[Jewelry making - Article 00180] - Re: [Orchid] Scratches in Stainless Steel

[Gary]

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    As long as the steel hasn't been coated with something, you have two
    possibilities depending on whether its a polished or brushed finish.
    Don't try to work just on the scratch, work on an area containing
    the scratch, that way you are less likely to create grooves. 

    For a polished finish, first remove the scratches with some wet/dry
    paper, making sure you use a pad rather than your fingers, otherwise
    you are likely to create shallow grooves that will be very visible on
    a polished surface. Start with a grade that makes an obvious effect
    and progress to finer and finer grades until you judge that you can
    switch to metal polish to bring back the shine. 

    For a brushed finish, as long as the scratches are shallow, you can
    use a rotary Scotch-Brite. These are rather like a nylon pot scourer
    on a spindle. Choose one that gives matching sized brush marks and
    try it out on some scrap material first. They are remarkably
    effective. If the scratches are deep you might need to start with
    wet/dry and finish with the Scotch-Brite, but this is unlikely. 

    Again, be careful not to create grooves. Once created they are very
    unsightly and extremely difficult to remove. 

Regards, Gary Wooding
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