# A true Mirror finish?



## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

So, I have a basic question about mirror finishing that hopefully a couple of people on here (especially you Frank (Terranova) if you are about) may be able to help with...

This regards removal of scratches or marks in Mirror finished stainless mostly, after some research online I attempted this myself but was never able to achieve a true mirror. Even testing final polishing substances on an existing true mirror surface resulted in visible hairline scratches.

The tools that I am using are not professional, and I expect this is where my problem lies, but it would be great if this could be confirmed and with a basic run down so I can understand why my efforts are failing.

So my basic question is why the following substances will actually scratch a mirror surface... if it is my tools or if there is type of polish I am missing that will actually do the job. Or if it is a matter of polishing until the scratching is so uniform it appears to be a mirror... sorry for the ambiguity.

I have used:

Pink 'chrome' polish purchased here

Wenol Blue

Autosol Metal Polish

Scratching is observable using a clean cotton cloth with both Wenol or Autosol, and using a fresh loose fold wheel with the chrome polish. It is especially puzzling to me when it comes to Autosol or Wenol as I would imagine it would drive someone up the wall if they used these on an existing mirror surface and ended up ruining it.


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## Chockymonster (Jan 21, 2013)

If you have scratches in a surface the only way you can remove them is to rub the surrounding area down so that the scratch no longer has a hard edge or fill the scratch.

Most polishes are abrasive so if you're using them on a very shiny surface you'll be adding scratches. I don't think you'll be able to do what you want by hand


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## Terranova (Feb 15, 2014)

Hi Dylan,

I gave up on perfect surfaces long time ago by myself and give it to professionals who don't do anything else than polishing, in particular if these surfaces in a mirror finish are getting coated, some people might think that a coating hides little mistakes, but it's the other way around, you see them much more after plating or coating.

The bigger the surface the harder is is to get a top mirror surface.

I can only suggest to get it done by a professional company.

If you would live around the corner, I could be a better help.

Sorry and good luck

Frank


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

thanks for the replies.

I had myself more or less given up after discovering even autosol type polish would leave scratches. But I was hoping perhaps I had missed something.

I have some bits being finished by professionals at the moment, but on my other machine where I had tried to remove water spots I have hairline scratches in their place so was hoping perhaps I had missed something that would allow me to restore it.

Hearing that you have given up on it when I expect you have a great deal more expertise with these things confirms the suspicions I already had.


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## Terranova (Feb 15, 2014)

Here some of his works, the base is made out of the cheapest steel available in the US (ST37) which is much harder to polish because of less % Chrome inside compared to stainless steel.

Without a coating it would rust overnight.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

This is the guy you use?

Out of interest do you know how the finish is achieved?


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## Terranova (Feb 15, 2014)

Dylan said:


> This is the guy you use?
> 
> Out of interest do you know how the finish is achieved?


Depending to the material he uses 6 different variants to get there.

In this case it was also Aluminium which gets polished before the plating and a very fine one after plating.


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## "coffee 4/1" (Sep 1, 2014)

to remove scratches use corrugated cardboard with brasso, then you will need polishing compounds with buffers using a drill, cost about £20 excluding drill, that's the DIY way,


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

\ said:


> to remove scratches use corrugated cardboard with brasso, then you will need polishing compounds with buffers using a drill, cost about £20 excluding drill, that's the DIY way,


As above and in my first post, this has already been tried, unless by polishing compound you mean something other than the pink compound I have tried. I am all ears if you have any advice further to this but from what I read pink compound is infact a final stage polisher, but when tried on an existing mirror surface leaves scratches.

I have just been doing a bit of experimenting and the best finish I can achieve is with polishing felts and high speed, this would not be effective over a large area as the felts are small, but it seems that getting a uniform look gives the best appearance of a mirror finish. That is to say I don't think I am achieving less scratching, but the scratching is so uniform and thorough as to look like a smooth finish.

Frank - Out of interest I am very intrigued by his method, are you able to elaborate or put me in touch if you dont think it would be asking too much? Obviously if it is something he holds close to his chest I would understand.


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## "coffee 4/1" (Sep 1, 2014)

if you use the corrugated wrapping cardboard soak with the brasso, as you would like to remove the marks first, it can remove up to a thou, go in one direction, test on some other scrap metal, no need for too high speeds with pads

before using pads try fine scotch pads, believe there pink, again in one direction this will give you a even satin finish, then polish from there.


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## Terranova (Feb 15, 2014)

Tell me the dimensions and I can ask for a quote, if it is not that big, send it to me if you don´t have anyone around.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

\ said:


> if you use the corrugated wrapping cardboard soak with the brasso, as you would like to remove the marks first, it can remove up to a thou, go in one direction, test on some other scrap metal, no need for too high speeds with pads
> 
> before using pads try fine scotch pads, believe there pink, again in one direction this will give you a even satin finish, then polish from there.


The Brasso, or similar metal polish creates marks. The chrome polish creates marks.

If I take the above linked chrome polish, by hand or otherwise, to a mirrored (in this case stainless) surface it will scratch it. Going through the process of using abrasive pads and then polishes is something I have already done, and on a large stainless surface it does not work. Unless there is a substance or polish I am missing that is more capable than those I have mentioned... in which case please do tell me.

Frank - I do not have any bits that I need finishing at the moment, a local place is working on some badly scratched up panels on a machine I'm restoring, we will see if they come back with a true mirror.

My point being that I am not interested in actually getting anything mirrored, but the process itself and why exactly it is I have been unable to achieve anything like the finish that you see on a newly bought machine. I am happy to accept it is the tools and methods I am using, and I expect it is as they are firmly amateur, but understanding the process and knowing why is of interest to me, the cost as such is not what I am after.


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## Terranova (Feb 15, 2014)

Ah ok, I got you. Give me a week and I find out for you, just be aware that every polisher got its own mixture, I am pretty sure that he uses a blue one for the finish.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Terranova said:


> Ah ok, I got you. Give me a week and I find out for you, just be aware that every polisher got its own mixture, I am pretty sure that he uses a blue one for the finish.


Great thanks, I've been doing more reading and I think that the polishes I'm using aren't suitable, as well as the tools themselves.


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