Polishing "stubborn" metal?

[MSK]

I antiqued some small pieces of tin by heavy browning to load the surface with pits. Now I want put a shine on the metal again. The browning came off easily enough, but there is a "dull skin" that is tough to break through to get to a shine. I've tried course steel wool, fine steel wool, steel wool with auto polish and a Dremel with a felt wheel and red rouge. I can get to the shine, but it is WAY too tedious with what I've tried thus far. Does anyone have a recommendation for an effective method that works in terms of expending a reasonable amount of time and effort? I'm not averse to using elbow grease, but not to the extent of what I've tried.

Thanks, Smollett

 

[LRB]

No easy way. You will need to sand it with wet & dry automotive paper. Start with 220 grit and work down to 400. Then you can buff or polish. Red rouge is too fine for steel. Green will shine it after sanding.

 

[MSK]

Thank you!

 

[Mickc01]

No easy way. You will need to sand it with wet & dry automotive paper. Start with 220 grit and work down to 400. Then you can buff or polish. Red rouge is too fine for steel. Green will shine it after sanding.

Yup!! May want to use a little three-in-one oil as you work the metal with the auto paper....Mick

 

[LRB]

WD-40 also works well.

 

[Stophel]

This whole thing doesn't make sense to me. Why "age" tin, only to turn around and try to make it shine again?

If you have rusted through the tin, and pitted the iron, that doesn't come back out. Iron has been rusted away and is gone.

And steel wool and abrasives are just going to take even more of the tin off the surface.

:idunno: