# Calling all Polishing Nutcases! Like Me!



## kenster (Apr 11, 2007)

Howdy!







While writting a PM I got carried away with pictures of polishing I have done and I thought why not start a thread.



I get to go first!






Sorry my pictures are so LOUSY!






But here are a few samples of my spit shine work to get things rolling.





What do you have to show off?





Ken

Cmacclel took some better pics of this McGizmo Ti 27L when I loaned it to him for a while. They are posted in a thread somewhere but I can`t remember which thread????









This is a close up of the Ti 27L head. Sorry about the dust specks.









A "COOL" Bare Aluminum RPM version of a LionCub.



The Ti bezel needs some more polishing work.









#102 Fenix Ti Lop with a spit shine reflecting my computer screen. 





A Ti Aleph 1 Pineapple light I sold for $10 shipped at Christmas.









Some Tranquility Base made Titanium I felt could use a little sanding and buffing.









A Ti McLux III-T reflecting an ounce of Gold.









TNC Proto Ti bezel. 





A Tranquility Base made Ti bezel on an Icarus built Chrome Aleph 3 Tri-Lux. Hmmm..... The Ti bezel kind of looks like the Chrome? Hehe!





Brass LionCub and a Bare Aluminum LionHart.





The tail Logo of my unpolished Ti Chameleon reflected in the tail of the polished Bare Aluminum LionHart.





Tranquility Base Ti head. McGizmo Ti bezel, battery tube and tailcap. I had Morelite trim down the tailcap for me.





A Morelite Ti head, McGizmo Ti bezel & tailcap and Tranquility Base Ti 123 battery tube. I put a thinner lens in it after this picture and the bezel screws up tighter to the head for a cleaner look.





I`ll stop here with one last photo.



I played with the lighting and camera settings to see what the Ti 27L might look like Gold Plated. If you look close you can see that it would be "SMOKING HOT"!



Hehe!


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## Erasmus (Apr 11, 2007)

Awesome!!! Very nice pictures!


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## aikiman44 (Apr 11, 2007)

Beautiful!
What do you use to polish them?


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## bray (Apr 11, 2007)

id be scared to touch them being that shiny! every touch equals five minutes of cleaning!


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## parnass (Apr 11, 2007)

Nice bling.


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## UncleFester (Apr 11, 2007)

Ok, ya gotta teach me how to polish things like that! I've got a project that needs a hight polish (no it isn't a flashlight, but it is a reflector.)


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## will (Apr 11, 2007)

something I did for another member - maglite 2D


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## luxlunatic (Apr 11, 2007)

I to am a polish junky, not at your level yet Kenster but I am working on it.
Here goes!

My TiPi with TB 27L head.









Now my XR27 on a PD body.









And last for now, a bare MaxliteII. Aluminum is a lot easier to get buffed up.









Still learning and refining my system all the time.
My polishing fettish goes back many years for me. In my mid teens(20 years ago) when paintballing was in its infancy, I scored what at the time was a really nice gun, a Schraider, pump action-constant air setup. I was syked. But after some use, some of the black paint began to chip off revealing the brass that the gun was made out of. So I decided to remove the paint and polish it up. My buddies thought I was nuts. But when it was done, I was in love with that gun all over again! And it looked beautiful, so my buddies called me the man with the golden gun, and let me tell you, that gun was feared, maybe more so than the kid carrying it! Yea, I still have that gun around somewhere.
Enjoy the pics.


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## TOOCOOL (Apr 11, 2007)

Luxlunatic I liked that last pic so much I used as my desktop if thats ok with you


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## luxlunatic (Apr 11, 2007)

TOOCOOL said:


> Luxlunatic I liked that last pic so much I used as my desktop if thats ok with you


 

One of _my_ shots as a desktop! Be my guest, and thanks for the compliment. The reflections in that shot came out looking pretty cool, sorry about the dust!


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## Alin10123 (Apr 12, 2007)

Wow! Those pictures and lights are incredible!!!


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## ICUDoc (Apr 12, 2007)

Wow great polishing jobs.
Wow. Again.


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## cy (Apr 12, 2007)

nice pic's!!!

long time ago... when I worked at a production plating shop. a major portion of what I did was polishing. 

we used huge polishing machines driven by high HP motors that looked similar to pic


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## LuxLuthor (Apr 12, 2007)

Really beautiful polishing jobs. I can't imagine how much time that must take, but it's probably a bit like polishing your knob....always an enjoyable moment when it's done.


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## JediNight (Apr 12, 2007)

LuxLuthor said:


> Really beautiful polishing jobs. I can't imagine how much time that must take, but it's probably a bit like polishing your knob....always an enjoyable moment when it's done.


 


:lolsign:


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## JediNight (Apr 12, 2007)

Seriously though, I'd be terrified to take any type of sand paper to my Ti.

Is there any polish that anyone would recommend? I'd feel more comfortable
working with a dremel polishing wheel.

JN


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## will (Apr 12, 2007)

I have polished a number of aluminum lights. These started out anodized. 
1. remove the anodize finish - 
2. Most of the lights I have still have some tool marks left from the machining process.
3. wet or dry sandpaper 400 grit - then 600, then 1000, then 1200.
4. then to the buffing wheels - tripoli followed by white, followed by jewelers rough. 

this will get you up to a mirror finish. 

The aluminum has to have some finish applied - nickel, chrome etc. 

after that any metal polish will keep the shine. I use a silver polish on the nickel - use very soft cloth to remove the polish.

Polishing will not remove any machining marks, It will remove any surface oxidation. Any polishing will remove and sharp edges and give a smoother feel to the light.


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## PhantomPhoton (Apr 12, 2007)

All those lights look so lonely! 
They need to be brought outdoors and banged once, dropped, dunked, packed and sat upon. Them lights need some character and a story to go with it! 
Then bring 'em home and shine them up real nice, turn em sideways and sh... oh wait wrong quote...

Can you tell I'm a bit jealous? 
Ti has such an appeal to it. Nice collection. That love and attention to detail really shows in some of those pics.


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## cmacclel (Apr 12, 2007)

Here you go


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## nekomane (Apr 12, 2007)

oo: Liquid metal.. Beautiful!


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## Strauss (Apr 12, 2007)

Beautiful pics everyone!


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## vic2367 (Apr 12, 2007)

very nice pics....


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## scottee (Apr 12, 2007)

Wow, they all look fantastic !

Any tips and details of the process everyone goes through would be appreciated; could do with this for some of my watches as well.


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## kenster (Apr 12, 2007)

Will and Luxlunatic, those are the kind of pics I was hoping would be posted so I could.....  Very nice! :twothumbs 

Mac, thanks for posting your pics of my Ti 27LT. I like them better than my shots. :rock: Still haven`t polished the Yaesumofo Ti bezel that is on it but I will get to it soon.  

For the polishing, I hand sand with MIcro-Mesh MX grade sandpapers which is for metals. They are expensive so I bought a package with all of them in the 12 x 12 sheets and I cut off small pieces to use hoping to save a few bucks in the long run but I don`t even use some of the coarsest grits.  Spend plenty of time with each grit before moving on to the next or you will end up with some scratches that didn`t get sanded out. Takes a bit of time but I enjoy doing it this way. The final polish I do with a cloth wheel on a Dremel tool. I have all kinds of different compounds I have used for this on the different matals. A green dry compound I picked up at a jewelry supply store has given the best results on Titanium so far. That compound will not remove any scratches that were left while sanding. It just puts a high gloss finish on the Titanium. That is what I used on my Ti 27L before I sent it to Mac. I think that polished finish came out pretty sweet.  

Ken


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## will (Apr 12, 2007)

I have 2 dremel tools - and I do like to use them for certain things. They are good to get into the very small areas. For most of the polishing that I have done - I picked up some 4 inch buffing wheels from Eastwood. I put these in an electric drill which I hold in a wood vise. ( don't use a battery drill, too slow ) Eastwood has the different polishing compounds as well. If you have a grinder - a 6 inch wheel works great. Different metals polish differently and look different. 

The buffing compounds seem to be waxed based. I use a bit of kerosene to wash them when I am finished, then a final wash with soap and water. I don't use a cloth to dry, I just use an air hose to blow them off. It does take a fair amount of work to get them really nice, in the end it is worth it.

http://www.eastwoodco.com/


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## kenster (Apr 12, 2007)

Will, thanks for the info. I have some compounds that seem to be waxed based and they can really build up on the wheels. Time to wash some wheels.  The green compound I use for the final finish on Titanium is a dry compound so is doesn`t build up on the wheel but it has other drawbacks. It is very messy and green powder goes EVERYWHERE! :sick2: :laughing: 


Ken


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## luxlunatic (Apr 13, 2007)

I do about 90% by hand, I will use the dremel on areas that my fingers wont get to, and sand up to 2000 grit then polish a few times over with softer rags using some Mothers and buff with a clean, dry soft towel. 
But I think I need to add one final step and a dry compound like you mentioned kenster sounds like the ticket. The job I do is ok but in most light, it still shows some hazing, I have to get the light just right for those shots.
Like I said, still refining my system!
BTW fun thread kenster, thanks.


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## nein166 (Apr 13, 2007)

Kenster its about time you let the rest of us in on the fun. Great tips and even better pics. I stuck the dremel sand drum in the butt of my TiPi and spun it on the dremel at low speed sanding thru 200-2000 grits. Came out ok but now I see I missed the dry compound stage. Thanks and good thread


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## VidPro (Apr 13, 2007)

Awesome, love them mirrored finishes. (insert drool icon)


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## TOOCOOL (Apr 13, 2007)

there you go Vidpro


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## kenster (Apr 13, 2007)

luxlunatic said:


> I do about 90% by hand, I will use the dremel on areas that my fingers wont get to, and sand up to 2000 grit then polish a few times over with softer rags using some Mothers and buff with a clean, dry soft towel.
> But I think I need to add one final step and a dry compound like you mentioned kenster sounds like the ticket. The job I do is ok but in most light, it still shows some hazing, I have to get the light just right for those shots.
> Like I said, still refining my system!
> BTW fun thread kenster, thanks.


 
Hmmm.... at 2000 grit I am just getting started.



The Micro-Mesh sandpapers I use have thier own numbering system. The finest grit I use before the Dremel and dry coumpound is equivalent to either 10,000 or 12,000 grit sandpaper but I can`t recall which of the two at the moment.



The only thing the dry polishing compound I use does is bring out more of a high gloss to the finish after I am finished sanding or basically polishing. There are faster ways to polish than by hand but........



I am a nutcase and I like doing things the hard way sometimes.






Ken

EDIT: I completely understand about the haze you mentioned when trying to photograph a polished light. Look at the bezel in the pic below. It wasn`t polished as well as the rest of the light and shows the haze which to me is simply scratches from not being polished well enough. I went through the grits of sandpapers to quickly and so it has that haze look.



I started over and it ended up polished more like the rest of the light. Well, look at the second picture showing this TNC proto Ti bezel after I worked on it some more and you decide.



I am still learning and always trying to improve on my polishing because this is fun to me.


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## will (Apr 13, 2007)

There is one other technique I didn't mention earlier. When you get down to buffing wheels, buff at a 90 degree angle to the sanding. If you picture buffing a bolt, going at the same angle as the threads - the wheel will buff the peaks and valleys, not really smoothing out the surface. THe wheel will follow the grooves. When you buff at 90 degrees, you smooth down the peaks, getting them closer to, or even with the valleys, this gives a smoother finish.


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## luxlunatic (Apr 13, 2007)

kenster said:


> Hmmm.... at 2000 grit I am just getting started.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 

I checked out the website for Micro-Mesh, and you weren't kidding, pricey stuff but if it provides the finish I will be proud of, then its worth it! 
Did a search a while back but did not come across that site, thanks again kenster.
You are right, there are faster ways of gettin' it done but I too like to do it the hard way by hand. There is something about it thats, should I say, therapudic(other than the sore fingers!), and the results you can be more proud of, like anything done by hand, it just has that personal touch. 
Time to order some micro-mesh! Better rest my fingers up, they are going to get a workout.


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## kenster (Apr 13, 2007)

luxlunatic said:


> I checked out the website for Micro-Mesh, and you weren't kidding, pricey stuff but if it provides the finish I will be proud of, then its worth it!
> Did a search a while back but did not come across that site, thanks again kenster.
> You are right, there are faster ways of gettin' it done but I too like to do it the hard way by hand. There is something about it thats, should I say, therapudic(other than the sore fingers!), and the results you can be more proud of, like anything done by hand, it just has that personal touch.
> Time to order some micro-mesh! Better rest my fingers up, they are going to get a workout.


 
I warned you that Micro-Mesh sandpaper is expensive stuff.  It does last quite a long time though.  As you step through the grits, try to go 90 degrees to the last grit. Will has a very good point doing this. It also helps show your progress and you will end up with a better polish job in the end by changing directions with each grit. It can be difficult, extremely time consuming or close to impossible to do on some parts of a light but I try to do this anyway. Send me a PM if you would like a small piece of the green dry polishing compound I use for a final high gloss on Titanium to check it out for yourself. :thumbsup: 

Ken


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## luxlunatic (Apr 14, 2007)

I agree on the 90 degree trick. I kind of stumbled upon it a while back and it became part of my formula, definately helping the end results, I just need some more steps in the formula to be happy with it!

So Ken, after seeing the polish jobs you do on your lights for a while here, I have been wondering if you are a nut about the paint and detail on your car as well, I for one am, even under the hood!


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## TranquillityBase (Apr 14, 2007)

luxlunatic said:


> I agree on the 90 degree trick. I kind of stumbled upon it a while back and it became part of my formula, definately helping the end results, I just need some more steps in the formula to be happy with it!
> 
> So Ken, after seeing the polish jobs you do on your lights for a while here, I have been wondering if you are a nut about the paint and detail on your car as well, I for one am, even under the hood!


 Lux, send me a PM, I have another light for you to polish.

TB


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## aikiman44 (Apr 18, 2007)

Thanks to everyone for the polishing tips. I see that there are 4 types of Micro Mesh sandpaper. Any recommendations on a particular type?


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## kenster (Apr 18, 2007)

Jay, at first I bought a little polishing kit. As I recall it came with the AO grade but it has been a while. Here is a link.

http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=80939

The kit seemed expensive with such small pieces of sandpaper and I wanted to polish more flashlights so I found the manufacturers website hoping to order some larger pieces at a better price. Below is a link to thier home page. Lots of info on the different grades to read.

https://www.micro-surface.com/default.cfm?page_id=1

The MXD grade looked interesting but I decided on the MX grade when I noticed the "Call for prices" on the MXD. :huh2: Yikes and no thanks!  :laughing: The MX is almost twice as expensive as the AO which does work but I found that the MX has a heavier backing that holds up better and it does last longer as well. 

Ken


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## luxlunatic (Apr 26, 2007)

Well Ken, I think I'm getting a little better, with some help and tips from you! I can see dust _on my camera lens _in this first shot.










You can just see the batt tube there, thats next to finish off this sweet little A19!






I will post another shot when completed, had to give my fingers a rest.
Thanks Ken!


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## kenster (Apr 26, 2007)

SWEEEEET!!!!!!  :goodjob: It`s time consuming and sure dose a number on the fingers! When your done it is hard to do this...... :nana: I haven`t been polishing today obviously!  :laughing: Just seems more rewarding in the end doing most of it by hand.  


Hey, that looks like my camerea???? :huh: A Canon PowerShot A620 by any chance? 

BTW, I am about ready to brighten up the outside of on my Ti 27S Cx2 with a mirror polish. :naughty: Lots of Titanium and the ribbed battery tube should be loads of fun by hand. :thinking: *NOT! * Polishing the ribbed tube will be like polishing quite a few of those tailcaps you just did. :sweat: I`m going for it anyway! :rock:


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## will (Apr 26, 2007)

Curious - how often do the bare metal lights have to be re-polished. Most metals oxidize over time and get somwhat dull.


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## Tritium (Apr 26, 2007)

kenster said:


> SWEEEEET!!!!!!  :goodjob: It`s time consuming and sure dose a number on the fingers! When your done it is hard to do this...... :nana: I haven`t been polishing today obviously!  :laughing: Just seems more rewarding in the end doing most of it by hand.
> 
> 
> Hey, that looks like my camerea???? :huh: A Canon PowerShot A620 by any chance?
> ...


 
Have you considered disassembly and tumbling to polish lights. I have quite a few tumblers (vibratory and rotary) that are used for rocks and metal finishing (jewelry). I bet they would greatly reduce the labor involved in producing a mirror finished light.

Thurmond


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## kenster (Apr 26, 2007)

Will, I haven`t had to actually repolish any of my lights that I haven`t dropped *hard *or rolled down an asphalt driveway.




A couple I have hit with a dremel and cloth wheel for maybe 15 seconds to spiff them up but I have quite a few flashlights.






I change what I carry quite often so if you EDC the same light......... I don`t know what to say????? Maybe someone else can answer that question.  

I will say, don`t loan a polished light to someone that is not somewhat of a "Flashaholic". Loaned my Polished Ti 27L to Cmacclel and it came back PERFECT! Thanks Mac!



Now, the Bare Aluminum LionCub in the pictures below was polished beautifully a few weeks ago. Loaned it to a friends brother that I hear took it to work with him. He does tile work. Grout does wonders for polished Bare Aluminum, doesn`t it?



Oh well, I was wanting to open the bezel up some more on that light anyway.



No LED upgrade because that light has a UW0K lux III I put in it that is amazingly bright. Never seen another U bin come close to putting out as much light!



I really like this Cub since it was one of my first flashlights in my collection. I will* not* be loaning it out to anyone else anytime soon!















She can barely reflect the Gold coins!  But she will be a shinning beauty again soon!


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## kenster (Apr 26, 2007)

Tritium said:


> Have you considered disassembly and tumbling to polish lights. I have quite a few tumblers (vibratory and rotary) that are used for rocks and metal finishing (jewelry). I bet they would greatly reduce the labor involved in producing a mirror finished light.
> 
> Thurmond


 
Well, Hey & Howdy There Thurmond! :wave: 

Intersting idea but to me, part of the problem with the sanding and poilishing is trying to not round off the sharp edges too much. Any knurling like in the light above would probably really flatten out while tumbling. Every light is different though???? The inside would have to be protected so the threads would not be ruined or the O rings not seal properly afterwards but I suppose it could be a time saver for some pieces.  

Ken


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## Tritium (Apr 26, 2007)

kenster said:


> Well, Hey & Howdy There Thurmond! :wave:
> 
> Intersting idea but to me, part of the problem with the sanding and poilishing is trying to not round off the sharp edges too much. Any knurling like in the light above would probably really flatten out while tumbling. Every light is different though???? The inside would have to be protected so the threads would not be ruined or the O rings not seal properly afterwards but I suppose it could be a time saver for some pieces.
> 
> Ken


 
The vibratories use a very gentle action so I so I don't think there will be a big problem with erosion of and rounding of sharper edges and threads just a minor radius of those sharper edges and smoothing of the threads. It is done in fine jewelry castings all the time and many other industries as well. There are both Wet and dry processes. I will see what I can do with some Ti pieces I have. I may try my Exolion as well (with Tritium vial attached).

Thurmond


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## kenster (Apr 26, 2007)

Tritium said:


> The vibratories use a very gentle action so I so I don't think there will be a big problem with erosion of and rounding of sharper edges and threads just a minor radius of those sharper edges and smoothing of the threads. It is done in fine jewelry castings all the time and many other industries as well. There are both Wet and dry processes. I will see what I can do with some Ti pieces I have. I may try my Exolion as well (with Tritium vial attached).
> 
> Thurmond


 
It doesn`t take much on the threads to make them become very loose. I found that out with Titanium working the threads on a McLux III-T. After all the time spent sanding & polishing the outside of the light I was amazed at how fast I was able to over do it with the threads. Very interested to hear what your results are with this!  


Exolion? :thinking: Wasn`t I supposed to send you one of those a while back to play with anodizing? :huh:  My single brain cell is getting old and tired? :duh2:

Ken


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## aikiman44 (Apr 26, 2007)

Great thread! Can't wait to hit my lights.


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## luxlunatic (Apr 26, 2007)

kenster said:


> Hey, that looks like my camerea???? :huh: A Canon PowerShot A620 by any chance?
> 
> BTW, I am about ready to brighten up the outside of on my Ti 27S Cx2 with a mirror polish. :naughty: Lots of Titanium and the ribbed battery tube should be loads of fun by hand. :thinking: *NOT! * Polishing the ribbed tube will be like polishing quite a few of those tailcaps you just did. :sweat: I`m going for it anyway! :rock:


 

Close! Its the lowly A610, j/k, its a great camera. Battery life on this camera is amazing, I run Energizer e2 liths and I cant remember the last time I changed them! Hey, that just made me realize, there is no battery meter on this camera.

Ken, you are quite courageous to tackle the S27 Cx2, a lot of surface area on that light that is not finger friendly! I have thought about doing mine, but the head on mine has some good tool marks around the circumference near the grips that are pretty deep, too deep to sand out so the finished polish would have some appearent flaws . Oh well, that saved my fingers some punishment and now this is my main utility light since the first dings are already there!


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## luxlunatic (Apr 26, 2007)

will said:


> Curious - how often do the bare metal lights have to be re-polished. Most metals oxidize over time and get somwhat dull.


 

True, most metals do oxidize over time and take on scratches fairly easily. Aluminum, brass, copper, nickle steel, etc., are all fairly soft and quite susceptible to corrosion, especially when exposed to oils from your hand. When EDCing lights with these metals in their bare form, frequent "touching up" is necessary to keep them looking good, and since these metals are fairly soft, they do show dings pretty easily, requiring more "touching up".
That is where titanium shines, literally. With a high resistance to corrosion and most substances because its a stable element (why its a good choice for medical applications and people that have alergies to certian metals for jewelry), very little "touch up" maintenence is needed. I EDC a polished Ti light and only need to give it a light polish every 3 months or so, where in the past with bare Al, every 3 weeks or so was needed to keep it looking as good as the Ti. 
So many great advantages in Ti, the beauty and strength of it (highest strength to weight ratio IIRC), the only disadvantage in the heat dissipation, but with the output of new leds, you dont need to drive it as hard for plenty of light and still keep the heat in check. 
Not only am I a flashaholic, I have become a TITANAHOLIC! A niche within a niche!


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## bombelman (May 6, 2007)




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## Mike V (May 7, 2007)

Wow.

Very impressive.


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## Cuso (May 18, 2007)

Ok ive been trying to polish my Orb Raw. It has some machining marks that id like top get rid of... I have Dremel, dry green compound, Mother's, buffing wheels, a cloth wheel, and sanding drums. Do I need to get me some sandpaper in different coarses?? This will be a great time for someone to do a little "tutorial" on the subjet. BTW what do you guys use to protect the finish from fingerprints on brass lights? If anyone can point me in the right direction it will be awesome.


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## kenster (May 18, 2007)

Cuso, do me a favor and *DON`T* use the Dremel sanding drums on your Orb Raw! :eeksign: :thumbsdow Get some extra fine sandpaper PLEASE! :thumbsup: There is great info from different folks on polishing through out this thread. 


Ken


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## Cuso (May 18, 2007)

kenster said:


> Cuso, do me a favor and *DON`T* use the Dremel sanding drums on your Orb Raw! :eeksign: :thumbsdow Get some extra fine sandpaper PLEASE! :thumbsup: There is great info from different folks on polishing through out this thread.
> 
> 
> Ken


 Noted, just mentioning some of the stuff that came with my Dremel , yes those are way to low a grit for using on anything but wood. Thanks for the tip.


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## kenster (May 18, 2007)

Cuso said:


> Noted, just mentioning some of the stuff that came with my Dremel , yes those are way to low a grit for using on anything but wood. Thanks for the tip.


 
Well, that is a relief. :sweat: I was afraid an Orb raw was in for a Dremel THRASHING! :mecry: :laughing: 

Good luck with the polishing!


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## Cuso (May 19, 2007)

kenster said:


> Well, that is a relief. :sweat: I was afraid an Orb raw was in for a Dremel THRASHING! :mecry: :laughing:
> 
> Good luck with the polishing!


, BTW is this the kit you have Ken??

Micro Mesh Metal polishing Kit


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## kenster (May 19, 2007)

Cuso said:


> , BTW is this the kit you have Ken??
> 
> Micro Mesh Metal polishing Kit


 
I bought a kit from MicroMark and a local hobby store at first but they didn`t come with the MX grade sandpaper like this one which is more expensive and last longer than the cheaper stuff or AO. I later bought 12 x 12 sheets of the MX grade in every grit and have more than half of all the sheets left even though I have given some away to some CPF members. Good stuff IMHO. 

Ken


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## Cuso (May 21, 2007)

OK . this is how the Raw turned out, keep in mind that this is not Ti....









I still have to find out a way to polish the back, and its not a "liquid metal" shine, if I shoot it with the flash, some polishing scratches show up, but im happy.. the machining marks are gone and now its smooth to the touch. Thanks for the tips guys... BTW I got this polishing cloth wheel at Sears for my drill $4.99 , came very handy and way faster then the Dremel.


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## luxlunatic (May 22, 2007)

Way to go Cuso, good job! The aluminum will show scratches and wear a bit faster than Ti but with a little touch up here and there, it wont be too difficult to keep it looking like that.:thumbsup:


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## Cuso (May 31, 2007)

luxlunatic said:


> Way to go Cuso, good job! The aluminum will show scratches and wear a bit faster than Ti but with a little touch up here and there, it wont be too difficult to keep it looking like that.:thumbsup:


 
Thanks!! Now I have to find a way to keep my brass lights from gettting that patina so fast , I like the shine better...


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## will (May 31, 2007)

Cuso said:


> Thanks!! Now I have to find a way to keep my brass lights from gettting that patina so fast , I like the shine better...



One way to keep brass from getting that patina - a thin coat of lacquer- probably not what you want to do. Other than that - you could try different types of wax. That will slow it down and will allow re-polishing easy to do.


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## Cuso (Jun 1, 2007)

will said:


> One way to keep brass from getting that patina - a thin coat of lacquer- probably not what you want to do. Other than that - you could try different types of wax. That will slow it down and will allow re-polishing easy to do.


Hmmm like regular car wax?? That I can do, I have some cool Techwax from Meguiar's that should do the job, thanks for the tip!:twothumbs


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## Endeavour (Jun 1, 2007)

I used to polish my lights pretty often until I found that I got obsessive compulsive trying to keep finger prints, etc. off them. In terms of appearance, though, polished metal certainly is quite beautiful - I usually polished aluminum since that's what most of my light were made of, but I don't have any uploaded pictures of those anymore; here's the last piece I did about a year ago of polished titanium:
















Compared to unpolished

The way I would do it was to start off with about 600 grit paper and wet sand the metal to get rid of the "deeper" imperfections (deep being a relative term, if 600 grit doesn't get out the damage you'll have to start with a lower grit, more abrasive paper). Once the paper is thoroughly wetted just hold the sheet around the outside of the part and rotate it until you have a completely matte finish, pausing occasionally to clean off the shavings that accumulate on the sandpaper. When the finish is uniform with one grit of paper, go on to the next highest all the way up to 2000 grit. (If you follow Kenster's method you'll end up going higher than that, but I was always reasonably pleased at 2000.  )

Once you get done with the wet sanding to your desired grit, get some polishing compound of choice (I use Blue Magic, found in the auto section of walmart), and apply it to a soft cloth. Rub the entire surface of the metal vigorously to your heart's desire, then light it dry for a minute or so. Using the remaining clean part of the cloth, buff the now black compound off and watch the shine come out of the grunge. 

If you polish a light with knurling you'll probably need to wash it with dish soap and warm water to get it out of the grooves - best to do it while the compound is still reasonably moist so that it's easier to remove.

If you want you can also use a dremel with a polishing wheel at the end after you're through with the sanding, instead of a hand buffing. I'm not decided on whether one provides better results than the other, but the dremel is faster. You'll still need to buff off the black left over with a cloth, though.

That's my way, good luck with your polishing!

-Enrique


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## kenster (Jun 1, 2007)

Enrique, that is a beautiful polished Ti Cr2-Ion! :thumbsup: I have one I want to do some poishing on but I can`t seem to find it.  It is not really lost since I am sure it is here in the house somewhere but where is the question???? 

Thanks for the info on how you do your polishing. I don`t plan on polishing anymore Aluminum lights myself unless they are heading off to be anodized or plated. Too soft a metal to keep a high gloss finish unless you don`t touch it at all but flashlights are to be used and not sit on a shelf looking prettyIMHO.

BTW, I will get an Email reply off to you. I had ear infection that turned into more fun stuff :thumbsdow but I am feeling much better now. Being stubborn about going to a doctor didn`t help.  And of course!  Just need to catch up on some things that go by without you knowing it when you are feeling under the weather. 

Ken


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## *PS* (Jun 2, 2007)

WOW!!!!! Sweet lights and pics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :rock:


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## luxlunatic (Aug 2, 2007)

I thought these shots were decent enough to bring this thread out of the cellar.


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## jumpstat (Aug 3, 2007)

LuxLuthor said:


> Really beautiful polishing jobs. I can't imagine how much time that must take, but it's probably a bit like polishing your knob....always an enjoyable moment when it's done.


I spilled coffee all over the keyboard when I read this!!


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## stephenmadpotato (Aug 24, 2007)

I wonder what would happen if you scraped one of those against the street.


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## Cuso (Aug 25, 2007)

stephenmadpotato said:


> I wonder what would happen if you scraped one of those against the street.


Errr , tears, suicidal thoughts and lot of Zyprexa???


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## luxlunatic (Sep 6, 2007)

Had to try to polish up my GAT. This one took quite some time, a lot more surface area then your average light. I was fairly happy with the results untill I saw the pics on my monitor, some surfaces did not come out as good as others, but it looks great in my hand!!!


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## kenster (Sep 8, 2007)

Luxlunatic,

Question? If you look at the Ti surface when it is reflecting a light source, like a cieling light, does it look like it has tiny pits? The 1st picture below is the tail of an earlier version Ti GatLight I worked on. Camera didn`t capture how my eyes saw it but around the edge of the reflected light you can see what looks like tiny pits. The whole surface was that way reflecting a light source. Mobil1 told me the metal used was 99% Titanium so it would pit like that and couldn`t be polished to a mirror finish like other Ti lights that have a higher percentage of other metals. The second pic is after I worked on it some more anyway and it is better but still not the finish I am able to get on other lights with a heck of a lot less effort. :sigh: Those are the only two pictures I have left since my computer went  and lost everything on it.  Yup, I had nothing on that puter backed up. :green: Photobucket has pictures that I had uploaded but that is nothing compared to what went   Yup, learned my lesson the :mecry:way and I will make back ups from now on. 

Yours looks GREAT! :thumbsup:

Ken


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## luxlunatic (Sep 8, 2007)

:wave: Ken,
To answer your question, yes. I thought the pitting may be from a lower alloy content than other Ti I have polished, vaguely remembering seeing that this Ti is 99%. 
No kidding, much more time consuming with less results, I even put each bar in a drill motor to speed up the process and that didnt help much. I managed some decent results on the back forward of the switch and around the emitter, but put more effort on other areas with less results, go figure . All in all in person and in the hand it looks great!
Your results on your V2 switch make me think I can get mine better, going from that first shot to the second, results improved more than you lead on, good work! By the way, is that the V2 with the K2? I was bidding against you on that one on ebay, I wanted that light!!!
Sorry about your puter, that blows, I went through that same thing about a year ago, lost tons of good stuff , now I use a external portable unit(simple tech 160G) for backup.


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## kenster (Sep 8, 2007)

So yours is 99% Titanium. I wasn`t sure about the V3 but I figured it was after checking out the pics compared to your other work.  Even if the Gat were machined using a Ti grade that can be mirror polished, it would still be an ornery polishing challenge. :sick2: You must have taken yours apart, right? And that reminds me of your question. No, not the Ebay Gat V2 which I went a little overboard on the bidding. :duh2: I still have it. Well, the metal minus all the screws, LE, LED, optic, all rubber seals and I believe some pieces that go on the battery side of the power nob. Wonder if Mobil1 still has any of it? Oh well, the 99% Ti is in Crystiline form that I guess is strong as a whole suroundeded on all sides but at the surface the structure is weak since there voids. THose voids are filled with other metals in Ti we are used to for Ti flashlights. Best way I found to go at it is slow with an light touch. Too aggressive and the surface crumbles. You have to feel for the change like the sandpaper is becoming a coarser grit. Well, I guess it is with all the tiny pieces of Ti that are grinding away making more tiny pieces and deeper pits. I couldn`t keep the sandpaper clean even under running water. Polishing paste and a Dremel can make it worse. Endless cycle of two steps forward, two steps back. Gets old! :thumbsdow 

The puter. Picked up an HP M8210N Media Center but why? :shrug: No stereo epuipment, No Cable TV or even an antena, No DVD player....... Just my computer with slow speed dial-up internet.  I was going to get high speed service but HP came with Windows Vista andf I learned something. DON`T BUY VISTA!!! It is not the "All for one & One for all" type and doesn`t play well with other programs. :shakehead SUCKS!!!!!! Grrr... 

And I thought it would feel cool being on the cutting edge of technolgy! :toilet: Bye-Bye Puter! I would LOVE to actually do it.


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## Bushman5 (Sep 11, 2007)

Cuso said:


> Hmmm like regular car wax?? That I can do, I have some cool Techwax from Meguiar's that should do the job, thanks for the tip!:twothumbs



CUSO, look for silicone based waxes......the silicone seals out moisture and oxygen from the metal (thtas what causes the patina fade and oxidation). I have a piece of polished rod stock i waxed and buffed with silicon car wax, sitting outside for several months now. Aside form dust on it it still looks new.


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## Nereus (Oct 6, 2007)

Fenix P1D-CE hard chrome plated:






Fenix P1D-CE 24 carat gold plated:






You can find the whole story here. 

-N


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## donn_ (Mar 4, 2008)

Fascinating thread! I'm in the process of teaching myself how to polish metal, and it's good to see it's not an unusual affliction.

There are lots of interesting tips here, and I'll add a couple.

I use mostly a Dremel and a Foredom, and I've found the most effective accessories to be 3M Radial Bristle Disks. They're made in sizes from 9/16" diameter all the way up to 3" diameter, and designed to be stacked on a mandrel to achieve the desired thickness. The bristles are impregnated with abrasive grain in grits from 36 to 1 micron. The bristles are able to get into the finest detail nooks-n-crannies, and do a wonderful job, even on knurling, in short order. No additional compound is needed. They don't throw much dust, and they last a good long time.

Something else I learned (I think it may have been here on CPF) is to use WD40 with micro-abrasive paper. I buy Lee Valley's paper, especially the .5 micron (9000 grit). When I'm doing a large smooth area, I chuck the light into a vise-mounted drill or my Foredom, cut a strip of the paper to fit the area, spray the paper with WD40, and spin the light with the paper strip wrapped around it. It's fast and effective.


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## kenster (Mar 7, 2008)

Howdy donn! :wave:

Fascinating post but... I have been using a Dremel since I was a kid and my first job was in a hobby store and I am always searching for Dremel type accessories but.... 3M Radial Bristle Disks???  Never seen or heard of anything like what you have described but sounds absolutely wonderful so pictures or the name of the place that sells these disks would be most appreciated.


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## donn_ (Mar 7, 2008)

This place has the best prices I've found so far:

http://www.progresstool.com/cat_redial.cfm

Otto Frei, and other good jewelry tool joints sell them, but they're more expensive there, and I'm a tightwad.


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## will (Mar 7, 2008)

Do those disks load up? I do my polishing using a buffing wheel and Jewelers rouge, After awhile, polishing aluminum, the wheel is loads up.


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## Cuso (Mar 7, 2008)

donn_ said:


> This place has the best prices I've found so far:
> 
> http://www.progresstool.com/cat_redial.cfm
> 
> Otto Frei, and other good jewelry tool joints sell them, but they're more expensive there, and I'm a tightwad.


So this are abrasive disk? I dont quite get the colors though, is every color meant to be a different grit?? This may be the ticket for those hard to reach crevices on my lights...

BTW heres the latest to come out of my shop..all factory pieces.


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## houtex (Mar 7, 2008)

Perfect Cuso!


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## donn_ (Mar 7, 2008)

Yes, they load up, but they also clean off easily. I just run them against a brass bristle brush for a few seconds.

The colors do represent different grits:

Brown = 36
Green = 50
Yellow = 80
White = 120
Red = 220 (this is the coarsest I've used)
Blue = 400 (I sometimes start here, if the piece isn't too bad)
Pink = Pumice
Peach = 6 micron
Light Green = 1 micron


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## inkster (Mar 7, 2008)

Awesome looking lights. Do they scratch easy? :huh:


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## gallagho (Mar 7, 2008)

Awesome work! 

Heads up on this..

http://www.2spi.com/catalog/supp/pikal-metal-polishes-paste.shtml

I use it on the back of my iPOD with a cotton rag, it's good stuff, works well on Samurai swords I believe!

Owen


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## Masque (Mar 7, 2008)

Wow, Cuso! That NovaTac HA-III sure is tough, if all you could get polished was the bezel and clip! :thumbsup:


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## Cuso (Mar 8, 2008)

Masque said:


> Wow, Cuso! That NovaTac HA-III sure is tough, if all you could get polished was the bezel and clip! :thumbsup:


Do not tempt me...


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## kenster (Mar 8, 2008)

donn_ said:


> This place has the best prices I've found so far:
> 
> http://www.progresstool.com/cat_redial.cfm
> 
> Otto Frei, and other good jewelry tool joints sell them, but they're more expensive there, and I'm a tightwad.


 

Yup, I have never seen these Radial Bristle Disks before  but I will soon!  There is a jewelry store 2 blocks from my house and obviously the place is a :candle: .... "not so good" jewelry store.  But I will drop off a few disks and see if it will up there rating a little. 

donn, thank you very much for all the info and the link for purchasing these disks! :thumbsup:

Ken


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## Don.b (Mar 8, 2008)

Gee, thet's pUURty...(Damn nice work, fellas.)


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## houtex (Mar 4, 2009)

I had to bring this back up. I am a fan of polished lights,though I don't own any yet. i'm working on this one


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## toby_pra (Mar 6, 2009)

Yeah you guys like bling bling, right??!! :duh2:


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## luxlunatic (Mar 10, 2009)

Wow, a thread from the cellar!
Here's an old shot of mine for an old thread.





Good luck with that SF houtex!


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## gunga (Mar 10, 2009)

You saw mine right? Special bare edition of the COnnexion X2. Got scratches in my finish tho.


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## chokker (Mar 19, 2009)

If I wanted a mirror finish on a stainless steel handgun what would you guys advise.


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## chokker (Mar 21, 2009)

I am looking for a step by step on what and how to get the metal to shine, anybody.


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## PetaBread (Mar 21, 2009)

Nice picture OP. :thumbsup:

What light is that? :thinking:


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## Morelite (Mar 21, 2009)

PetaBread said:


> Nice picture OP. :thumbsup:
> 
> What light is that? :thinking:


 
Which picture? He has several posted and they all are identified above the pics?
I'm assuming you me Kenster's pics in post #1 or does OP mean something different?


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## PetaBread (Mar 21, 2009)

Morelite said:


> Which picture? He has several posted and they all are identified above the pics?
> I'm assuming you me Kenster's pics in post #1 or does OP mean something different?


 
Oh my bad, I didn't even see the other pages. I was talking about 

Luxlunatic's picture on this 4 page.


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## Morelite (Mar 21, 2009)

No problem, in that case the light is a McGizmo creation and is either the XR27-PD or XR27-C. PD is the piston drive and C is the clickie switch version, I can't tell from that pic which body is on it.


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## PetaBread (Mar 21, 2009)

Morelite said:


> No problem, in that case the light is a McGizmo creation and is either the XR27-PD or XR27-C. PD is the piston drive and C is the clickie switch version, I can't tell from that pic which body is on it.


 

Thank you. :thumbsup:


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## Pontiaker (Mar 21, 2009)

chokker said:


> If I wanted a mirror finish on a stainless steel handgun what would you guys advise.


Take it to a gun refinisher, someone who has lots of good recomendations. If the guy does not know what he's doing he can really screw it up! Its alot of work but when its done right it looks great. It will kill any collector value....


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## Patriot (Mar 22, 2009)

chokker said:


> If I wanted a mirror finish on a stainless steel handgun what would you guys advise.




The best way to do it without loosing all of your sharp edges is to flat sand it with 400-600 and progressively move through the grits. At the very end it can get a light buff just to give it the mirror look. It will pick up fine scratches though if it's handled much though. I just finished a 10mm compensator that way and it turned out great.


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## Pontiaker (Mar 24, 2009)

Patriot36 said:


> The best way to do it without loosing all of your sharp edges is to flat sand it with 400-600 and progressively move through the grits. At the very end it can get a light buff just to give it the mirror look. It will pick up fine scratches though if it's handled much though. I just finished a 10mm compensator that way and it turned out great.


 You have NO idea how much work this is doing it by hand especially on a revolver.I have done it a few times and I dont look forward to ever doing it again... Many many hours of work and no light polisher is going to take 600 grit scratches out of all the low spots of a handgun. Lots and lots of work to do it right. The flats and rounds of a compensator, not a big deal, a complete pistol, :laughing:

With that said ots of guys on the gun forums have done a quicky polish by using Mothers wheel polish or Semi Chrome or other paste type polishes by hand. It wont be a mirror finish when done but it looks pretty good.
Matt


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## Pontiaker (Mar 24, 2009)

gunga said:


> You saw mine right? Special bare edition of the COnnexion X2. Got scratches in my finish tho.


You can get these out with the right paste polish, the problem is as soon as you handle it again with a little dust or dirt on your hands and they will come right back....Its alot of work to keep up a mirror polish on a user tool, especially made from a softer metal like unhardened stainless, aluminum, any Ti CP or alloy, etc...


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## shuter (May 4, 2009)

I recently acquired a Brass DragonHeart and decided it needed polishing so I gave it a try. These are my first polishing efforts and while they look quite good to the eye, photos show they are lacking and clearly not up to Kenster's standards. I am having a particularly difficult time with the knurling on the Brass LionCub. Can anyone clue me in as to how to get those knurled areas polished? All pictures include a Brass DragonHeart, Stainless Steel DragonHeart, Brass LionCub & Bare Aluminum LionCub. Man, the Stainless Steel was hard to polish! :wave:






















I was trying to show the mirror finish on the smooth tail on the LionCubs but they are reflecting something dark on the wall behind them.


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## chipwillis (May 4, 2009)

Those look nice, now put them in your pocket and scratch them.:naughty:


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## dmdrewitt (May 4, 2009)

The Brass DH looks familiar 

You've done a great job with the polishing. Very nice :thumbsup:

David


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## shuter (May 4, 2009)

chipwillis said:


> Those look nice, now put them in your pocket and scratch them.:naughty:


 
Scratch them? :huh:  :sick2:


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## shuter (May 4, 2009)

dmdrewitt said:


> The Brass DH looks familiar
> 
> You've done a great job with the polishing. Very nice :thumbsup:
> 
> David


 
Hi David :wave: Just spiffing up the the Brass you shared with me.


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## Steve L (May 4, 2009)

Hi Shuter,:wave:

They Look Magnificent!!! 

Cheers,
Steve


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## shuter (May 4, 2009)

Thanks for the kind words Steve. The Brass DH is a spectacular subject and really livens up my collection.


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## Willieboy (May 8, 2009)

Great work and pics. You guys must loathe fingerprints.


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## NosHusky (May 10, 2009)

How do I polish the reflector?

Let someone change a bulb for me and for some reason they touched the plastic reflector and just left the nastiest finger print so I took some microfiber cloth to it and that just pushed around the oil.


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## Eye See (May 22, 2009)

I got some shine going on with this one.

Surefire Kt1 turbo head, TNC Adapter, PEU Pineapple, Mcgizmo tail, RPM bezel and Milkyspit built P4 tower. around 200 lumen's on an 17670.


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## shuter (May 23, 2009)

*Eye See -* Beautiful polishing job on a very cool light. How did you go about polishing all of the irregular surfaces and what did you use for final polishing?


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## Cuso (May 23, 2009)

shuter said:


> *Eye See -* Beautiful polishing job on a very cool light. How did you go about polishing all of the irregular surfaces and what did you use for final polishing?


I think that specimen is plated...


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## Eye See (May 23, 2009)

Thank's for the coment's, and it is just polished alumnium.
The pine was bare when I goy it, and the head and tail were stripped with Drano and polished with black then blue polishing compound.
Eye See


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## Mike Kerr (May 25, 2009)

Those are the best looking flashlights I have ever seen. Wow. 

Regards,

:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## MKLight (May 25, 2009)

NosHusky said:


> How do I polish the reflector?
> 
> Let someone change a bulb for me and for some reason they touched the plastic reflector and just left the nastiest finger print so I took some microfiber cloth to it and that just pushed around the oil.



I use eyeglass cleaner (I buy it from either Costco I or [email protected]@rt...any will do). Then I use an eyeglass cloth specially made for AR (anti reflective) coatings. Be very light, don't use much pressure. Once you have the smudge out, use compressed air, like what you would use to blow the dust from your computer. The stuff I use is from Staples, but any brand will do. If you don't have access to that, either blow air to move the liquid off or be VERY careful when drying...if you use too much pressure, the plastic reflector may scratch. 

Good luck!


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## MKLight (May 25, 2009)

Eye See said:


> Thank's for the coment's, and it is just polished alumnium.
> The pine was bare when I goy it, and the head and tail were stripped with Drano and polished with black then blue polishing compound.
> Eye See



Drano, huh? That'll get the HAIII coating off? Hmmm 



Mike Kerr said:


> Those are the best looking flashlights I have ever seen. Wow.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> :thumbsup::thumbsup:



+1!


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## lovenhim (Jul 21, 2010)

OK newbie polishing tips please. I live with others and do not have access to a shop, buffer, dremel, etc. I am thinking I will have to polish by hand. I have a titainium Preon 2 that was sent to me scuffed up/brushed looking. I would like to bring the shine back. How and where do I start? Do you need pics of the light?


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## mr.lumen (Jun 10, 2012)

hey guys. know its been a while but i just got into polishing. this is a mag i stripped the anodizing off of and shined it up. 

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/412648_10101124427190748_1650322755_o.jpg


Your images are too large and have been replaced with links
See Rule #3 If you post an image in your post, please downsize the image to no larger than 800 x 800 pixels. - Thanks Norm


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## luxlunatic (Jun 15, 2012)

Haven't seen this thread in a while.

Nice mag and great polish job!!
i dig the tail matched with that bezel, button cover is a nice touch as well.

You know that you have done a respectable polish job when it becomes challenging to not capture yourself or your camera in the picture through the reflection!!!! Good work indeed.


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## mr.lumen (Jun 16, 2012)

thanks buddy! really appreciate the kind words.



luxlunatic said:


> Haven't seen this thread in a while.
> 
> Nice mag and great polish job!!
> i dig the tail matched with that bezel, button cover is a nice touch as well.
> ...


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## crossliner67 (Jun 16, 2012)

https://autosol.com/05/what-type-of-polish-is-right-for-you/

http://www.eastwood.com/autosol-anodized-aluminum-polish-75ml-tube.html


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## zenbeam (Jun 16, 2012)

With polish jobs like these, you can get some unheard of run times. You don't need to turn on the light - just use the reflected ambient light from the stars!


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## mr.lumen (Jun 16, 2012)

lmao! good one.



zenbeam said:


> With polish jobs like these, you can get some unheard of run times. You don't need to turn on the light - just use the reflected ambient light from the stars!


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## mr.lumen (Jun 24, 2012)

man SS is a pain in the toosh to polish! it took me 2 hours to get all the machine knurling off this cheapo chinese light. but i love how it turned out and no tarnishing! 

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/333416_10101149213628528_364489266_o.jpg


Your images are too large and have been replaced with links
See Rule #3 If you post an image in your post, please downsize the image to no larger than 800 x 800 pixels. - Thanks Norm


----------



## luxlunatic (Jun 24, 2012)

mr.lumen said:


> man SS is a pain in the toosh to polish! it took me 2 hours to get all the machine knurling off this cheapo chinese light. but i love how it turned out and no tarnishing!



Just wait until you try titanium. You have to resort to sanding to remove those machine groves!


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## mr.lumen (Jun 24, 2012)

yea thats my next mission just got to find a cheapish ti host lol.


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## Rossymeister (Jun 25, 2012)

luxlunatic said:


> Just wait until you try titanium. You have to resort to sanding to remove those machine groves!



Any suggestions for getting a high polish finish similar to a mcgizmo? Tried poilishing for several hours last night with flitz and it barely done anything to the titanium finish. Already ran scotchbrite over the surface to get rid of the bead blasting.

Trying to polish a benchmade 790 BTW.

Anyone?


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## mr.lumen (Jun 25, 2012)

your using compound on a high speed drill or dremel correct? because youll get nowhere by hand. flitz is good for getting oxidization off but to get the high shine you need to use polishing compounds first.



~Deicide~ said:


> Any suggestions for getting a high polish finish similar to a mcgizmo? Tried poilishing for several hours last night with flitz and it barely done anything to the titanium finish. Already ran scotchbrite over the surface to get rid of the bead blasting.
> 
> Trying to polish a benchmade 790 BTW.
> 
> Anyone?


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## jake royston (Jun 27, 2012)

how about polishing copper? 















Copper and Titanium


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## mr.lumen (Jun 27, 2012)

nice i love polishing copper. i dont have any copper flashlights but i polish pipes on my boat. how long did the titanium take?


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## jake royston (Jun 28, 2012)

The first time I polished the Ti lights, I spent about an hour on them. It really depends on how deep the surface scratches are.


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## mr.lumen (Jun 28, 2012)

yea that makes sense. the stainless took me about 2 hours. the knurling was pretty deep. i also only have a battery powered dewalt screw gun so i feel like it limits me.


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## jake royston (Jun 29, 2012)

mr.lumen said:


> yea that makes sense. the stainless took me about 2 hours. the knurling was pretty deep. i also only have a battery powered dewalt screw gun so i feel like it limits me.



I usually use some zephyr pro 40 metal polish and an old T-shirt or microfiber.

Maybe one day ill get a polishing wheel! 

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2


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## wannabe333 (Jun 30, 2012)

You guys don't mind if i ask what kind of tool use for remove the anodize finish -?


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## mr.lumen (Jun 30, 2012)

yes i do mind. how dare you sir! haha jk. no tool, well a toothbrush and gel draino or oven cleaner, i feel draino works better but it could be argued. dont let it sit too long, but let it sit long enough


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## Silgt (Jul 2, 2012)

mr.lumen said:


> hey guys. know its been a while but i just got into polishing. this is a mag i stripped the anodizing off of and shined it up.
> 
> http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/412648_10101124427190748_1650322755_o.jpg



so shiny it even showed you took the photo while naked


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## mr.lumen (Jul 2, 2012)

Haha! Shirtless, not naked. Lil



Silgt said:


> so shiny it even showed you took the photo while naked


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## CYMac (Jul 2, 2012)

HOOLY CRAP, I never know you can polish flashlights like that too, I thought only guns are done like that to make mirror slides and so on.. this is crazy.... must takes a long time to do!


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## fishndad (Jul 2, 2012)

this isnt as easy as i thought it would be.
Im gonna keep at it though.


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## Rossymeister (Jul 4, 2012)

Some Benchmade 790 handles that I polished


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## Toaster79 (Jul 15, 2012)

Been busy myself


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## Kevin1322 (Feb 25, 2013)

I'm guessing there are some new polished lights out there now. Anyone want to share?


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## sunny_nites (Feb 28, 2013)

Not highly polished, I like the patina brass look.

This is my "always in the pocket" light so it does tend to get a bit too much patina after a while. Probably buff it up once a month or so.


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## JCD (Feb 28, 2013)

sunny_nites said:


> Not highly polished, I like the patina brass look.
> 
> This is my "always in the pocket" light so it does tend to get a bit too much patina after a while. Probably buff it up once a month or so.



Interesting light. What is it?


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## sunny_nites (Mar 1, 2013)

On going project of mine.

Been evolving as I've thought of new things I wanted in a pocket light.

Uses a XML-T6 (must be one of the few people around that actually prefers a neutral to cool beam). Driving it at 1 amp max in current version. I was running the earlier ones at 2 amps but the difference in brightness wasn't great enough to put off the difference in heat dissipation and run time.
Driver is from a X-light micro running a P-type MOSFET. The X-light has to be my favorite interface with the infinitely adjustable light levels and out of the way strobes.
1300Mah Lipo with onboard charger and a micro USB port.
Couple of Neodymium rare earth magnets. More handy than I first thought they would be.

Inside is pretty ugly with the individual boards wired together. Working on a single circuit board now that I have the electronics tuned in.











I have the next gen case partially put together, sticking with brass but has a better latching mechanism and much cleaner front end and a better gasket.
Progress has kind of slowed down since I put this third version together. It actually works so well and has come in so handy, I haven't had the motivation to do all the work it's going to take to get to next level.


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## cmacclel (Mar 1, 2013)

6al-4v Titanium


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## Vernon (Mar 2, 2013)

cmacclel said:


> 6al-4v Titanium



Very nice piece, Mac!


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## faiz23 (Sep 30, 2017)

I miss you Kenster and your collection.


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