need help asap. stainless steel?

What can I use to polish stainless steel? Could I use. Just my regular pads and some polish or do I need to do it by hand with a special kind of polish???

Any help would b great thanks:help:

 

if you don't have a dedicated metal polish, using normal polished should work... just start out with a very light cut polish first

 

Metal Polishing

It is very important to clean as you go. Residual polish should be removed from around rivet or screw heads and from seams as the polishing project progresses. If it dries on it is very difficult to remove. One way to do this is to use a solvent to wipe the surface. The best solvent I have found is isopropyl alcohol (IPA) or mineral spirits as they evaporates slowly and generates fewer toxic fumes. Best method is to use a micro fibre towel to wipe the solvent off and dry the surface

Using cornstarch rather than solvents for cleaning is very effective and eliminates the need to deal with a solvent. Use the micro fibre towel with cornstarch rather than solvents. It works very well if on fresh polish, however if it has dried it generally requires a solvent to remove it.

Anhydrous Chemicals - polishing with correctly formulated products will increase the life span of the metal, whereas the use of ammonia and anhydrous products has been proven to do the opposite. Anhydrous chemicals will dissolve Zinc, a major component of brass, and nearly always present on aluminium castings. Zinc is also often used to stop steel from corroding. Anhydrous chemicals can destroy these materials.
First ascertain the type of metal; aluminium, stainless steel, chromium plated or brass?

• Keep this area clean and free of used buffing pads and soiled cloths. A build-up of solvents, metal shavings and oil can be hazardous.
• Work in well ventilated areas.
• Do not use polishes that contain anhydrous solvents, ammonia or acids on aluminium, brass, copper or bronze. These chemicals attack zinc and alloys, which are normally present in these metals.
• Clean the surface before you begin polishing. Even dust can cause scratching when rubbed across a surface.
• Work small areas at a time on large jobs as it's faster and it will give you a more consistent finish.
• Apply light pressure and take your time when applying polish or compounds. Let your machine and product do the work.
• Polish in the direction of the grain if the metal is rolled.
• Wipe down surface with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) between buffing steps to remove cleaning residue. Buffing pad lines or polish residue in seams can be removed with flour.
• Wiping cloths should have no labels or sewn edges with plastic thread.
• Lightly mist the surface with distilled water before the final buffing step. This seals both metal and wax, and helps reduce future water staining from rain and condensation.

All of the English Custom Metal Polishes (ECP) is highly concentrated for less waste. They contain micro abrasives to eliminate tedious rubbing, and wax protectants to retard oxidation. They offer one of the few true polishes for stainless steel. ECP has a reputation for excellent professional quality metal polishes and polishing supplies

(See also http://www.topoftheline.com/metal-polishing-secrets.html)


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Thanks for the quick replies. So a foam polishing pad will b fine? Also I have some polishes like power finish and a few scholls. I do have some megs metal polish could I use that with a foam pad?

 

i always used white diamond polish.

 

Depends on how bad the damage is... I normally use autosol on an mf... but I did a car where a body shop had run a da over the trim, used a rayon pad and autosol followed with wool and autosol...