# Sanding a better finish on Brass



## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

I've got block of brass on order to be used as a bean weight and looking to smarten it up a bit to give it a better finish.









Any suggestions on how to do this. Is it just as a case of using finer grades of sand paper and sanding at 90 degrees to the last one?

I have a Dremmel if its easier.

All tips welcome


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Not sure how far you want to go with this. I wouldn't have thought you need to remove too much, so I'd have thought you could use very fine abrasive paper, (or even Scotchbrite) then go to metal polish - Autosol or Brasso. If you wanted to make more of a project of it (!) I would be tempted to drill and tap a hole in the centre, lock a threaded bar into it so you could spin in in a drill (I'm assuming you don't have a lathe!) and then you'd get a more even finish from the abrasive paper. You would also get a nice finish on the bottom end. I would then chamfer both ends/edges, and screw in some sort of handle into the threaded hole for ease of use thereafter.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

I was thinking about adding a handle. I don't have anything to tap a screw thread in though.


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## DaveMak (Dec 6, 2016)

lidl have tap and die kits in for 12quid. their tools are normally decent enough too


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## grumpydaddy (Oct 20, 2014)

Work your way towards 1200 wet and dry or finer still if you can find it. Getting a hole tapped and a shaft fitted that will fit a drill will make the job so much easier.

Lapping a waterblock for a computer is usually done on a flat hard surface like glass but the results can be like this:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=lapped+waterblock&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjM1LCxve_SAhWHaRQKHQjiBQ8QsAQIKw&biw=1599&bih=875#imgrc=F_aVn8vC7BuksM:

The motion is not usually linear. a DA sander might be worth a shot but on round bar I am not sure .


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## meph137 (Mar 6, 2017)

When you say bean weight, what do you mean out of interest?







curious


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

meph137 said:


> When you say bean weight, what do you mean out of interest?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I have a glass tube instead of a hopper on my grinder and the weight goes on top of this. Like this.

https://goo.gl/images/UAuOF8


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## meph137 (Mar 6, 2017)

I thought that's what you might mean, I've done the same thing (I've got a Perspex tube actually but whatever). Would be interested to see how this goes. Mine is on a mazzer mini e, I just bought a 60mm OD, 54mm ID Perspex tube and was going to look at a weight to go in the middle. Never considered glass!


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## AndyDClements (Aug 29, 2016)

If there's any noticeable deformation in the surface of the metal, then start with a slightly coarse one to take that out, else the finer stuff just gives a smooth shiny deformed end result. If you want to check for surface smoothness, use a can of spray paint (primer is good for adhesion) and sand using a smooth surface such as a sanding block until all the paint is gone, repeat until you're sure it's all smooth. When smoothing the curved surface, it's slightly counter-intuitive, go round the bar starting in line with the stroke you're going to make but as the stroke goes away from you tilt the block more perpendicular to your direction of travel. Not sure if that will make sense but basically don't try and match the curve of the bar, go against it, then turn the bar a little and repeat tie and time again.


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## Brewer in training (Feb 7, 2015)

Found this helpful

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p58727?table=no

very good in a pillar drill or a hand drill.....


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

Not sandpaper use wet&dry through grades, then for high polish use corrugated cardboard as used for posting soaked in brasso, with some work will remove a thou, recommend you use a pillar drill to drill & tap by hand turning in drill stand.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

I would start with a bit of polish on one patch and see what kinda surface you already have.

If it needs wat+dry then start with a fine one and keep going coarser until you find one that removes the existing surface finish. Then work towards finer again roughly doubling the grit each time.

You can finish off with Brasso or any other fine polishing compound.

edit: p.s. If you could get the whole things spinning the whole process will be a lot quicker! No ideas to achieve this spring to mind however.


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## Mark G (Oct 22, 2016)

If you're going to go to all the effort of polishing, you might want to consider lacquering when you're finished. Brass tarnishes quite quickly in air.


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## destiny (Jun 4, 2015)

Has anyone had any decent results with mirror finish stainless? I got to 2500 grit so far with one of my panels and Autosol and its getting there, but still not proper mirror like.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Brewer in training said:


> Found this helpful
> 
> http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p58727?table=no
> 
> very good in a pillar drill or a hand drill.....


Could I use this polishing a brass bar? Would I have to alternate 90 degrees with this?


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Dylan said:


> I would start with a bit of polish on one patch and see what kinda surface you already have.
> 
> If it needs wat+dry then start with a fine one and keep going coarser until you find one that removes the existing surface finish. Then work towards finer again roughly doubling the grit each time.
> 
> ...


I've only got access to a wood turning lathe. Not sure if it could spin in that?


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## jimbojohn55 (Jan 15, 2016)

I've only got access to a wood turning lathe. Not sure if it could spin in that?

Turn a wooden cylinder about 3" to the same diameter as the brass pare it in half on the lathe then stick the wood on either end of the brass with glue - remount it on the lathe and spin it on the lathes slowest speed

disclaimer - eye protection and a steel helmet should be worn, your life assurance may be invalidated.

Ive actually done something similar with a 4ft long 4" Dia steel tube while restoring my pillar drill - just keep it slow and take care - or I will do it for you if you want?

cheers Jim


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

destiny said:


> Has anyone had any decent results with mirror finish stainless? I got to 2500 grit so far with one of my panels and Autosol and its getting there, but still not proper mirror like.


Yes, and there is no paste that will get a true mirror finish in my experience, and I tried loads of them.

Bear in mind that a 'true' mirror (which I consider to be not being able to see scratches even when looking under direct, bright light) is very hard to achieve, just being in an environment where your polishing/buffing pad can pick up a piece of dirt from the air makes it damn near impossible to get it 100%.

That said if you want to polish past the level of auto products then here is a quote from an email discussion I had with a guy called Andrew from thepolishingshop.co.uk (highly recommended)



> On stainless I would work with the following process-
> 
> Good 320 grit base then-
> 
> ...


Compounds can be found here - http://www.thepolishingshop.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?WD=p175&PN=Polishing_Compounds_180gm_Half_Round_Bar%2ehtml#a660

You can also find mops there, all at very reasonable prices.

Another product I have become interested in recently is one called 'Micromesh' originally developed to restore optical clarity to aeroplane windscreens, their polishing cloths go to a much higher grit and seem to leave a very nice even finish. I haven't fully tested on SS however so might be a no go.


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