After a few trips and I start seeing my originally stainless steel non-glossy grey now covered with a layer of black. How do I clean this without damaging the original surface? Please help
Revolver's non-glossy stainless steel surface how to clean?
- Thread starter lavino
- Start date
Kleenbore makes a "Lead away" cloth and Birchwood Casey makes a "Lead Remover" polishing cloth that has fine abrasives/chemicals infused into it to remove the carbon layer. Unfortunately, prolonged use of it will eventually begin to polish a satin or brushed finish. Just don't use 'em on blued finishes.
I just polished my 686 to bright shiny finish.
Someone mentioned, I could clean it,by putting it in boiling water.
I haven't tryed this yet.
Also I was thinking the dishwasher might work??
I find the birch wood clothes,clean the easy areas,but not the little nooks and crannies.
Someone mentioned, I could clean it,by putting it in boiling water.
I haven't tryed this yet.
Also I was thinking the dishwasher might work??
I find the birch wood clothes,clean the easy areas,but not the little nooks and crannies.
Nailed it!
I sooo want to try the dishwasher.
Can anyone tell me if anything bad would happen?
Except getting caught by the wife ,of course...
Not as crazy as it sounds. Back in the 80's I shot BP to two guys that claimed they cleaned their SS C&B revolvers in the dishwasher. I tend to believe them, they were that nutzy.
I put a Chu wood M305 stock through my cousins dishwasher one time. Did a heck of a job cleaning the cosmoline off. Two pot&pans cycles worth.
They replaced that dishwasher the very next year, not sure why.
In any even... you won't catch me putting my 617 in one.
I have read that a pencil eraser works well for cleaning up SS.
M
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All scotchbrite pads are abrasive when used on metal. Even the very fine green or white pads will eventually remove the bead blasted dull look and replace it with a shiny surface. How long is going to be based on how often and aggressively it's used. But over time and when used frequently it will change the look of the gun similarly to those lead away cloths or the other often recommended Flitz metal polish.
Oddly enough stainless steel does not have a very durable surface and scratches relatively easily. That's the beauty of the "brushed" finish since light scuffs and shallow scratches can be easily blended back in with moderate to fine grit Scotchbrite pads. But it means that the dull grey looking bead blasted surfaces can be easily polished back to a "brushed" or polished look with products that are even mildly abrasive.
So I'd tend to start with a powder solvent and old tooth brush first. The fine tips on the bristles should be able to work the texture of the surface and work out the fouling without affecting the bead blasted look. One solvent that works amazingly well at removing powder fouling is good ol' brake cleaner. If you use it blast the solvent over the parts of the gun that need it and do this over a tray to catch the run off. While it is still liquid you can use this along with an old tooth brush to lift up some solvent and scrub any stubborn areas.
Oddly enough stainless steel does not have a very durable surface and scratches relatively easily. That's the beauty of the "brushed" finish since light scuffs and shallow scratches can be easily blended back in with moderate to fine grit Scotchbrite pads. But it means that the dull grey looking bead blasted surfaces can be easily polished back to a "brushed" or polished look with products that are even mildly abrasive.
So I'd tend to start with a powder solvent and old tooth brush first. The fine tips on the bristles should be able to work the texture of the surface and work out the fouling without affecting the bead blasted look. One solvent that works amazingly well at removing powder fouling is good ol' brake cleaner. If you use it blast the solvent over the parts of the gun that need it and do this over a tray to catch the run off. While it is still liquid you can use this along with an old tooth brush to lift up some solvent and scrub any stubborn areas.
My 500 S&W is polished and my 460 S&W will be polished as soon as I pick it up. Polishing makes cleaning carbon easy!! Thant being said...Birchwood Casey makes lead removing polishing cloths that work AMAZING on my S&W 44 magnum. Sometimes what i do is remove the cylinder of my 44 and put it in mu ultrasonic cleaner with an appropriate solution. Works great too! Mothers polish and Flitz also work really well removing carbon but it will polish the gun to a near mirror finish so if that's not your desired rersult don't try it.
Mike C.
Mike C.
Just polishing the front of the cylinder does makes sense if you want to have an easier time wiping off all the soot after each range session.
I wonder how it would look with a shiny cylinder end and a matte finish elsewhere?
I don't know but I can try it when I get around to polishing my 460 magnum. I'll take some pics.
Mike C.
