jon1163 wrote:
Hey badmotivator, I'd love to get my still as shiny as yours if there's any way you could let me know how you buffed it out I would appreciate it. Also right where mine starts to curve near the top of the keg you can see a line where I've ground down the rim but I didn't want to grind it all off because I didn't want to grind through the keg. How did you get yours so smooth it looks like you don't even have a skirt on the top anymore
It was a long time ago so I don't remember all of the details, just that I made a lot of mistakes and spend far too many hours working on it.
Here's what I would try if I had to do it over:
Get a lot of sandpaper in grit sizes from, say, 200 on up to as high as they go. Also get a polisher from Harbor Freight, a stitched-cloth polishing wheel, and some polishing compound sticks. (I think I used "green" and "grey")
Choose a test spot, not too big, not too prominent. You should do that test spot to completion just to learn about the process.
Start with a high-number sandpaper like 800, and work on that spot a little. Did it smooth it out all the way? If it does then move up a number and make it even nicer. Or is there some texture or scratches that 800 won't grind out in a reasonable amount of time? Then move down a number and see if that works, then go back to the 800 and see how it works the second time. The reason for starting this way is that if you start with the low numbers you may end up unnecessarily putting in scratches that you need to do extra work later to remove. Does that make sense? You want to start with the highest number you can get away with.
When you have reached the highest grit sandpaper on your test spot, get out the polisher and hit it with the compounds. You should be able to get a pretty good mirror in that spot.
As for the weld line at the crown, the truth is that there are a few little marks still visible on mine from that weld. They don't bother me a bit. I think you can trust though that the shape of the crown under the weld didn't change just because they welded something on top of it. In other words, polish it down to the shape it would have been before the weld happened, and you should be okay. Use the grinder very cautiously if at all. A superfine file might be the answer instead. You'll have to work out your method based on what you have around and what you feel comfortable with.
Hope I answered everything, and that it helps. Cheers.
