| Cufflinks in Stainless Steel [message #24356] Tue, 01 March 2011 16:24 UTC |
 |
|
This is my first Stainless Steel order. I order a set in plastic (see my other post) and now they are here in Stainless Steel.
They look great, but do need a polish on the front face to be truely usable as Cufflinks
[Updated on: Tue, 01 March 2011 16:25 UTC]
regards,
InterSimi
|
|
|
| Re: Cufflinks in Stainless Steel [message #24359 is a reply to message #24356 ] Tue, 01 March 2011 17:33 UTC |
 |
|
Get some wet/dry finishing paper 200 grit or finer. Glue a 4" square onto a dead flat surface (piece of plate glass). Then just rub the face of the cuff link against this until the desired finish is obtained. Works great and results should be perfectly flat.
-G
"Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art."
Leonardo da Vinci
|
|
|
|
| Re: Cufflinks in Stainless Steel [message #24367 is a reply to message #24356 ] Tue, 01 March 2011 19:19 UTC |
|
|
I think it would be really cool to dunk the piece in a blackening solution and then grind/polish the face to boost the contrast of the design...
But definitely looks wicked cool...
Marc
|
|
|
| Re: Cufflinks in Stainless Steel [message #24369 is a reply to message #24356 ] Tue, 01 March 2011 20:30 UTC |
|
|
They look very nice!
If you hit the surface with sandpaper etc, you'll leave noticable edges to the design... some of those edges can be rough.
It depends how you feel about it, but I'd just hit them with a wire wheel (brass works well) followed by a good buffing with a proprietory metal polish and felt wheel... it brings the surfaces up to a shine whilst still leaving the 'printing detail' (which can be a very good conversation point)
|
|
|
| Re: Cufflinks in Stainless Steel [message #24372 is a reply to message #24367 ] Tue, 01 March 2011 21:42 UTC |
|
|
Contrasting colors and surface finishes can look super. Propriatory patina chemicals for coloring copper & bronze all work well on these printed parts. You can also use heat color the parts. Several minutes at 310C and parts will turn a nice dark bronze color. Then just face off the links as mentioned above to remove print lines. This looks great! The detail really jumps out.
One caveat, parts are delivered with a coating of acrylic lacquer which needs to be stripped off before attempting DIY coloring. Another way to go is order the parts with a pre-colored finish and just work the front surface. If the face off operation creates sharp edges just carefully knock the burr off with the same wet dry abrasive paper. I often glue narrow strips of this material to a scrap of strip wood so it acts like a file.
-G
"Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art."
Leonardo da Vinci
|
|
|
| Re: Cufflinks in Stainless Steel [message #24373 is a reply to message #24372 ] Tue, 01 March 2011 21:52 UTC |
|
|
| GlenG wrote on Tue, 01 March 2011 21:42 |
...snip...
<b> One caveat, parts are delivered with a coating of acrylic lacquer which needs to be stripped off before attempting DIY coloring</b>
...snip...
-G
|
What?
MSDS for stainless doesn't mention that... and unless that's a new developement, I've seen no evidence of any plastic coating when heat treating stainless.
Please explain some more. Cheers.
|
|
|
| Re: Cufflinks in Stainless Steel [message #24374 is a reply to message #24373 ] Tue, 01 March 2011 22:03 UTC |
|
|
The acrylic coat (Incralac), pertains only to parts that have been ordered as antique bronze, polished or plated. All other parts as simply bead blasted before shipping.
"Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art."
Leonardo da Vinci
|
|
|
| Re: Cufflinks in Stainless Steel [message #24375 is a reply to message #24374 ] Tue, 01 March 2011 22:13 UTC |
|
|
Oh, ok... Incralac - (methyl methacrylate copolymer incorporating benzotriazole) An exterior grade clear one-part lacquer for use on brass and copper... make sense 
Cheers
|
|
|
| Re: Cufflinks in Stainless Steel [message #24377 is a reply to message #24356 ] Tue, 01 March 2011 22:38 UTC |
|
|
Hi all, I had always planned to polish the surface, which I have done with 400 grit wet/dry, then finished them off with 1500 grit, to make them shine. All in all about 30 minutes worth of work for the set.
Attached are the finished articles
[Updated on: Tue, 01 March 2011 22:38 UTC]
regards,
InterSimi
|
|
|
| Re: Cufflinks in Stainless Steel [message #24378 is a reply to message #24377 ] Tue, 01 March 2011 22:51 UTC |
|
|
Nice! They've come up real good. 
|
|
|
|
| Re: Cufflinks in Stainless Steel [message #24380 is a reply to message #24379 ] Tue, 01 March 2011 23:28 UTC |
|
|
Excelsior! We new you could do it.
-G
"Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art."
Leonardo da Vinci
|
|
|
Search
