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Author Topic:   cleanng and polishing stainless rail

Binkster posted 07-25-2014 02:01 PM ET (US)
Need to remove some surface rust and polish my stainless rails and fittings.
rich
frontier posted 07-25-2014 02:18 PM ET (US)
Bar Keepers Friend.
padrefigure posted 07-25-2014 03:30 PM ET (US)
Also try rubbing compound. The rust is usually on the surface of the stainless.
Jeff posted 07-25-2014 03:48 PM ET (US)
I have had Bar Keepers friend work great but dull the finish. I use Mother's Mag Wheel and Metal polish with great shiny results but it takes a little more work.
Jefecinco posted 07-25-2014 08:25 PM ET (US)
Brasso.
contender posted 07-25-2014 10:10 PM ET (US)
I think no matter what you do (depending on the amount of rust) you will end up having to doing the entire rail to match...
Jefecinco posted 07-26-2014 10:36 AM ET (US)
Brasso is a very mild brass polish. We used gallons in the "Old Army" to keep our uniform brass perfect. I use it on stainless and it does a great job and removes scratches well. The downside is that it is slow due to the very mild abrasive. A power buffer can be used to speed the process but beware as dark streaks can be created with too much heat. Never Dull is a faster alternative but for a perfect surface finish should be followed by Brasso.
Looking at some of your work I'm guessing perfection is your goal. Try the Brasso. Smallish cans are found at HD.
Butch
zotcha posted 07-26-2014 10:49 AM ET (US)
Anyone still use Never Dull? zot.
Binkster posted 07-26-2014 11:08 AM ET (US)
Butch, was considering Brasso. Have used it to polish headlight lenses, and watch crystals, along with brass outboard props. Looked at my can, it was empty, I'll buy another. Never heard of Never Dull, Zot.
rich
Binkster posted 07-26-2014 04:08 PM ET (US)
OK, here is what I'm doing. I tried some Brasso, mag wheel cleaner, and rubbing compound, that I had. None did much at all as far as rust, and small scratches but did produce somewhat of a shine. I check online, found a guy on YouTube polishing chrome pieces for a classic car. He sanded everything and then polished the pieces, looked good. He used a DA sander, obviously can't do that on round tube. So I've got all these Abralon foam backed sanding discs laying around, which would work perfect. I'll try and sand a 2' upright that has alot of rust on both ends, and in the middle where a standoff bracket was clamped. Well, I started with a 360 grit, moved up to a 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, 3000, 4000 grit discs. Dunk them in a bucket of soapy water, wrap the sanding disc around the tube and start sanding. Ten minutes later the tube looked new. rust and scratches disappeared with the 360 grit, and each grit took the previous scratches off. I can see my reflection in the tube, don't think in needs polishing. Same thing withthe standoff brackets.
BTW, try this method on your hazy headlight lenses, but you only need 500, 1000, 2000, 4000. The plastic is alot softer than SS, and doesn't take alot of rubbing.
rich
TTB posted 07-28-2014 06:38 AM ET (US)
Whink is a product that is used for getting rust stains out of laundry. It does an amazing job of removing iron oxide. It pulls surface rust off stainless steel so well that you don't even need to buff and it will look like you spent all day buffing.
TJ
Binkster posted 07-28-2014 08:50 AM ET (US)
Well, I ended up sanding the rails. The 360 grit pads removed any rust spots easily, and by the time I worked up to the 4000 grit pad the stainless looked new. I spent about an hour on each rail. As far as the standoff brackets are concerned. I thought it would be difficult to get any rust, paint, (the interior was painted some years ago) and crud spots off, so I experimented by taking the worst looking one and soaking it in a bucket of muriatic acid for about an hour. I had no idea what would happen, I know the acid etches concrete. I then hosed it off, it looked rather dull but it was completly clean. After going thruogh the sanding process for about 15 minutes, it now looks new. I laid it next to my new reproduction S/S bow light that I installed, and the finish looks the same.
rich
PeteB88 posted 07-28-2014 01:41 PM ET (US)
If you can find it Quick GLO - double naught spy secret fix for chrome polishing old vintage Schwinn rims, fenders, stems, handle bars and racks. It went off the market maybe seven years ago but I found some on line -Now someone bought the company. I've used it for years, hand friendly. Better than anything I've ever used and no damage to item
http://www.wbrz.com/videos/does-it-really-work-quick-glo/
PeteB88 posted 07-28-2014 01:49 PM ET (US)
Damn Rich sounds like brain surgery but I bet it works!!
Binkster posted 07-28-2014 01:58 PM ET (US)
I took TTB's advice and stopped at the grocery store this morning, and picked up a bottle of Whink Rust and Stain remover. The directions said where heavy gloves. that sounded encouraging. Usually hand friendly stuff doesn't work well. I think Schwinn rims were chrome plated steel, not stainless. I pour some of the bottle into a plastic bowl. and dropped a somewhat rusty standoff in, and left for a couple of hours to run errands. Whe I returned I was happy to see all of the rust was gone, and the piece wasn't as dull as the first I used muriatic accid on. It will take less sanding to look new. I thinks thats the product to use.
Thanks alot TTB, test is complete. The rest of the parts are soaking now.
rich
PeteB88 posted 07-28-2014 03:41 PM ET (US)
Rich - It works great on stainless, in fact, some of the mid-60s Schwinn fenders were stainless.

http://www.quick-glo.com
Binkster posted 07-28-2014 11:22 PM ET (US)
Pete,
I'm sure your stuff does the job the way you state, but you mentioned that you need to buy it online. I got a bottle of Whink at the grocery store this morning for under five bucks. Its some sort of an acid but it has no odor, and I soaked the rest of the standoff brackets in the stuff for about an hour, then I hosed them off, put them in a bucket of water and took an old toothbrush and some dish detergent and scrubbed them a little bit, washed them off and from a foot away you would swear they are new. I'm indebted to TTB for that tip.
I've been looking for good used rims for my '54 Schwinn Black Phantom for years. I have the front and rear hubs.
I've been running other wheels and it depletes the value of the bike.
rich
macfam posted 07-30-2014 09:24 PM ET (US)
Collinite Metal Wax
www.collinite.com
Binkster posted 07-31-2014 08:14 AM ET (US)
I reported earlier Whink Rust and Stain remover works really well to remove rust and the stainless looks new with very little physical effort. I soaked the stainless fittings in a plastic bowl filled with this product for about an hour, then emptied the bowl on my driveway, hosed off the fitting with a hose, and then brushed them with an old toothbrush and soapy water, rinsed them and the fitting looked new. I didn't use this product (fortinuatly) to clean up the rails, only the fittings, so my exposure to this product was minimal.
This is unrelated but I was looking for a tub refinishing kit to refinish the bathtub in one of my rentals, that didn't use toxic chemicals. None available. This got me to thinking about the chemical ingredients in Whink Rust and Stain Remover, so I did a search and this is what I found. Its pretty toxic stuff, be careful.
http://bigcatrescue.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/ Whink-Rust-Stain-Remover.pdf
rich
jason78 posted 08-04-2014 10:24 PM ET (US)
I second the Collinite Metal Wax

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Author	Topic: cleanng and polishing stainless rail
Binkster	posted 07-25-2014 02:01 PM ET (US) Need to remove some surface rust and polish my stainless rails and fittings. rich
frontier	posted 07-25-2014 02:18 PM ET (US) Bar Keepers Friend.
padrefigure	posted 07-25-2014 03:30 PM ET (US) Also try rubbing compound. The rust is usually on the surface of the stainless.
Jeff	posted 07-25-2014 03:48 PM ET (US) I have had Bar Keepers friend work great but dull the finish. I use Mother's Mag Wheel and Metal polish with great shiny results but it takes a little more work.
Jefecinco	posted 07-25-2014 08:25 PM ET (US) Brasso.
contender	posted 07-25-2014 10:10 PM ET (US) I think no matter what you do (depending on the amount of rust) you will end up having to doing the entire rail to match...
Jefecinco	posted 07-26-2014 10:36 AM ET (US) Brasso is a very mild brass polish. We used gallons in the "Old Army" to keep our uniform brass perfect. I use it on stainless and it does a great job and removes scratches well. The downside is that it is slow due to the very mild abrasive. A power buffer can be used to speed the process but beware as dark streaks can be created with too much heat. Never Dull is a faster alternative but for a perfect surface finish should be followed by Brasso. Looking at some of your work I'm guessing perfection is your goal. Try the Brasso. Smallish cans are found at HD. Butch
zotcha	posted 07-26-2014 10:49 AM ET (US) Anyone still use Never Dull? zot.
Binkster	posted 07-26-2014 11:08 AM ET (US) Butch, was considering Brasso. Have used it to polish headlight lenses, and watch crystals, along with brass outboard props. Looked at my can, it was empty, I'll buy another. Never heard of Never Dull, Zot. rich
Binkster	posted 07-26-2014 04:08 PM ET (US) OK, here is what I'm doing. I tried some Brasso, mag wheel cleaner, and rubbing compound, that I had. None did much at all as far as rust, and small scratches but did produce somewhat of a shine. I check online, found a guy on YouTube polishing chrome pieces for a classic car. He sanded everything and then polished the pieces, looked good. He used a DA sander, obviously can't do that on round tube. So I've got all these Abralon foam backed sanding discs laying around, which would work perfect. I'll try and sand a 2' upright that has alot of rust on both ends, and in the middle where a standoff bracket was clamped. Well, I started with a 360 grit, moved up to a 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, 3000, 4000 grit discs. Dunk them in a bucket of soapy water, wrap the sanding disc around the tube and start sanding. Ten minutes later the tube looked new. rust and scratches disappeared with the 360 grit, and each grit took the previous scratches off. I can see my reflection in the tube, don't think in needs polishing. Same thing withthe standoff brackets. BTW, try this method on your hazy headlight lenses, but you only need 500, 1000, 2000, 4000. The plastic is alot softer than SS, and doesn't take alot of rubbing. rich
TTB	posted 07-28-2014 06:38 AM ET (US) Whink is a product that is used for getting rust stains out of laundry. It does an amazing job of removing iron oxide. It pulls surface rust off stainless steel so well that you don't even need to buff and it will look like you spent all day buffing. TJ
Binkster	posted 07-28-2014 08:50 AM ET (US) Well, I ended up sanding the rails. The 360 grit pads removed any rust spots easily, and by the time I worked up to the 4000 grit pad the stainless looked new. I spent about an hour on each rail. As far as the standoff brackets are concerned. I thought it would be difficult to get any rust, paint, (the interior was painted some years ago) and crud spots off, so I experimented by taking the worst looking one and soaking it in a bucket of muriatic acid for about an hour. I had no idea what would happen, I know the acid etches concrete. I then hosed it off, it looked rather dull but it was completly clean. After going thruogh the sanding process for about 15 minutes, it now looks new. I laid it next to my new reproduction S/S bow light that I installed, and the finish looks the same. rich
PeteB88	posted 07-28-2014 01:41 PM ET (US) If you can find it Quick GLO - double naught spy secret fix for chrome polishing old vintage Schwinn rims, fenders, stems, handle bars and racks. It went off the market maybe seven years ago but I found some on line -Now someone bought the company. I've used it for years, hand friendly. Better than anything I've ever used and no damage to item http://www.wbrz.com/videos/does-it-really-work-quick-glo/
PeteB88	posted 07-28-2014 01:49 PM ET (US) Damn Rich sounds like brain surgery but I bet it works!!
Binkster	posted 07-28-2014 01:58 PM ET (US) I took TTB's advice and stopped at the grocery store this morning, and picked up a bottle of Whink Rust and Stain remover. The directions said where heavy gloves. that sounded encouraging. Usually hand friendly stuff doesn't work well. I think Schwinn rims were chrome plated steel, not stainless. I pour some of the bottle into a plastic bowl. and dropped a somewhat rusty standoff in, and left for a couple of hours to run errands. Whe I returned I was happy to see all of the rust was gone, and the piece wasn't as dull as the first I used muriatic accid on. It will take less sanding to look new. I thinks thats the product to use. Thanks alot TTB, test is complete. The rest of the parts are soaking now. rich
PeteB88	posted 07-28-2014 03:41 PM ET (US) Rich - It works great on stainless, in fact, some of the mid-60s Schwinn fenders were stainless. http://www.quick-glo.com
Binkster	posted 07-28-2014 11:22 PM ET (US) Pete, I'm sure your stuff does the job the way you state, but you mentioned that you need to buy it online. I got a bottle of Whink at the grocery store this morning for under five bucks. Its some sort of an acid but it has no odor, and I soaked the rest of the standoff brackets in the stuff for about an hour, then I hosed them off, put them in a bucket of water and took an old toothbrush and some dish detergent and scrubbed them a little bit, washed them off and from a foot away you would swear they are new. I'm indebted to TTB for that tip. I've been looking for good used rims for my '54 Schwinn Black Phantom for years. I have the front and rear hubs. I've been running other wheels and it depletes the value of the bike. rich
macfam	posted 07-30-2014 09:24 PM ET (US) Collinite Metal Wax www.collinite.com
Binkster	posted 07-31-2014 08:14 AM ET (US) I reported earlier Whink Rust and Stain remover works really well to remove rust and the stainless looks new with very little physical effort. I soaked the stainless fittings in a plastic bowl filled with this product for about an hour, then emptied the bowl on my driveway, hosed off the fitting with a hose, and then brushed them with an old toothbrush and soapy water, rinsed them and the fitting looked new. I didn't use this product (fortinuatly) to clean up the rails, only the fittings, so my exposure to this product was minimal. This is unrelated but I was looking for a tub refinishing kit to refinish the bathtub in one of my rentals, that didn't use toxic chemicals. None available. This got me to thinking about the chemical ingredients in Whink Rust and Stain Remover, so I did a search and this is what I found. Its pretty toxic stuff, be careful. http://bigcatrescue.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/ Whink-Rust-Stain-Remover.pdf rich
jason78	posted 08-04-2014 10:24 PM ET (US) I second the Collinite Metal Wax