[jyl]

Hey, I need Pelican advice on buffing stainless steel (and other metals) to a mirror finish. This is for the espresso machine's exterior panels. They were originally mirror finished, I am trying to restore them.

I have a buffing machine ($69 Harbor Freight deal) and some 6" and 8" buffing wheels/pads. I have been using rouge to buff with. Sometimes it works great, and sometimes I get a cloudy haze. Is there a trick I am missing?

One of the pieces is quite scratched, up top where people must have been banging down cups and milk steaming pitchers for 20 years. What is the best way to get rid of the scratches before buffing?

Is there a role for hand polishing? I tried for a bit but it seemed like my hand would wear out before anything much happened.