Please, somebody remind me which Scotch-Brite pad will give me a "bead-blasted" finish on stainless steel.

Those things aren't cheap and I don't want to experiment out of my wallet.

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Lorin

I think you are going to be disappointed as "bead blasted" is a uniform dimpled finish and a scotch-brite will produce uniform linear scratches. They look VERY different. Go to any paint store and buy a maroon, green, and gray scotch-brite and experiment. You are looking at $7 max.

Chris

None will give you the bead blasted surface finish. Only glass bead blasting will. If you are looking for the "satin" look for the remainder of the revolver, I find the 7448 light gray pad works best. But if you have a lot of heavy scratches to remove, you might even want to start with sandpaper.

The attached link is the best breakdown of the various pads in steel wool equivalent. But DO NOT use steel wool on your find stainless revolvers.

I have three colors. The white is the finest and produces just a touch of dullness on a polished gun. It is still somewhat shiny to the eye. The lt grey is closer to the std bead blast finish you are looking for. That said, it will not look exactly like bead blast because it will have an ever so slight pattern. it is the one I use the most.
I also have a dark red pad that that leaves a rougher coarse finish. i don't recommend that for anything in final finishing.

FWIW, I ordered mine of Ebay.

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Dave

skeezix -

I recall reading a post here that used a specific grit sand paper and using a small hammer to bring back a matte stainless finish.

From recollection, you lay the sand paper over the affected area, tap it lightly with the face of the hammer and lift off the sand paper. Being careful not to scrape the paper at all, placing and lifting without moving side to side as that would leave scratch marks.

Problem is, I cannot remember what grit sand paper was used.

Other than that, I have used the grey pads to varying degree to fix spots on a brushed stainless, but never a matte or beaded finish.

Thanks for the replies and that link to steel wool equivalents.

I'm not doing a gun - just a mag well for a 1911 to "match" the slide of a stainless steel Kimber. So, close is good enough.

I went to Home Depot, Lowe's, Ace Hardware, and a paint store. None of those places had what I needed, so I, too, ordered from an Ebay vendor.

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Lorin

I guess it's just me, but I find the soft smooth shiny finish of stainless after 20 years of shooting and cleaning a very plesent. I have one Mod 60 that was smooth enough I took some Mothers Mag polish to it and it looks nearly nickle. I have a686 no dash that is getting close to that.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

for that type of application, a piece of emery paper ,wrapped around a wooden dowel if you want "round" or a block (slab) of wood if you want it "squared"....the scotchbrite pads can be used in various ways,it ALL depends on "how" hard YOU press, or how NEW the pads are, 'used' pads work for us ,ALL the time.......on the exterior finish on a stainless gun, OR, the final polish on a 'prep' before bluing .........

and as noted above, ,not a replacement for bead blasting,,,gotta know what and where to "tape off" and not get careid away with the blasting ( use lower air pressure) stay away from "sand"

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dan
NRA Benefactor,PMA