Refinishing Stainless Steel S&W Revolvers

[S&W Rover]

Any suggestions on what is the best material or media for polishing S&W stainless revolvers, to cover blemishes but keep the original S&W look? (That look is best described as mildly and uniformly and lightly scratched!).

I don't want to turn the revolver surface into a super-shiny, glossy finish. Yet almost any type of mild abrasive leaves its own specific scratch marks. Any suggestions on what works?

Thanks!

 

[HorizontalMike]

Wire brush wheel

I used a 3" wire brush wheel on a drill press to buff out the scratches on my 686 cover plate. You need to be careful not to over do things, but I did find the above process quite controllable. Just be sure to stay AWAY from the edges, as it is really easy to take off too much on those edges.

Good luck, and let us know how it turns out.


http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1980-present/343564-removing-rt-plate-s-w686-buffing.html
BEFORE

AFTER

 

[k22fan]

For stainless S&Ws finished the way they were during the 1970 and 1980s most people use fine grades of Scotch Brite pads from Hardware stores or suppliers for the auto body repair business. These are not the green grocery store dish washing pads! Grey pads are about right, white too fine. Do not use a circular motion. Work parallel to the factory "scratches." During the 1990s S&W's finishing process changed to tumbling. Tumbled stainless looks frosted and doesn't have the fine scratches like sand paper leaves.

Just like with reblued S&Ws, sooner or later Collectors will be unwilling to pay full price for stainless that does not appear to have its original surface. I will pay more for a stainless S&W that shows a little wear than one I can spot any sign of home resurfacing or polishing on.

There are threads in the S&Wsmithing forum with more details.

 

[dfariswheel]

Many pros use Scotchbrite synthetic pads.
These are similar to the green pot scrubber pads found in the grocery.

Buy them in various grits at automotive supply houses. They sell them for use in car painting.

Just use a pads nearest the original grained finish on the gun to rub the light scratches out and at least blend in the deeper scratches.
Finish by "stroking" the pad in the same direction the original grain runs.
Stroking the pad prevents the tiny circular scratches where you reversed direction with the pad.

Things NOT recommended are steel wool, or the above mentioned wire wheel brushing UNLESS the wheel is made of stainless steel.
Even then, one slip will do irreparable damage to sharp edges or defined areas.
Using steel wool, wire wheels, or bead blasting stainless in a blast set up that's been used to blast carbon steel will allow tiny particles of carbon steel to embed into the stainless.
Later, the carbon steel particles will rust, ruing the surface.

I once had a customer who blasted an aluminum frame in a garage bead blaster that was used for car parts.
He was astounded when his aluminum frame began to rust.

The top of revolver frames and barrels are bead blasted. The only way to restore that area is re-bead blasting but you have to mask the metal off to keep the blast off the grained areas.
One way to partially repair scratches on the bead blasted areas is to put a piece of wet -or dry sand cloth over the scratch and give the cloth a couple of whacks with a small plastic hammer.
LIFT the cloth off the metal and move a fresh piece of cloth over the scratch and repeat the hammer blows.
This will not remove the scratches but will help blend them in with the bead blasting.

 

[S&W Rover]

Wow. Thanks for inputs. I used a Scotch-Brite pad (green) but left a bunch of lines; spent a couple of hours finger-rubbing in non-circular patterns with various rubbing compounds to get back to "normal," or 99% of normal. Just a tad too shiny, though.

I wonder if S&W will refinish a SS revolver?

Anyway, obvious point is to be delicate and avoid using any media that is too hard and can make marks that are too deep to be able to rub out.

 

[Hapworth]

Wow. Thanks for inputs. I used a Scotch-Brite pad (green) but left a bunch of lines; spent a couple of hours finger-rubbing in non-circular patterns with various rubbing compounds to get back to "normal," or 99% of normal. Just a tad too shiny, though.

I wonder if S&W will refinish a SS revolver?

Anyway, obvious point is to be delicate and avoid using any media that is too hard and can make marks that are too deep to be able to rub out.

You didn't use the grocery store Scotch Brites did you?

If it's a little too shiny now, you can slightly dull it using a Scotch gray or white pad; start with white (always begin with the least aggressive material on these jobs) and move to gray only if you need to. I find Norton scouring pads to be excellent, too -- same color variations.

Yes, S&W can polish stainless to a mirror finish, a brushed lustre, or matte bead blast it.

 

[Laketime]

The best way to date is a 3M metal finishing pad ,it is reddish brown.This will put a nice deep scratch on the surface.The gun will have an almost frosted finish at this point that you may actually prefer.To bring it to factory finish from this point you need to use Flitz metal polish to soften the look.If you can't find Flitz for some reason,you can get the same results using fine steel wool.I have done many stainless Smith &Wesson over the years,and was taught this method from a refinisher.

 

[diggler1833]

I personally use 400 grit sandpaper for the deeper stuff, 2000 grit for the light scratches, and then get back the factory look with Mother's mag and aluminum polish with a t-shirt and some elbow grease.

Just takes time, but when you do it by hand it is hard to overdo it.

 

[Hapworth]

...If you can't find Flitz for some reason,you can get the same results using fine steel wool...

I think there's a serious rusting risk if you use steel wool on stainless, no?

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

First rule: stay away from power tools.

Second rule: when you use sandpaper back it with a firm flat sanding-block. I like to use one about the size of a pack of Wrigley gum made from a material called Dura Block. It's a rigid foam material that can be cut to size. The backer keeps the flats flat and the edges sharp. Because it gives a little, it works much better than wood.

Amazon.com: Dura Block Scruff Block Hand Sanding DuraBlock: Automotive

Sandpaper of decreasing grit can be used, 220 to 1000, as needed depending on the depth of the scratches and dings. Keep the work surface flooded with WD-40. This keeps the sandpaper clean and floats away the "dust". Wipe down frequently with a scrap of old cotton tee shirt. Finish with 3M gray synthetic wool.

Finally, study the look of a S&W revolver that is in good condition. There is a definite direction, pattern, and grain to the way revolvers are buffed at the factory. The frame, the barrel, and the cylinder are all done in a certain way. It's not hard to duplicate by hand.

 

[Realgunner]

I think there's a serious rusting risk if you use steel wool on stainless, no?

I've used steel wool with good results, if you don't mind a rather shiny finish. Go over the gun with a magnet afterwards to remove any little particles of the steel wool that remain on the gun. I had no rust issues whatsoever.

 

[Laketime]

I think there's a serious rusting risk if you use steel wool on stainless, no?

why do you think it would rust.I used Flitz mostly,but have used the SW in a pinch without issues.

 

[riverrat38]

You can buy a large stainless washer or bolt to practice/experiment with.
Start with 220 wet or dry and work up.
When I round butted a M67, I used up to 600 grit paper. The result was brighter than the rest of the gun, so I used a white 3M pad, with the "grain", to soften the finish. The result was close enough to the rest of the gun that the difference was not noticeable to me.

Best,
Rick

 

[Hapworth]

why do you think it would rust.I used Flitz mostly,but have used the SW in a pinch without issues.

Have encountered in the Smithing section strong warning against using steel wool on stainless because the steel (carbon) wool particles can embed in the stainless and rust; don't know firsthand, but seems a reasonable possibility.

 

[Laketime]

Have encountered in the Smithing section strong warning against using steel wool on stainless because the steel (carbon) wool particles can embed in the stainless and rust; don't know firsthand, but seems a reasonable possibility.

I suppose anything is possible.Flitz is always the best choice to use to get a uniform softend look.I use to work a couple a nights a week for a LGS who use to also refinish a lot of local PD guns.For the record he use to use the wheel,but taught me the way that was a safe sure bet for the in experienced.

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

I had a Tanfoglio .45 ACP once. It had a stainless frame and slide, and use to get tiny little rust specs on it all the time. Even though I kept the gun clean and well oiled. I think those guys in Italy at Tanfoglio cut some corners and milled my slide with a tool that embedded tiny, almost microscopic, little carbon steel particles in my .45, and over time they oxidized.

Dissimilar metals will rust galvanically. It's an electrical phenomena that occurs at an atomic level and is impossible to stop. That's why the care and oil I put on the slide made no difference. Every place it rusted left a tiny little pit.

 

[riverrat38]

Steel wool is a big "NO" around boats, for the same reason. Rust specs every where.
Boat refinishers use Bronze wool for the polishing. Or, on metal, Flitz or similar.

Best,
Rick

 

[old bear]

I like the theory of "less can be more." So I start with a lead-away cloth, then, if needed, I apply a small amount of Mothers Mag Polish with my finger, then GENTLY remove with a soft cotton cloth. Have not used it yet, but I understand that Filtz is also good for this.

 

[girvin02]

Don't use steel wool, for the reasons mentioned above - rust. I've refinished a few stainless guns and have had the best results using only Scotch-Brite pads. I start with the green pads, which will leave scratches. This is an important step, as the factory finish has a "brushed" finish, which is in effect light scratches. Use a factory original gun as a template to get the directions of the scratches correct. Once the gun is scuffed up with the green pads, go over it with the white pads. The white pads aren't normally found at your local hardware store. I found them at a machinist supply store. If you can't find the white pads, google search "scotch-brite 7445" and you should find some online.

The last gun I refinished was this model 65 that a previous owner had polished. I didn't care for the polished look and brought it back to the finish seen below with the method mentioned above.

 

[Laketime]

I think there's a serious rusting risk if you use steel wool on stainless, no?

Looking back on my notes for stainless gun restoration ,steel wool was not used,only the Flitz.My notes on dive watch restoration showed both Flitz or Steel wool.So you and others are correct,and I am in error for confusion the two.