Curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
The authoritative public forum
for Metal Finishing 1989-2025
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Fine finished stainless disks
2002
Hey all,
I am having a lot of problem trying to electropolish 316 stainless steel from a satin brushed finish created by 1200 grit paper. I need to produce a high quality mirror like finish on one face of a 35 mm and 85 mm diameter disk that is 3 mm thick. I'm only new to this and after info in currents optimum bath solutions and any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
Gareth CrookAustralian National University - Canberra, Australia
2002
I don't think you are proceeding correctly in trying to produce a reflective finish by electropolishing a brushed finish; I think you need to mechanically polish first.
Some very important things about electropolishing are that air agitation is required, and the polishing current must be quite high (about 100 ASF); lower than that, the surface will etch instead of polish.
Most of the "must have" books include a chapter on electropolishing, including the Metal Finishing Guidebook, the Electroplating Engineering Handbook ⇦ this on eBay, AbeBooks, or Amazon [affil links] , and ASM Metals Handbook Volume 5.
But why not send it out for electropolishing by professionals?
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
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