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View Full Version : Polishing Takes FOREVER!


10mm-man
05-25-2012, 20:31
Ok, so I bought this Kel tec .380 and the finish sucked so I thought I would buff it shiny.... Hours later, I am still working on it!!
Tinelement
05-25-2012, 20:40
Looking good tho!

What did you use for your final grit sand paper? Or are you just cleaning up what is there?
10mm-man
05-25-2012, 20:53
Looking good tho!

What did you use for your final grit sand paper? Or are you just cleaning up what is there?

I am not sure what # it is.. I was using a Dremil.. I prob need to go get some 3000, I think the Dremil prob was about 2000...
Tinelement
05-25-2012, 21:02
Yup, I'd for sure run it down to like 2000 if you are using a dremal. If you are using more of an industrial pedestal type buffer you can get away with a little coarser grit.

Good luck dude! Looking good!
68Charger
05-26-2012, 07:36
They don't spend much time on finish at Kel-Tec, that's for sure...

I would have started with "melting" the slide (rounding corners, smoothing edges) I've got a P11 that I want to do that to.
Are you going to blue it after the polish, or some other finish?

Thanks for the pics!
10mm-man
05-26-2012, 10:18
They don't spend much time on finish at Kel-Tec, that's for sure...

I would have started with "melting" the slide (rounding corners, smoothing edges) I've got a P11 that I want to do that to.
Are you going to blue it after the polish, or some other finish?

Thanks for the pics!

No more after polish, to time consuming and enough invested..... Then again! Actually haven't thought about it. Any reason why I might want to?
10mm-man
05-26-2012, 13:47
OK, so I have a total of about 2hours into it. The finish I started with sucked, I didn't know what I was doing either. So anyway I started with some basic tools in the Dremil kit, a course wheel, a finer wheel and then the buffer. Wasn't getting the results I wanted, as you could still see areas that were rough. So this morning I went looking for 2000 grit paper and also found some 1000. After using both the finish is better but not the smooth finish I want.

Hind sight, I should have maybe did it like this; 600, 800, 1000, 2000 and then Dremil buffer. O yea I am using mothers mag and metal polish and the stuff works great.

I decided I wanted to paint the front and back sight so they would stand out. I looked for black (in the house)but only had green, so I did it in green. Mostly to see if they would come out like I wanted. While I was at it I painted the back indentations ( not sure what they are called). They came out ok, so now maybe I will paint black or buy a green body for it....

I am not 100% happy with it but it's an improvement with what I had before.

Does anybody know If I can get the porous look out of it? Maybe if I start with a 600 or 800 and then work from there? Or is the Kel-tec metal just to porous already and no matter what I do, this is just the way it is gonna be?
asmo
05-26-2012, 13:57
That's a whole lotta work for a crappy little gun.. Damn you have dedication. I would have just DuraCoated it chrome. ;)
10mm-man
05-26-2012, 14:00
That's a whole lotta work for a crappy little gun.. Damn you have dedication. I would have just DuraCoated it chrome. ;)

Lol... I hear ya! I figured why not, I want to learn how to do.... Some feed ramps next...... lol
HandKBRad
05-26-2012, 21:45
Looking good!! Are P-3AT slides stainless?
10mm-man
05-26-2012, 21:56
Looking good!! Are P-3AT slides stainless?
Says steel but not sure if that is "stainless"....
lifeon2
05-29-2012, 18:59
God bless my bench polisher.
argonstrom
05-29-2012, 19:19
Or is the Kel-tec metal just to porous already and no matter what I do, this is just the way it is gonna be?

Part of it is due to your technique (Dremels are evil), and the other part is the metal. KelTec metal is odd, for lack of a better term; it's kinda soft, but hard at the same time, if that makes sense. It is a pain to polish.


Says steel but not sure if that is "stainless"....

It's not stainless. Use chrome polish on it when you're finished, then keep a copious amount of oil on it, else it will develop rust with a quickness.
Irving
05-29-2012, 19:55
Looks better than any of my home polishing jobs.
10mm-man
05-29-2012, 20:09
Part of it is due to your technique (Dremels are evil), and the other part is the metal. KelTec metal is odd, for lack of a better term; it's kinda soft, but hard at the same time, if that makes sense. It is a pain to polish.



It's not stainless. Use chrome polish on it when you're finished, then keep a copious amount of oil on it, else it will develop rust with a quickness.

Ok, oil it is.... Thanks!
10mm-man
05-29-2012, 20:10
Looks better than any of my home polishing jobs.

Thanks!