How to polish stainless steel?

In the modern world, we regularly come across stainless steel objects, because they are firmly in our lives. These are interior elements on the street and at home, various fences, various dishes in the kitchen. In this article you will find the answer to the question: how to polish a stainless steel, because even such a strong metal can lose its original appearance under the influence of different factors.

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What is a household stainless steel?

Corrosive steel or, as it is also called, stainless steel is an alloy of iron and carbon with an admixture of special elements. The steel acquires a high resistance to the negative factors of the external environment thanks to these elements. The main one is chrome. The percentage of its content in the metal can be different, but not less than 10.5%.Products made of steel with 18% chromium content acquire very high strength, but it is difficult to process such an alloy technologically. Therefore, steel is used in everyday life with an optimum chromium content of 13%.

Important! Products from such a stainless steel are characterized not only by the strength and the possibility of long operation, but also by an attractive appearance with a mirror surface.

Due to the sufficient chromium content, an oxide film is formed on the metal surface, which protects the stainless steel from corrosion. But still, moist air and other factors are able to adversely affect the state of the alloy over time.

Important! Having noticed the first signs of corrosion in the form of haze or tarnish, it is necessary to polish the metal.

If there are scratches or welding seams on the surface of the products, there is also a need for polishing stainless steel.

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How to polish stainless steel?

If there is a need for metal polishing, then there are two options for possible actions.

Option number 1.Specialized assistance

Nowadays, many specialized companies provide high-quality polishing services for stainless steel products. If you do not have the time and opportunity to polish the metal yourself, then contact one of these companies, which will present your product with a second life.

Option number 2.Polishing at home

At home, you can also get a polished, shiny and flawlessly smooth surface of stainless steel. To do this, there are several ways that will help restore the product to an impeccable appearance. Let's consider, than it is possible to polish a stainless steel.

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How to polish stainless steel to a mirror at home?

To polish the stainless steel to a mirror at home, you will have to make some efforts. But they will be more than justified when you get the result of your work.

Primary processing

Before polishing the stainless steel, it is necessary to clean the product. To do this, you can use a dishwashing detergent:

1. Dilute the detergent with water to get a soapy solution.
2. Wipe the surface of the metal with a prepared mortar.
3. Wash soap residue with clean water.
4. Dry the product.

You can polish stainless steel products at home with some food, certain household tools and chemical fluids. It is with their help that you will further polish the stainless steel to the mirror.

Olive oil

This method is suitable for polishing tarnished products. You will need olive oil and a soft cloth:

1. Apply the olive oil to a clean cloth.
2. Spread the oil so that the entire surface of the product is covered with an oil film.
3. Firmly press the greased fabric against the surface and gently polish the product in a smooth circular motion.

Important! Polishing should be continued until a noticeable change in the structure of the product is felt.

1. So that the polished surface does not fade, you need to remove excess oil. You can do this with a dry towel or napkins. In intensive circular motions, wipe the product until the surface becomes dry.

Flour

You can polish stainless steel with flour. This method is more suitable for flat surfaces, for example, such as a sink or pan.

How to use:

1. Sprinkle the product with flour so that it covers the entire surface.
2. Spread the flour evenly over the metal.
3. With a dry cloth, the hands should be polished stainless steel in a circular motion.

Important! Instead of a fabric, you can use a medium-hard toothbrush.

1. Remove all flour from the surface.

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Fine mechanization for polishing

It is possible to polish stainless steel to a mirror not only in specialized companies or factory conditions, but also at home using small-scale mechanization means.

Important! This method is suitable for cleaning the welding seams, fixing scratches, to give a beautiful look to self-made products.

For polishing stainless steel you will need:

• angle grinder, better known as "Bulgarian", as a polishing tool;
• grinding wheels of various grain sizes;
• sandpaper, you can stone;
• polishing agent;
• felt or felt circles.

Stages of polishing:

1. To begin with, it is required to remove metal deposits from the welding seam, in other words, to carry out a rough cleaning of the surface. To make such a sweep, you need to use an angle grinder and a circle on a fibrous basis. The grain size of the circle must be P60.

Important! If the surface of the stainless steel product is sufficiently smooth, this step can be omitted.

1. Grind the metal again around with the P120 grain. This action is carried out in order to remove strips from the previous grain.

Important! If you do not have a circle with the right grain parameter, you can do it yourself. You need to take a felt or felt wheel. Using a spatula, apply a joinery glue to it and walk it along the abrasive crumb. Such a crumb can be obtained by rubbing a stone and an emery cloth about each other.

1. Each time, by halving the size of the abrasive, sand the stainless steel surface several times more.

Important! After each grinding, do not forget to rinse the stainless steel surface. If possible, do not set the speed of more than 4,500 revolutions per minute on the bullet.

1. Make sure all rough roughnesses are removed. The surface of stainless steel after grinding should be perfectly smooth.

Important! If the product remains defective after polishing stainless steel, these areas will have to be sanded again.

1. Take a polishing aid( in most cases it is a paste) and a clean felt or felt circle.

Important! It is necessary to choose the right polishing paste. There are different types of similar products for different brands of stainless steel. It is best to take a diamond paste, which is most suitable for granularity for your metal. If this is not the case, GOI paste( chromium oxide) or usual polishing paste will do.

1. Now proceed to finish polishing stainless steel. Consistently remove visible risks. Over time, the surface of stainless steel will become increasingly smooth. This is due to the redistribution of the structure of the upper layer of stainless steel. Under the influence of active components of paste, air, heating and friction, old oxide films are destroyed, and when the product cools, new ones are created.

Important! Do not overheat metal, it can change the color.

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Mechanical manual polishing

Please note that in an inconvenient for access area, ideal smoothness and gloss is not created. Therefore, if the product has such areas, then they must be finished manually. It takes a lot of patience, because polishing the stainless steel to the mirror in this way takes a lot of time and work. To do this you will need:

• piece of felt;
• abrasive paste.

Polishing steps:

1. Apply paste to the felt.
2. Polish the product until the desired specular gloss is obtained.

Important! Polishing pastes can be harmful to the body, so when using them, wear gloves and a face mask.

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Chemical method of polishing stainless steel

This method is suitable for processing small parts from stainless steel. It does not require much time and great physical work. Chemical liquid can be prepared by one of the following recipes.

Option number 1:

1. Prepare the solution, taking into account the dosage: sulfuric acid - 230 ml, hydrochloric acid - 70 ml, nitric acid - 40 ml.
2. In 1 liter of the solution, add 6 g of an acid black dye, 10 g of carbide glue and 6 g of sodium chloride.
3. The temperature of the liquid should be 65-70 degrees C.
4. Place the stainless steel in this composition for 5-30 minutes.
   

Option number 2:

1. Prepare a solution with the following ratio of acids to the total volume: orthophosphoric 20-30%, hydrochloric 3-4%, nitric 4-5%, methylolange 1-1.5%.
2. Soak the part in such an aqueous solution for about 5-10 minutes at a temperature of 18-25 ° C.

Option number 3:

1. Prepare the solution taking into account the amount of acids per liter of composition: hydrochloric acid - 660 g, sulfuric acid - 230 g, orange acid dye -25 g.
2. In such a solution with a temperature of 70-75 degrees C, you should withstand stainless steel 2-3 minutes.

Important! All components are very aggressive. Therefore, with this method of polishing stainless steel, you need to ensure yourself full protection of the eyes, hands, face and respiratory organs.

Polishing steps:

1. It is necessary to immerse the pre-cleaned part in a container with a chemical solution, which consists of reagents and distilled water.

Important! To obtain the desired concentration of the solution, adhere to a strict dosage of the reagents.

1. The liquid must be stirred continuously - for completeness of the chemical reaction.
2. After the specified time, the part needs to be removed, the chemical reagents are cleaned with clean water and the product wipes with a polishing cloth.
3. When exposed to liquid reagents for a certain time, all roughness of stainless steel is eliminated.

Important! It is necessary to know the brand of stainless steel for the correct choice of components and their concentration in water.

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Stainless Steel Care

Polished stainless steel looks very impressive and beautiful. But to keep it as long as possible, you need to protect the mirror surface and ensure proper care for it.

Polishers are used for this purpose. They are available in the form of concentrates and liquid emulsions. Use the polish immediately after finishing the polishing of stainless steel. It is also recommended to use such remedies regularly with some periodicity. This will help ensure your product glossy surface for a long time.

The technique of its use is very simple:

• It is simple to apply the product on a napkin and wipe the product evenly, in a circular motion.
• After treatment, remove excess funds.

Important! If there is a possibility and desire, you can use a special power tool, for example a grinder with a speed of no more than 1500 revolutions per minute.

With periodic polishing, your stainless steel products will be protected from abrasive dirt, corrosion and other natural factors. But still, if you need to polish a stainless steel, then choosing a more suitable method for you, described in this article, you can even at home give the products a smooth surface and a mirror shine.