I was wondering if anyone had advice on removing some scrub marks from a stainless cooktop. The wife tried removing a stubburn stain by using some SOS or other abrasive cleaner and now there are 2 quarter sized unpolished spots there.
I was going to try some white rouge on a 3-4″ cotton wheel or a smaller pad on a Dremel tool. If there are any ideas or techniques out there I’d appreciate the input. Thanks
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Replies
Just work the whole thing over with the same cleaner.
Bit of a gripe here. Folks buy stainless steel but fail to appreciate one of its beauties: As it's used and cleaned it acquires a patina of tiny scratches that is really quite attractive. Trying to keep it mirror-shiny is like polishing your copper roof.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
Yeah, but what about sinks? Hard water has made
mine look pretty tatty. They arent mirror
bright when new (mine is a budget model) but
what is the best way to make it look presentable?
I tried the wire wheel on a drill. Better but not
by much.Comments?
Unfortunately, the cheap stainless sinks don't polish up real well -- must be the type of steel used. But in any case the best approach is to always use steel wool (either plain or something like SOS pads) when cleaning. This will result in a much more uniform patina than you get with scouring powder.Never use an acid drain cleaner on stainless -- the acid can badly pit the surface.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
Noooo... neverrrrr use steel wool on a stainless steel surface. I used to own a large photo lab with stainless steel all over the place. Every manufacturer advises against it as small particles of steel will get into the surface and cause rust and pitting.PaulB
Well, all I can do is speak from experience. You wouldn't want it in a photo lab because the iron could cause spotting and other problems with the chemicals, obviously.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
From a manufacturer's website:
"Do not use ordinary steel wool - iron particles can become embedded in stainless steel and cause further surface problems. Stainless steel and "Scotch-brite" scouring pads are satisfactory"
From a trade association: "Wire wool pads made of "ordinary" steel (e.g.Brillo pads) are totally unsuitable for stainless steel as they will impair the self-healing capability of the stainless steel surfaces"
Anywayyyyyyyyyyy... your stuff, clean it as you will ;)PaulB
Like I said, there's cheap stuff and there's good stuff. The good stuff won't mind.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
Dan, you say "... must be the type of steel used."
Stainless steel is not made of steel. Get a magnet and see for yourself.
The lack of magnetic attraction does not prove an absence of iron. Stainless steel is indeed an alloy consisting primarily of iron and chromium, with enough carbon to qualify as "steel".
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
I do recall that some stainless I have worked with was indeed magnetic, albeit weak. Different grades of SS. Someone said that magnetism in SS was caused by work-hardening(????).Yes, most quality sinks have a 'brushed' finish. I have done a brushed finish on raw SS stock, and I used a reciprocating (straight-line) sander- in fact it was my Porter Cable profile sander that I used. Geez, I think that was one of only a few times that sander has ever been employed- for the most part a useless tool.Oh, and Dan, I believe that nickel is also alloyed into the mix, could be wrong, tho.
Edited 8/28/2007 1:24 pm by kenhill3
Nickle is commonly added to the SS used for bolts and the like to reduce spalling. There are maybe 50 different standard alloys of stainless.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
Sorry, it is not steel. SOrry.
You're right, you are.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
find some Blue Magic in the tube. it works miracles
http://www.mas-parts.com/cart/bluemagic.html
"Barkeepers" cleaner, and a Scotchbrite pad. Work it all over.
Since you're talking about POLISHED stainless, the cotton buff and compound is a good way to go. The pad that she used was courser than whatever they used to get the polish. She put minute scratches onto the surface. You have to use progressivily finer media to regain the original look.
As others said, you will have to work the surrounding area to blend in the new work. Use only the nylon type of abrasive pad on the stainless. Steel wool should be avoided like the plague.
My wife got some cleaning cloths called Miracle Cloth. These are a synthetic material that work wonders on stainless. They won't restore a scratch, but for everyday cleaning and spiffing up, they are great.
am I the only one who sees the irony here-
a stainless cooktop. The wife tried removing a stubburn stain
now I know how to remove her scratches but how do you get a stain in a stainless top>>>>:)
and now for some usefull content...
what others have said about fiish restoraton... obviously the abrasive your wife used was too corse.. now you have to start using finer and finer abrasives to remove the scratches. I would start with some 600G wet and dry.. then 800.. then 1000.... then 1200... if you have not reached the shine of the surrounding metal you can go up to 1500 then start with the compounding, Heavy, medium, fine.. then swirl remover... then polish. It really depends on the original finish and quality of the material.
james
Stainless steel wool.
It's sheared from only the cleanest metal sheep.Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
Oh, good Lord, no. But I can give him two dollars and an assault rifle.
And then pick an abrasive (powder, steel wool, whatever) and stick with it. Eventually the whole surface will have the same patina.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
steping abrasives just makes the whole process faster..... thats why you don't start with 220G paper to remove saw kerfsmarks on a board. sure it will eventually get the scratches out but it sure will take a while.
when working with metal or stone the difference is more pronounced.. the finer grit erases the corser grit and so on.. untill you reach polishing grits, which are really only super fine abrasives.
now if the stainless wool matches the final finish of the whole stove then bobs yer uncle.
james
What I'm saying is don't step, just stick with one size. Everything will look the same eventually.Stainless steel isn't supposed to look polished.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
I understand what you are saying about stove tops etc but don't tell the hot rod guys that stainless isn't supposed to be polished :)
james
Well that's a diffent thing entirely, of course. But sinks and stoves and other appliances where stainless is used for it's ability to be easily cleaned are not intended to have a mirror finish. In fact, you can tell a poor quality SS sink by it's shiny appearance in the showroom -- better quality units will have a matte finish.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
Stainless Steel, ani't stainless and, surprise!, it ani't steel!
Stainless Steel, ani't stainless and, surprise!, it ani't steel!
yes I get it.. stainless is an iron alloy though... I can buy "magnetic stainless" or get grades that have no magnetic attraction. I have worked with bar, hex, sheet and plate SS extensively for residential/commercial work as well as automotive/motorcycle restoration so ( while not a metallurgist) I know a bit about the material.
I also know that most grades of appliances come with a brush finish but I have seen more and more of the polish finish stuff and all I can say is I don't like it... would rather have chrome as it is a harder material.
magnetism has nothing to do with work hardening, its either there or it is not.
800G wet and dry dose a good job of replicating most "brush finishes" but some are finer... some are coarser.
I should have been more clear about the process I listed as that is what I use to remove scratches ( read gouges etc from an errant tool bring drooped in a sink for example).
oh well.. I was never a fan of re texturing an entire surface if I have the materials/tools to replicate it in a small area very quickly.
regards
james
"I would start with some 600G wet and dry.. then 800.. then 1000.... then 1200... if you have not reached the shine of the surrounding metal you can go up to 1500 then start with the compounding, Heavy, medium, fine.. then swirl remover... then polish."It sounds as when you are sanding out the orange peel on a car.
But I agree with you, this is the only way to get the shine back.It makes me laugh when I hear people talking about their "DREMEL", it seems like the clueless home owner's magic tool.Martin
Well if I was sanding out OP on a car I would start with 400G maybe 220, are we talking about a "peeled" base coat"?
If that was the case i woul start as noted earlier.. then work up to maybe 800G then apply another coat of paint ( base coat ) with a blending additive to "melt into " the surrounding area.. let sit for a bit ( per manufacturers recomendaitons) the apply clear, then block out with 800-1200G then start compounding..
same basic idea but automotive paint is much softer than metal... I sure miss enamel laquor where you didn't have to buff anything if you were good!!!!
james
I have found another use for my Fine MM, I use the polishing pad with "Mothers" wheel polish, seems to cut the baked on crud off. It will leave a highly polished area if you get carried away. I expect in a few years I will completely disasemble the entire cooktop and refinish it correctly as there are a few areas close to the burners that it is impossable to clean completly.
JF
"Well if I was sanding out OP on a car I would start with 400G maybe 220, are we talking about a "peeled" base coat"?"Good luck sanding out 220 or 400 Grid sand scratches without sanding thru the final coat.
But that's another story and we are not detailing cars here on the forum (which is good, there are to many detailers on this planet without sufficient knowledge and skills)Martin
Belt sander with 220 grit open cut belt.
I am with DanH.
I have always just scrubbed the whole thing down with the same SOS pad.
It is important to run the pad by hand along the same lines as the origonal graining in the brushed stainless steel.
If it is high polished, then polish, but most are brushed unless they are high end.
Good Luck
You will have to polish the surface in stages to make it shine again.
I've polished clear surfaces such as epoxies and plastics, which are the most difficult surfaces to polish so that they don't show imperfections.
You can start wetsanding with 600 grit sandpaper, then 1000 grit, then maybe even 1500 grit, then rubbing compund then polishing compound. It is a process but it works.
Now, technically, you can do all this with only polishing compound but it would take a hundred times longer to work away the scratches.
Think about this, they can polish lenses to a crystal clear finish... so you can polish your stove too.
http://www.petedraganic.com/