Metal Polishing

[Peterjay]

I recently completed a project that involved modifying a tin striped bass jigging spoon from the 1940's. (I cleaned up the dings and closed the eye holes and replaced them with brass eyelets) The project was a success - they actually look better than the original and the action is superb - but I''d like to give them a more professional-looking finish if it's possible. I've been using a Dremel with the usual polishing attachments, and I've also tried micro-abrasive film, but there's still a lot of room for improvement. I've been reading up on rock tumblers with the thought of using stainless steel media to smooth out the finish. I guess my questions are: do any of you guys have any experience with using tumblers? Is it worth the investment? Is there another method that would work better? My metal polishing skill level is low to say the least.

[Piscivorous Pike]

I recently completed a project that involved modifying a tin striped bass jigging spoon from the 1940's. (I cleaned up the dings and closed the eye holes and replaced them with brass eyelets) The project was a success - they actually look better than the original and the action is superb - but I''d like to give them a more professional-looking finish if it's possible. I've been using a Dremel with the usual polishing attachments, and I've also tried micro-abrasive film, but there's still a lot of room for improvement. I've been reading up on rock tumblers with the thought of using stainless steel media to smooth out the finish. I guess my questions are: do any of you guys have any experience with using tumblers? Is it worth the investment? Is there another method that would work better? My metal polishing skill level is low to say the least.

I have a lot of experience with tumblers and ammunition. Brass and parts. I would use ground corn cob or pecan shells, walnut shells and use the below cleaner in the product too. I would just use a light wheel on a drill or electric screw drive and apply the stuff I am going to tell you about. The tumbler is too intense for what you are doing.

I have polished spoons, both nickel and precious metal, polished scratches out of GPS , Sonar and watch screens, polished actions of target pistols and also brass badges and name plates on my uniform with one product. It will clean gun barrels and remove blackening off of stainless steel pistol cylinders. Gold jewelry too. Almost forgot the auto head and tail light plastics too, Good cleaner for glass also.

You will be amazed, I used it on silver kokanee spoons too. I took a divet out of a watch crystal and used 600 grit paper to smooth it down, it was then cloudy but with a flannel rag on a flat surface rubbed the crystal on this for about 7 minutes and got factory new clear. Metals or plastics it does it. Dont use too much speed with a dremel and felt wheels as you can burn plastics with them or burnish plated spoons, slow down some is all.

The product is pink, it is a metal polish and is sold under the names:

Flitz

SimiChrome

Maas

The main ingrediant that does it all is the pink abrassive. Google it or under Amazon, likely from auto parts stores even with furniture products at Walmart. Comes in tubes to big cans.

Edited August 6, 2010 by Piscivorous Pike

[Peterjay]

Thanks for the heads-up PP. I'm definitely gonna pick up a tube. Sounds like it could come in handy for a lot of chores around here besides polishing tin.

[Piscivorous Pike]

Thanks for the heads-up PP. I'm definitely gonna pick up a tube. Sounds like it could come in handy for a lot of chores around here besides polishing tin.

I just googled flitz, looks like it is the most available and comes in many different quantity containers. Does good on boat fiberglass.

I carry a tube in my tackle and touch up my spinner blades and spoons in the field.

I read some books on what fish see and apparently the reflection of light from silver is very different than from nickel. Usually nickel products dominate the market and are cheaper. I believe what I read and silver has an advantage and is more like the natural reflection of bait fish. It also tarnishes easily. Where I can I have been using silver and replacing blades or spoons with real silver plate. The pink products do make this fanatacism of mine more practical to use silver.

[Peterjay]

Glad to see I'm not the only fanatic around here. I like to use tin for pretty much the same reasons you use silver. Tin has a nice soft sheen that closely resembles baitfish scales - super-bright metals like nickel or chrome are flashier, but less realistic. Striper lures were pretty much all block tin back in The Day, but I suppose the price is what drove manufacturers to using plated brass or lead. Again, thanks for the tip. I guess my next step is to see if I can produce some spoons that are smaller than the 2.25 ounce ones I made. We've got a few pike lakes around here, and I think old Mr. Esox would hammer a 3/4 ounce version.

[diemai]

I am making casting spoons from most likely stainless steel sheet but also copper and brass sheet , that I get from the scrapyard of my work(metal industry) .

I polish these spoons with a simple kit of polishing wheels to be fixed in a drill or drillpress(I use my lathe motor with a chuck assembled as it features more RPM's than any drill).

At first I'd tread the parts with rotating wire bristled brushes(steel bristles for stainless steel and brass bristles for others , softer quality not to leave deep scratches)) , mainly to get the tarnish layers off the copper and brass , but also for an initially even look on stainless steel , .......after I'd use different grade polishing wheels(rope , cotton and felt)together with coarse and fine polishing paste to achieve a shiny and glancing surface on my spoons .

The copper and brass spoons would tarnish again after a while , which IMO is sometimes just desireable , as such spoons won't spook the fish in sunny weather and clear water , .......if I want them to remain glancing(most likely top side only) , I'd cover them with flexible semi-transparent scale foil(requires topcoating with epoxy or other durable laquer) , ....never applied any laquer straight onto the polished metal , as I believe it not to adhere well on that glancing surface ?

Another way to dull the shiny polished finish on stainless steel spoons is to anneal them to achieve a purple/blue/brown color(might not work with all alloys ,...... with the sheets from my work it does).

greetz , diemai

[Peterjay]

Many thanks for the tips, guys.

[Peterjay]

FYI: I found both Flitz and Simichrome in the Rio Grande catalog. If you're not familiar with Rio Grande, it's a big supplier of materials and equipment to the jewelry industry, but a lot of what they sell can also be applied to luremaking. Everything from mini-drill presses to polishing tools to colored epoxy resins. I have their 650-page tools and equipment catalog - cost $10. (refundable) Well worth checking out IMHO. I like thumbing through it while I'm waiting for the Red Sox bullpen to get somebody out.

http://www.riogrande.com/MemberArea/SearchPage.aspx?page=GRID&category|category_root|108=Metal+Clay

[VermontPhisher]

Sometimes a benchtop grinder with two polishing wheels of different grades is cheaper, faster and easier than a tumbler. The pieces heat up fast so wear gloves or dip the piece in cool water. Good luck.

[fred27]

FYI: I found both Flitz and Simichrome in the Rio Grande catalog. If you're not familiar with Rio Grande, it's a big supplier of materials and equipment to the jewelry industry, but a lot of what they sell can also be applied to luremaking. Everything from mini-drill presses to polishing tools to colored epoxy resins. I have their 650-page tools and equipment catalog - cost $10. (refundable) Well worth checking out IMHO.

I like thumbing through it while I'm waiting for the Red Sox bullpen to get somebody out. :yay:You must have read this book DOZENS of times!

http://www.riogrande...|108=Metal+Clay

[Peterjay]

Yeah, Fred, I've pretty well memorized the whole thing. Considering the fact that the Sox haven't had their whole team on the field since the first week of the season, I've also had a chance to read War and Peace a couple of times.

Thanks for the tip VT. A benchtop buffing machine is definitely on my list of priorities.

Edited August 12, 2010 by Peterjay

[Peterjay]

Again, thanks for the tips guys. I really appreciate the input. Just FYI, I recently picked up a rotary tumbler for a variety of uses, (I'm a visual artist and I also make jewelry occasionally) and I tumbled a few tin spoons using a jewelry mix of steel shot, and it burnished the spoons to a mirror finish. These things should be killer in low light situations. I'm also using most of the methods you all described to get a softer sheen for bluebird days. Your advice has been very helpful.