This is the plunger and its plate from a 1957 Wms game. The plunger polished up very nicely, as you can see. The plate just won't polish. Someone had painted it, and I stripped off the paint with a wire brush on a Demel. I don't think it was originally painted, because I have a sister machine and the front of it wasn't painted.

Sanded with 400 grit wet, then 600 (green scotchbrite) then 1000 (blue scotch brite) then 1000 wet then 1500 wet and then 2000 wet. Finished with Mother's. (Didn't go down to 400 on the plunger, didn't have to.)

Is it just the metal? Should I start again at even lower grit?

polishing (resized).JPG