Polishing stainless steel

[skiri251]

I need to tap into the wealth of knowledge from this board.

I am going to buy stainless steel exhaust header for my XT500 mod. I know how to polish aluminum but anything is different for stainless steel? Can I use polishing compound (like the one from Mother's) for aluminum/mag?

 

[mcgovern61]

When I have polished SS in the past, I have used lemon oil and very fine steel wool.

 

[AApple]

Flitz will work well, too. Be prepared to turn everything(your hands, mostly!) black from the polishing!
Truthfully, most stainless polishes up pretty well, and quick, depending on the condition of the surface to begin with.

 

[skiri251]

Thanks.
Lemon oil, Flitz, where can I buy them? Don't remember seeing them in auto store.

 

[mcgovern61]

Lemon oil is available in the cleaning sections of your supermarket, home centers (like Home Depot). Lemon oil acts as a neutralizer to surface rust and particles and helps the steel wool shine the SS.

 

[skiri251]

Lemon oil is available in the cleaning sections of your supermarket, home centers (like Home Depot). Lemon oil acts as a neutralizer to surface rust and particles and helps the steel wool shine the SS.

Ah, thanks.
As for steel wool, I guess I need fine ones like 3M red pad or something?

 

[GILLT]

Lemon oil is available in the cleaning sections of your supermarket, home centers (like Home Depot). Lemon oil acts as a neutralizer to surface rust and particles and helps the steel wool shine the SS.

Ah, thanks.
As for steel wool, I guess I need fine ones like 3M red pad or something?

I would think (0000) steel wool would be the fine stuff.

 

[dan filipi]

I like Scotchbrite pads over steel wool any day but I don't know what the courseness of the red and green pads are or have I tried buffing anything with it.

 

[AApple]

Scotchbrite pads will do more scratching than polishing. I'd go with the steel wool(0000), or paper towels.
You can get Flitz at most parts houses...at least you can around here. If not, there is a locator on the website. :Egyptian:

 

[skiri251]

Thanks!
Good to learn 3M pads are coarser than fine steel wool.

 

[AApple]

I wouldn't think you would need any kind of abrasive to polish a ss head pipe. Some polish and a rag should work great.
There used to be a product from Mother's(I think) that was basically a really fine steel wool, in a solution of polish. It came in what looked like a small paint can, so you used a screwdriver to take the lid off, and tore off however much of the "cloth" you needed. That stuff worked fantastic on stainless, and aluminuminum, Don't know if it's still available now or not....I think the name was simply Mother's Bare Metal Polish.

This ain't it, but I found it pretty quick, so....

 

[skiri251]

I have Mother's Mag & Aluminum Polish. It says "perfect for all metals", "Not recommended for gold plating, chrome, anodized, painted, or coated metal."
So I guess I can use this on stainless steel.