hello every one and especially you too Tom, I just wanted to say I was very happy to see a couple of fellow listers jump to my defense regarding the mild steel and stainless steel subject, Thanks Frank and Dan. It just really scared me to think that some one had gone through all that work to restore their stainless trim and then to have it rust stained by using steel wool. The good news is, Tom has the test of time and weather to back him up on the idea that steel wool works, and I am very impressed with his results. I know that the better quality of the alloy (such as 308 stainless versus 324, with 324 being the better stuff, right Frank?) has something to do with it's stain-less ability, but don't be misled, having steel in the alloy is much different than steel itself, that's what makes stainless steel stainless, it is the alloying process with nickel that provides the properties. However, further contamination after the alloy process is completed, is not good. Since a guy isn't welding or grinding on his SS trim, I suppose you could get by with using steel wool to fine polish it, but remember supply houses such as Eastman sell products especially suited for this use. I think Tom also has had such great luck with his trim because he's one picky guy and takes very good care of it. Great conversations and I certainly learned something on this one. Armand ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Jennings" <tomj@xxxxxxx> To: "AMC/Rambler owners, drivers and fans." <amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2007 1:56 AM Subject: Re: [Amc-list] Removing dents in Stainless trim > I wrote: > > >> dunno about dents, but i recall from reading about deloreans that you > >> can buff scratches out with fine steel wool. > > > On Mon, 12 Feb 2007, Armand Eshleman wrote: > > > Wow !! I find that interesting !! When I was working as a pipefitter we were > > always told never to use regular steel with anything > > that was stainless steel as the stainless would acquire the regular steel > > molecules on the surface and then show rust stains. We were always told to > > never mix the two. We did food grade stainless steel piping and tubing > > fabrication, which was very sensitive to quality. Maybe if the stainless was > > never allowed to become wet and you protected it with a wax or sealer it > > would be OK, I know I will only use stainless steel wool on my stainless > > steel trim, and never use sandpaper that has been contaminated on regular > > steel. Nor use a regular steel wire brush on stainless steel, nor use a > > grinder wheel that had been grinding regular steel on stainless steel. > > but that's just me.......... > > Well, two years later -- in rain and after being washed -- > no side effects. I dunno where the idea of iron embedding > in stainless would come from. Stainless CONTAINS iron, for > one. Two, it's a highly polished surface, embedment would be > at the macro-molecular level, not chunks big enough to rust! > Hard stainless isn't very soft, or porous. It's just not that > touchy or sensitive a material or environment. > > Plus, there's good old try-it-see-what-happens! > > There's always brass wool. Hard to find. It's great stuff, I > need to mailorder some in fact, with some brass brushes. > > _______________________________________________ > Amc-list mailing list > Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx > http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.441 / Virus Database: 268.17.37/682 - Release Date: 2/12/07 1:23 PM > > _______________________________________________ Amc-list mailing list Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list