffer.  And his buffer isn't even a big heavy duty one that runs on 240 volts.  It was a standard plug / outlet.  1.5 hp

And I know this is a trade off.  Spend more time sanding and less time on the buffer wheel, or less time sanding and more time on the buffer wheel.

So I'm wondering what methods are others using?

What grit are you going up to before you go to the buffer?
What is your sanding method?  DA? Hand?  Other?  I've been using a die grinder with 2" sanding discs and I'm wondering if maybe that's why I'm getting sanding marks left behind?  Do I need to use a DA to get the random orbital action?

What horsepower is your buffer and will it take the 240/320 grit sanding marks out?  Mine is 1 hp.  I find that if I put as much pressure on the piece as I'd like, it really slows the machine down.

I find that I'm spending 2-1/2 hours sanding and polishing one single piece of trim, no matter what sanding grits I use first and I know this is way too long. 

[JS29]

A scratch you don't put in is a scratch you don't have to remove. 320 is coarse, wet sand 600, 800, 1000,1200,1500. than polish. 

[anlauto]

If I'm fixing a dent I start with a file or 80 grit even, but contain it to a very small area, then build the area outward as I go up in grit...I take it right to 1500 as well before trying to buff it out. I use two colours of compound, dark grey/black and then finish with green...

[RUNCHARGER]

Use the finest sand paper that will remove the scratch you have. Then move up to finer paper until at least 1000 in my experience. I hand sand trim. You aren't sanding every inch of the trim are you? You just have to sand where you are removing damage to the trim.

[RUNCHARGER]

I use a 120 volt bench grinder for polishing. I keep it portable as I move it outside on the lawn so I don't have to clean up the mess afterwards.

[Jocigar]

I haven't tackled trim just yet, but I have done buffing as part of my job for decades.

the rouge you use can make a huge difference in the amount of buffing work needed.

We have used Dico products all along, hard wheel on one side and soft on the other with their White rouge works really well.

http://dicoproducts.com/products.php?pid=7100110&gid=2&cid=39&sgid=19

http://dicoproducts.com/products.php?pid=7000222&gid=1&cid=16&sgid=6

[Mr Lee]

Use the finest sand paper that will remove the scratch you have. Then move up to finer paper until at least 1000 in my experience. I hand sand trim. You aren't sanding every inch of the trim are you? You just have to sand where you are removing damage to the trim.

I've been sanding the whole thing because I have light scratches everywhere and only some heavy scratches.  But maybe I just need to start out with a finer grit.     

This trim isn't plated right? 

"before" on the left

[RUNCHARGER]

Hmm: Hard to tell from here but I would try 320 first and if that isn't getting the scratches out drop down to 240 and if that doesn't work drop down to 120. Don't go any coarser than is necessary but you shouldn't have to sand forever to get a scratch out either. You're right you have to sand the whole thing when they're like that. I have always just hand sanded.

[js27]

I did all my own trim on my GTX and my R/T. Depending on how scratched and how deep they were would determine the grit. I away wet sanded with WD-40. Started with 180 up to 600 or 1000. Then hit my little Sears bench top grinder-buffer. I used Eastwood buffing compound and worked it until it was perfect no scratches in it. Yes it is time consuming and something you really don't want to rush. I learned about using the WD-40 from Drag Racing Engine Builder Tim " The General " Richards. He would do this to the tops of the Hemi Pistons in Joe Amato's Funny Car and then Top Fuel car. He showed us how and we did it to our pistons in our race cars. Not sure if they still use that method but hey this was back in the 70's.
JS27

[anlauto]

My first step is a good cleaning with SOS pads....that gives you a better idea of what you're dealing with before you start sanding...I've used a DA sander before, but you have to be careful

[autoxcuda]

I don't like using an orbital sander.

It can leave circles in the metal. Sanding one direction hides any fine scratch marks

[anlauto]

I don't like using an orbital sander.

It can leave circles in the metal. Sanding one direction hides any fine scratch marks

That's true and you can also take away the details of the trim if you're not careful 

[Street_Challenged73]

As the others have mentioned, you'll only want to go course enough to get the sanding marks out, then continue doing this until you have it almost polished with just the last sanding with 1,500-grit.


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[JS29]

 

[autoxcuda]

I don't like using an orbital sander.

It can leave circles in the metal. Sanding one direction hides any fine scratch marks

That's true and you can also take away the details of the trim if you're not careful 

Yes. Very important

Do not buff or sand directly on a ridge or line.

Like on Ebody window trim, start from the edge and go to the center ridge line.