polishing stainless steel

[chemo]

I've got a couple pieces on my 1911 that I have switched (some I have added) to stainless steel to aquire a 2-tone kind of gun.

Problem is they're not all stainless steel alike, some are shiny some are matte. What should I use to polish them all to a similar finish?

I have used sand paper on stainless steel once but the last grit I used, left some marks, I guess grit was too coarse for finishing or maybe sand paper should be avoided for this..

 

[Farlsincharge]

Mother's makes great metal polishing compounds. I have also used 3m autobody polish when I had nothing else around.

 

[dogzilla]

If you want a matte finish use a fairly fine grit scotch brite pad. Try a small area that won't be seen to see if you like it. Make sure you polish in the same direction for finishing. If you want to remove minor scratches, polish with the scratch. After the scratch is removed you can polish any direction you want as long as it's the same.

 

[John Y Cannuck]

A local machine shop uses fine Scotchbrite to do stainless polishing. I'm not sure the grade, but certainly, it's very fine.
You can get a good supply from Brofasco.

 

[Jarlath]

Flitz polish. Non Abrasive and polished up my GP-100 to mirror finish. Non-Abrasive.

 

[billdick]

A cotton wheel and some jewelers rouge will shine everything up it will even take out scratch's

 

[chemo]

Jarlath where did you get your flitz?

 

[chemo]

actually nevermind, looking for flitz in the canadian tire reminded me I had a tube of metalglo, a metal polish i believe would be equivalent to flitz, but I doubt this would turn a matte finish (not worn or dirty finish, it's matte to the eye and touch) to a polished finish. I'm 90% sure I need something abrasive