(Topic ID: 85109)

Hand polishing a WMS lockbar = mirror!

By Jared

10 years ago


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  • 17 posts
  • 12 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 5 years ago by Jenk540i
  • Topic is favorited by 7 Pinsiders

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    #1 10 years ago

    Spent the last several hours sanding, polishing and buffing a WMS lockbar. My secret weapon was a product called "Metal Gloss Polish" which I bought at a car show after he turned a penny into a mirror.

    The results are nuts. This was USED.. and now it looks better than new! As usual, the picture does not do it justice. I guess I will have to do the rails and the legs now... sigh... lol

    image-482.jpgimage-482.jpg

    #4 10 years ago
    Quoted from cosmokramer:

    wow..looks great...do you have a "before" picture?

    I am an idiot, and I do not.

    #6 10 years ago
    Quoted from VolunteerPin:

    Besides the product, did you just use some good old elbow grease or what other tools/wipes did you use? It looks great. My TAF and WH20 could use the treatment.
    Also, you mentioned 'several hours'. That does sound like quite a bit of work. I think my arms would fall off after buffing for a few hours. Can you elaborate?
    Looks great. I'm inspired. I just wouldn't mind a little more insight.
    Thanks!
    Darin

    Yeah my arm did fall off. I had to stop many times. I was a drummer for 7 years and somehow over time have maintained my ability to rapidly move my arms, it comes in handy.

    Step 1 was cleaning the bar with soap and warm water.
    Step 2 was drying it off completely.
    Step 3 was clearning with a light coat of ZEP stainless steel cleaner
    Step 4 was drying and polihing out the cleaner.
    Step 5 was using 1000 Grit Ultrafine Sand Paper only moving in the direction of the grain. This will remove any fine scratches that are in the metal. If their are weld marks or dents, there is nothing you can do.
    Step 6 was using a non abrasive metal polish. I used "Master Formula Metal Gloss" http://master-formula.com/Metal%20Polish.htm - This product is nearly magical, I saw the creator turn a soda can into what appeared to be a mirror before my eyes. Then he did the same trick on a penny in my pocket. I was sold.

    Here I put dime sized globs on a microfiber and polished it into the bar in quarter sections. You can work this in over and over as it removes oxidation in the metal and polishes out the fine lines... making it extremely reflective and silky smooth. You CAN use a electric buffer here if you wish, but I didnt have one on hand and I like a challenge.. lol.

    A lock bar is small, so I was able to do the 1st round in about 15 minutes... taking breaks to rest my arm. I did the process of step 6 four times on the bar... until it was so shiny and smooth that it feels like butter and you can clearly see the reflection of your fingers.

    I could keep going... but I didnt want to make it too shiny that it looks odd from the rest of the game. It does look better than new though, and you can tell when you look at it that someone put time and effort into it.

    I am sure there are other products that do what the master formula does (it reminds me of brasso) but I cannot confirm this myself.

    I took my time with it between steps, so if you were really determined I bet you could do it in an hour or so.

    4 years later
    #13 5 years ago
    Quoted from northerndude:

    Hey Jared, resurrecting an old one here, but it's totally relevant in my case.
    I see in Step 5 you typed you only moved the 1000grit in the direction of the grain. On a/my williams lockbar, i dont really see a grain, but more of a general shine that's totally gone now ( I have polished ball guides that have a definite grain. Did you basically create a grain by staring to go side to side and stay on the path throughout polishing?
    THX
    I was thinking I could polish up with brasso, then go to a barkeepers friend in one direction with 1000 grit and see where that takes me before I go to a straight polish. hmmmm.

    Been so long I cant remember...

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