How do you SAND the coating down to BRASS?

[goonie]

This is specifically for a sigelei mod, but I assume it can apply to any mod with coated brass.

I started the stainless steel sanding process today - with the goal to get it towards a mirror finish.

The mod body is progressing along fine started with 220grit - but I'm not sure how to sand the coating off the brass parts (end caps).

Does it reveal itself near the end of the process? Or do I really need to get some low grit sandpaper to get it off? I'm stumped.
Thanks

 

[Vedra]

I use a polishing wheel for these kinds of things, but steel wool and elbow grease will get the job done with enough patience and endurance. Lots of hardware stores and big box stores sell packages of steel wool with a good spectrum of coarse to fine clumps. If you want it to look really nice, stay away from sandpaper, and unless you really know what you are doing, avoid chemicals like the plague. I've also used one of those square power sanders with steel wool spread along the bottom as a janky polishing wheel for shining up or cleaning some tiny gun parts- worked ok. Good luck!

 

[Statistic]

I sanded my caps on my Sig 8 down to brass with 400 grit then polished them with 1000, 2000 then 2000+ water... they came out better than I expected

 

[goonie]

Thanks, I have the mod attached to my drill like a lathe and I'm pretty confident about my sanding skills (on the SS section at least).

Vedra - So you're saying that steel wool will get rid of the plating on the brass?

I sanded my caps on my Sig 8 down to brass with 400 grit then polished them with 1000, 2000 then 2000+ water... they came out better than I expected

At what point in your sanding did the brass begin to reveal itself? I would expect it to show in the early stages...... I also started with a lower grit than you.

 

[Statistic]

It took a while. I got it all down to brass with 400 but it does take some patience.

 

[goonie]

Interesting.... Did you use the "cartomizer chuck method" and spin the mod while keeping the sandpaper still?

 

[Statistic]

Yep, that's exactly how I did it. The first carto disintegrated because I chucked it too tight and put too much pressure on the spinning mod. The second one I cut in half first, it did better but I don't really like it. I'd like to get about a 2" length of 7 x .5 threaded rod. Otherwise I think next time I'll try one of the 510-510 adapters I have.

 

[goonie]

Well, I gave it another 3 hours today, still no brass. On the plus side I rounded off the sharp edges of the rings - but not getting to the brass....

How long did it take you guys?

 

[Statistic]

wow, you have got to be doing something wrong. With 400 grit sandpaper and the mod spinning at the end of my 18v dewalt it took me no more than 5 minutes to get down to brass. I thought this was a long time because the tube polished up to a nice shine in no time.

Spin the mod as fast as your drill will go and squeeze the cap with the sandpaper, don't push it or you'll break the carto chucked into the drill. Maybe try some new sandpaper too.. 220 grit is one thing but if it's used up then it's no longer 220 grit (I'm sure you realize that.. I don't mean to sound rude, just trying to help)

 

[goonie]

Hmmm, well I actually ran out of my low grit and have moved on to 320 grit. I have the #19 version 2, is there a possibility that the caps are not brass?

As far as technique, what you stated is pretty much what I have been doing. I can only grip it so tight and spin it on full blast for so long before it begins to heat up. I thought this is bad for sand paper.

 

[Statistic]

yep... the 19's are SS

I'm not taking all the blame here but I do apologize for not asking, if even just out of curiosity, what mod you are polishing...

 

[goonie]

LOL well, at least it got a good polishing. I could have sworn that one of the "pros" here polished down a 19 that had brass rings... Perhaps it was a Frankenstein mod. I would have to dig through that entire thread to find those pictures again...

EDIT:

This is the picture that fooled me:

(not my picture obviously)