Here's some stuff for polishing the bolt-knob:
Requirements:
- Variable-pressure chuck drill or screw gun (variable speed helps)
- 800 grit automotive wet/dry sand paper
- heavy-duty rubbing compound (turtle wax)
- Polishing Compound (turtle wax)
- Lots of paper towels
- Mineral Oil
- 20oz Mt Dew and a Cup of Easy Mac
Alright,
lightly chuck the bolt-knob in the drill so as not to mar the finish or crush the threads. This takes a minimal amount of force when tightening.
Tear off a small (1"x4") strip of 800 grit sand-paper and lightly oil it with the mineral oil. Bring the drill/screwgun up to speed (slowly) and fold the sand-paper around the ball-end of the bolt-knob slowly and evenly moving it around the entire circumference of the ball to evenly sand it. Continue this until the dark color or any pitting has been eliminated.
Now, using a clean paper towel, wipe off all of the excess oil and grit. Rinse the knob under warm water and dry with another clean paper towel. Next, take
another paper towel and fold it into a small rectangle (about the same size as the sand-paper was) and lightly dampen it. Lightly rub it in the red heavy-duty rubbing compound making sure not to glop it on there. Now, repeat the sanding process, this time with the rubbing compound. When the major scratch marks from the sand-paper have faded, again, rinse and dry the bolt knob.
Now, using another clean paper towel, fold it again to the proper size and dampen. Apply the white finishing compound sparingly to the paper towel. Repeat the same sanding process, this time until the bolt knob is polished to a reflective high-sheen.
Below are pictures for you to see how it works!
In the drill chuck after the 800 grit:
After the heavy duty compound:
This last one is to contrast the original color of the steel (same as the bolt) with the finished product
They say if you look hard enough at the reflection, you can see James C. Hale's face.....
