Several folks have asked what I use to polish locks, so I put a list together.
I have a lot of stuff left over from my mold polishing days that I use for lock polishing, and below is a list and description of the tools and where I get them. I am sure there are other sources, but this is what I am familiar with.
The part numbers are from Gesswein:
http://www.gesswein.com/ 1 800 243 4466 P. O. Box 3998, 255 Hancock Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06605
(their website is miserably slow, yet their paper catalogs are excellent, just wait to see what you can buy
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FILESRIFFLERSRifflers, most commonly used shapes. Very pricey, but if you must, just get the #2 cuts, and spend a little more time stoning.
Rifflers (about $24 ea) (I wish I had pictures of these)
700-9652 and 700-9654
700-9564
700-9814
NEEDLE FILESNeedle files come in sets, but you really don't need all those shapes. I prefer to have coarse files(#2) for shaping, then fine ones(#4) for finishing. The half rounds will do 90% of your file work. To save some money, skip the #6 cut.
needle files 6 1/4 long ( about $12 ea)
715-1032 #2 half round
715-1034 #4 " "
715-1036 #6 " "
715-2062 #2 square
715-2064 #4 "
715-1052 #2 round
715-1054 #4 "
SWISS PATTERN FILEShalf round
730-0620 #2 cut, 6" length of cut
730-0440 #4 cut, 4" length of cut
STONESStones are the workhorse between filing and polishing. Use a hard stone to remove file marks and maintain crisp details (Oil Treated). These do not break down very easily, so you can get inside corners without the stone losing its sharp corner. Then use a soft stone(Ultra) to remove the marks of the hard stone. These DO break down rapidly, so do not count on them to get inside corners very well, but they do smooth up the steel and soft metals without scoring or picking up. Definitely use the Stoning oil or some other light lube. The Ultra soft stones conform rapidly to whatever shape you are working on. Soft enough to shape with an old file, too.
Gesswein Oil-treated Stones (320grit)
415-0530 5/32 x 5/32 x 4" ($2)
435-5301 1/4 x 1/8 x 6"
435-5303 1/2 x 1/8 x 6" ($4.50)
Gesswein Ultra-Soft Stones
450-7303 1/2 x 1/8 x 6" 320 grit
450-7603 1/2 x 1/8 x 6" 600 grit ($4.50)
Stoning and lubricating oil
800-0100 pint
The most critical stage of polishing is the filing, because this is where you actually determine the shape of the lock, the mouldings, how crisp or worn the lock will look. Spend the time filing up the details, and the stoning and polishing will go much faster.
After filing, I use a hard stone(Oil-treated) to scrub out all the file marks. Use oil with the hard stones. Otherwise the stones will get clogged with metal.The hard stones leave scratches, no matter how gentle you are with them. I stone with 320 grit Oil Treated, and when done with that stone, I switch to 320 grit Ultra soft. Even tho' they are the same grit, the Ultra stones really get out the scratches of the hard stone. Then go to 600 grit ultra after the 320 grit is done. Wipe the work down completely between steps to remove any coarser grit left behind.
After the stoning is done, leave the 600 grit particles and stoning oil on the workpiece. Then I take a soft brass brush with a low speed on a Dremel, and swirl this gritty mix all over the work. This really softens the polishing marks to a satin sheen. Then take a piece of cloth or soft leather, and rub the parts clean, using a directional polish stroke, aligned with the long axis of the parts.
You can take this polishing as far as you like, but this works pretty well for me. Just be sure to take the time to complete each stage of grit, work out all the marks of the previous operation. I use a criss-cross polishing technique, which will show up any deep scratches from the the previous grit. The last polish with the last grit I use a linear pattern. For example on the lock plate, the polish direction would be with the length of the plate. On the frizzen, it would be parallel with the upright leg. This hides the final scratches better than a random pattern of scrubbing. Polishing is nothing more than scratching, but making smaller and smaller scratches as you work into finer grits.