How do you clean and polish threads?

I just got a new little stainless steel key-chain light. Its a twisty, and some of the edges of the threads are a little sharp, and in places it feels a little gritty. How should I smoothen them?

Have you first tried just lubricating it with a good conductive oil or grease? That may be enough to take the gritty feel out of it.

When I got my Preon P0, the threads felt a little gritty. I wiped them off with some rubbing alcohol and put some Deoxit Gold on them and it then felt fine.

Nyogel is also a great option, it works great for me. See this thread for in depth info of lubes and greases http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?126645-Comprehensive-Grease-and-Lube-Thread

I use the cleaning putty from County Comm to clean threads and then nano oil to lube.

If you want to actually remove burrs or other rough spots, you could use a fine abrasive compound such as Dia-Paste. Apply a little bit to the threads then twist repeatedly until they lap smooth. Then clean thoroughly and lubricate.

Be very careful ... don't remove so much material that the threads become sloppy.

Yamabushi said:

If you want to actually remove burrs or other rough spots, you could use a fine abrasive compound such as Dia-Paste. Apply a little bit to the threads then twist repeatedly until they lap smooth. Then clean thoroughly and lubricate.

Be very careful ... don't remove so much material that the threads become sloppy.

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Yes, I actually wanted to remove the burrs, and then lubricate.

I have Turtle wax rubbing compound, but can't find out the size of the abrasive particles in it, and am a little concerned that it might be too abrasive. I used 000 steel wool, and that removed most of the burrs, now I am wondering, should I leave well enough alone, or maybe try some toothpaste.

It looks like that Dia-Paste is perfect for the job, but I like instant gratification.

Turtle Wax rubbing compound is designed for paint so it won't be too aggressive for threads. The company I used to work for made many polishes for TW and it would scrub our stainless mix tanks nice and shiny. Might be worth a try.

nbp said:

Turtle Wax rubbing compound is designed for paint so it won't be too aggressive for threads. The company I used to work for made many polishes for TW and it would scrub our stainless mix tanks nice and shiny. Might be worth a try.

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Thanks for that. I tried it and it cleaned the threads so that they are better, not perfect, but better for sure. Being such a small light, the threads are quite shallow, and there is a little wiggle to the head, so I am being particularly careful not to be too aggressive with them. I cleaned the compound off, used silicone grease for the O ring, and a drop of machine oil ( for my wife's Lionel trains), and it is much smoother.

thanks again.

nbp said:

Turtle Wax rubbing compound is designed for paint so it won't be too aggressive for threads. The company I used to work for made many polishes for TW and it would scrub our stainless mix tanks nice and shiny. Might be worth a try.

Click to expand...

If I may, may I ask an on- and off-topic question ?

We have a stainless steel kitchen sink that has not been scrubbed in awhile. Would this be not just an effective way to clean the sink but also a safe way to clean it ? "safe" meaning that after polishing with it, would it be possible and easy to remove all of it so that the sink can be used soon for washing dishes or preparing/washing vegetables ?

MojaveMoon07 said:

If I may, may I ask an on- and off-topic question ?

We have a stainless steel kitchen sink that has not been scrubbed in awhile. Would this be not just an effective way to clean the sink but also a safe way to clean it ? "safe" meaning that after polishing with it, would it be possible and easy to remove all of it so that the sink can be used soon for washing dishes or preparing/washing vegetables ?

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The best way to clean a stainless steel sink is to use a non-metallic abrasive pad such as a Scotch-Brite pad. Never use steel wool or chlorinated cleansers.

For the sink try a product called "Bar Keepers Friend" It can be bought as a Powder or Liquid

nano oil to lube..

I've had a few lights that ended up having something like leftover machining goop on their threads. A good cleaning with alcohol and a rag followed by a drop or two of oil and they were a hundred times better.

As for the sink, Bon Ami is cheap, doesn't have anything insane in it and cleans like magic when paired up with the previously mentioned Scotch Brite. It's in a yellow cardboard tube container like Comet and i picked a thing of it up at Target for less than two bucks, iirc.

MojaveMoon07 said:

If I may, may I ask an on- and off-topic question ?

We have a stainless steel kitchen sink that has not been scrubbed in awhile. Would this be not just an effective way to clean the sink but also a safe way to clean it ? "safe" meaning that after polishing with it, would it be possible and easy to remove all of it so that the sink can be used soon for washing dishes or preparing/washing vegetables ?

Click to expand...

For stained stainless steel sinks, pots and other ware I find Bartenders Friend hard to beat. It contains oxalic acid as its main active ingredient along with a mild abrasive. It should not be used in aluminum or other metals.
You just rinse it off with soap and lots of water.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

Yes, use Bar Keepers Friend for the sink. Some of the TW polishes are water-outs but some are oil-outs and do not react too happily with water, making a nasty mess you don't want to clean up.

Once again, I have to marvel at the collective knowledge of the people who come here.

Happy New Year! :thumbsup: