"polishing your keg" is more than a clever euphemism

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I see little reason that it would be detrimentally affected by those stampings inside the handle areas...it should look just like it does now...except, well, shiney.:mug:

I wish my AB/MC ones had random numbers and letters on 'em vs. the logos.
 
originalben said:
I see little reason that it would be detrimentally affected by those stampings inside the handle areas...it should look just like it does now...except, well, shiney.:mug:

I wish my AB/MC ones had random numbers and letters on 'em vs. the logos.
Click to expand...

This isn't the best picture to show what it actually looks like. That stamping isn't just on the inside, but both sides. If you were to rotate the keg in that photo 180 degrees, it would look like a checkerboard pattern that basically destroys the original branding stamp. Mine happens to be Latrobe, but most common ones are A.B., I suppose.

This "inside" view shows it as being dimples, for lack of a better word. If you rotate the keg and look at it from the outside, it protrudes out. My biggest concern is that the little valleys between each raised bump would just collect dust/gunk/polishing compound and be a pain to clean up, not to mention getting no benefit from the polishing. In short, I'd have a nice shiny keggle with a huge ugly section on the top and bottom....but on the other hand maybe it won't look bad at all.

When I get home I will post a photo of my keg to show it better.

Edit: I found a better picture on google. Mine looks like this, except the crimping on mine may be a little worse than this.
keggle001_720x960.png
 
I gave this a shot last night and my kegs are just too damaged to look very good polished. I would have to start out with 80 grit and sand almost the entire keg to get all the deep gouges out. I got a strip about 6" long polished to mirror shine without removing the pits/gouges and it looks just OK. I should have known better than to try and polish a turd :p. Oh well. One of these days I'll upgrade to Boilermakers and I won't care anymore.
 
Setesh said:
I gave this a shot last night and my kegs are just too damaged to look very good polished. I would have to start out with 80 grit and sand almost the entire keg to get all the deep gouges out. I got a strip about 6" long polished to mirror shine without removing the pits/gouges and it looks just OK. I should have known better than to try and polish a turd :p. Oh well. One of these days I'll upgrade to Boilermakers and I won't care anymore.
Click to expand...

Hey, did you try to polish that "crimped/stamped" area at all? I was actually thinking about going for it over the long weekend coming up. Luckily I don't really have any deep scratches or anything that will be a problem, other than where the old branding was.
 
Hastein said:
Hey, did you try to polish that "crimped/stamped" area at all? I was actually thinking about going for it over the long weekend coming up. Luckily I don't really have any deep scratches or anything that will be a problem, other than where the old branding was.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I didn't. That is on my HLT and I wasn't going to bust that down for polishing unless the MLT proved worth the effort.
 
I already have an random orbital sander, so I'd like to use that. What would the grit structure be to achieve a mirror shine? I have a buffing wheel I am going to use to polish.
 
Not to be to far off the thread but has anyone tired media blasting their kegs, and if so what kind of results did you get?


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew
 
I'm super frustrated. Nothing like spending the entire day working slow and deliberate to reach the home stretch and have your project feel completely derailed... any help would be appreciated. I've done a bunch of research on my own. I've watched Bobby M's videos, dug through a bunch of threads on here, referenced a bunch of instructional tutorials else where.

Bottom Line Up Front:

I've spent the entire day polishing it trying to obtain an immaculate shine following this guy's instructions. My problem is no matter what I tried I ended up with a black smudgy result instead of the reflection I was hoping to achieve. My gator polishing pad looks destroyed. I've done all the research I can find and some people said it's removable with paint thinner. I tried it without a whole lot of luck. I plan to try again with a little paint thinner, but is there anything else I'm missing? Should I buy some metal polish and try just buffing it by hand? I mean I pretty much followed the link below (beer syndicate) with everything except the polish brands because I can't find them anywhere.

Should I redo the polish using the kit I bought at lowes (see below) and use the #2 polish first?

Is my technique off? I thought I had a really smooth process for the initial polishing just letting the weight of my grinder act as the pressure as I guided it in small circular motions.

IMG_1155.jpg


I also tried Bar Keepers Friend to try and clean off the black smudge hoping the shine was hiding underneath. That didn't do me much good.

IMG_1163.jpg


http://www.beersyndicate.com/learning_resources/beer_tutorials_view.asp?id=17

My goal was to get it too look like Lars's as shown here.
IMAG0010.jpg


I spent a deliberate amount of time buffing the keg with the initial polish. I used the Ryobi E grade compound and got a nice dull gloss to it smoothing out the uneven scratches and such.

IMG_1162.jpg


Then I used my (next to impossible to find) polishing pad as recommended in the instructions. Initially I tried it with the Ryobi compound which to my dismay started turning black immediately. So I stopped, changed back to the fine pad and cleaned up the black scuffs I just created. Then I ran to Lowes. At Lowes I found these items.

I took my 2nd polishing pad and applied the #5 High gloss compound with optimistic hopes that it would clean up brilliantly and give me the shine I'd worked all day for.
IMG_1161.jpg


https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/keggle-polish-help-239804/

I just ordered a restock of polishing equipment to include the fine and polishing pads. I'm looking into more polish. Hopefully some feedback will stop me from being frustrated and just throwing money at the problem.
 
I don't think I'd try to polish something the size of a keg with those small pads. Based on my previous experience with using larger, faster, more aggressive angle grinder pads, it takes long enough with those. I never had any issue with the polishing pads creating black smudges though I see many people do have that issue. Are you letting the grinder spin at full speed? If so, don't. I was using enough downward pressure on the pad such that the grinder almost stalls to half speed or so. When you're polishing, you're trying to cut away metal. It looks to me like you still have swirl marks from the finishing pads and those should all be gone before you stop using the #1 compound. The #5 doesn't have the nuts to remove visible scratches.

Edit: the black smudges I've seen in other threads is more like the edge of the pad burning off the pad creating an almost plastic coating. What I believe you are seeing is a combination of compound and stainless particles getting smeared into the porous surface of the keg. I think this is just paranoia that you're doing more damage than good. Polishing is psychologically tricky because you have to let it get worse before it can get better. Cut cut cut....
 
Thanks for the quick response. This has been bugging me since I went to bed last night. :mad:

Yea let me clarify. I bought the dremel set for just cleaning up around the eagle of the Anheuser-Busch logo and around the handles. I'd of put my dremel through my eye before trying to do the entire keg. I was just showing it in the group of things I found at Lowes that might be helpful.

I used an angle grinder with all the recommended pads. Gator Grit Fine and Polishing.

Maybe it was the pressure. Do you recommend that much pressure for both the fine and polishing pad? I was using the weight of the grinder to produce the pressure, so it was absolutely spinning at full speed and from the sounds of it the extreme opposite of your recommended technique. I thought less pressure and more time would produce a higher quality finish, but maybe getting a little barbaric with it will give the abuse it needs.

If this sounds right to you I'll go back and increase the pressure and report my results. Sad to know I spent the entire day yesterday doing half the work.
 
Definitely the problem. You want that compound to be cutting. #1 compound, moderate to heavy pressure until you see no more swirl marks. Wipe the keg down with some paint thinner on a rag to remove grit. Now go to the #4 polish and start again with moderate to heavy pressure for a while. After you cover the whole keg with that, now start backing off on pressure so that you stop cutting and start buffing.

Just to be sure, you're spinning up the grinder and applying the compound to the pad that way correct?
 
Yup directly on the grinder while spinning at full speed. I followed all the instructions I could find to a "T" but didn't see anything about the pressure to use and technique.

I think I've got enough of the Ryobi compound to redo the keg with and then move to the buffing.

Any tricks for getting the edges around the logo and handles? Or just push?
 
UrU2bbT.jpg


Am I on the right track? I've ordered a total resupply of all the equipment needed and plan to reset and tackle this properly this weekend. However, this was racking my brain all day to get a chance to try it out so I spent about a half hour just experimenting with increased pressure.

49PFzBC.jpg


As you can see there's about a 6x4 area I really pressed into. Is that the end goal for the Fine grit polishing pad?

I don't know if you can see it in the picture below but the middle band is where I did most of my practice/focus and while it does have the wavy almost brushed metal appearance it doesn't have the circular ones like my previous post. Is this the goal? Once the entire keg is this way, and a wipe down of paint thinner has been done, then it's time to jump to the polishing pad and #5 compound?

g4L2Bv7.jpg
rylJc2m.jpg

qc1bI0Y.jpg
4o0dOg4.jpg


And for comedic value. The angle grinder gives the best Indian rug burns.

9EBOVWo.jpg
:cross:
 
The first keg i did I got to the end of the fine pad process and thought "That looks great". You need to spend a lot of time and get to a super smooth but matte finish before moving on to the polishing. As Bobby said the pressure is every thing when it comes to the last step. I used so much pressure the keg got so hot I couldn't touch it. The black stuff, like Bobby said also it's from the edge. I found that it would form on one side as I worked the polishing pad so I would work the pad in that direction. When i got all the way around the keg I would finish the clean up with mag wheel polish and a clean rag.
 
It actually didn't hurt at all. It was bizarre. It took off just enough of the top layer of skin to have the blood seep up but not enough to make the nerves scream. I actually kept polishing, then came in later and washed it off. Even under running water and scrubbing off the polish it didn't even sting.

Thanks Lars, I found the same thing. I had the keg so hot that I touched my leg to it and shocked myself at how hot it became. Then I later went to feel how smooth an area I just did felt, which was hot as hell (shocking I know). Hopefully this means I'm on the right track. I'll get after it this weekend and report back.
 
Fiddlers, that's a nasty scrape. Didn't you wear gloves? And eye/face/body protection? You won't believe the damage a disintegrating disk or pad can cause.
 
No gloves. I wore ear and eye protection. Not really sure gloves are necessary, I mean for cutting sure, but just a buffing pad? Although now I'm sure I'll be making a trip to the ER this weekend for managing to buff off pinkie or something now that I've said that.
 
So funny story about this little boo boo...:cross:
9EBOVWo.jpg


I ended up in the ER last night. I had a 1/8 inch wide red line leading from the swollen red knuckle half way down my forearm. No idea how it got infected, I washed it when it happened and been keeping bacatracyn on it.

I'm fine, it wasn't even painful (little tender around the inflammation) and I felt fine. Got some antibiotics and the inflammation is already down this morning and the red line is gone. Guess gloves would of been less work then sitting in the ER at 10:00 at night.:cross:

Guess I deserve a darwin award for my previous post.
 
I also polished my kegs following BobbyM's instructions. The black stuff will come off with rubbing alcohol. Also I had a lot of black stuff and think that the size of your pads are too small to get the results you desire. It will take forever and not get you what you want.

I cant remember what products I used but will look in my keg refurbishing toolbox and post.

IMG_3004.jpg
 
Well mission accomplished. My keggle looks spectacular. The pictures came out too dark to really see it, but if I think to I'll post some tomorrow. Thanks for all the help Bobby and Lars. The pressure was everything. Glad to say its done. I'm going to pick up some metal polish tomorrow just to put the finishing shine on it by hand. Thanks again!
 
Glad to hear they turned out. Every time I get a chance to brew there is that time in the session where your just standing there waiting for the next step, I look at the kegs and kind of laugh at what it took to get them to look that shiny. Some say it"s not worth the work but I'd do it again I think (the ringing in my head finally went away) maybe not.
 
I think they're worth it. It's a **** load of work for something purely aesthetic, but when I think about what it looked like before and now, and it's worth it. It might be my institutionalization, but I look at the equipment as a reflection of the owner. While I'm sure it's not applicable for everyone, it's just a personal perception that the person that maintains their equipment probably put the same effort into their work. Like I said, it's not a universal truth, just something I gauge myself by.

Thanks again for the help. It was a ton of work, but if I do another, I'll probably go through it again.
 
That looks great! I wish I had more ambition to do this but I'm lazy and have no time.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
FiddlersGreen87 said:
I'm super frustrated. Nothing like spending the entire day working slow and deliberate to reach the home stretch and have your project feel completely derailed... any help would be appreciated. I've done a bunch of research on my own. I've watched Bobby M's videos, dug through a bunch of threads on here, referenced a bunch of instructional tutorials else where.

Bottom Line Up Front:

I've spent the entire day polishing it trying to obtain an immaculate shine following this guy's instructions. My problem is no matter what I tried I ended up with a black smudgy result instead of the reflection I was hoping to achieve. My gator polishing pad looks destroyed. I've done all the research I can find and some people said it's removable with paint thinner. I tried it without a whole lot of luck. I plan to try again with a little paint thinner, but is there anything else I'm missing? Should I buy some metal polish and try just buffing it by hand? I mean I pretty much followed the link below (beer syndicate) with everything except the polish brands because I can't find them anywhere.

Should I redo the polish using the kit I bought at lowes (see below) and use the #2 polish first?

Is my technique off? I thought I had a really smooth process for the initial polishing just letting the weight of my grinder act as the pressure as I guided it in small circular motions.

IMG_1155.jpg


I also tried Bar Keepers Friend to try and clean off the black smudge hoping the shine was hiding underneath. That didn't do me much good.

IMG_1163.jpg


http://www.beersyndicate.com/learning_resources/beer_tutorials_view.asp?id=17

My goal was to get it too look like Lars's as shown here.
IMAG0010.jpg


I spent a deliberate amount of time buffing the keg with the initial polish. I used the Ryobi E grade compound and got a nice dull gloss to it smoothing out the uneven scratches and such.

IMG_1162.jpg


Then I used my (next to impossible to find) polishing pad as recommended in the instructions. Initially I tried it with the Ryobi compound which to my dismay started turning black immediately. So I stopped, changed back to the fine pad and cleaned up the black scuffs I just created. Then I ran to Lowes. At Lowes I found these items.

I took my 2nd polishing pad and applied the #5 High gloss compound with optimistic hopes that it would clean up brilliantly and give me the shine I'd worked all day for.
IMG_1161.jpg


https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/keggle-polish-help-239804/

I just ordered a restock of polishing equipment to include the fine and polishing pads. I'm looking into more polish. Hopefully some feedback will stop me from being frustrated and just throwing money at the problem.
Click to expand...

Hey I noticed 4 ports/valves on one keggle in that one pic. Why so many? I'm curious
 
Port/valves? Or do you mean the shiny keg with the blue ball valve handles. If so that's then two things. 1) You're guilty of just looking at the pictures. :p 2) That one belongs to Lars so you'd have to ask him. There's only two punched holes. One for the ball valve and one for the sight glass/thermometer.

Im_Lars said:
That looks awesome !!!!!!!!!!!!!! :ban:
Click to expand...

Thanks Lars. I dunno if you're just saying that after my rage and frustration, but I appreciate it either way lol. Now that I have a better idea of how to do it I'm sure the next one would go much faster. I think I became more determined to make it as close to perfect as I could because I kept falling short. Definitely a project for the stubborn.
 
May god have mercy on your soul if you are attempting to polish this. Say good bye to your loved ones because you won't see them for several days.
 
i had almost convinced myself to do this. 45 minutes online without being able to locate almost any of the recommended products put an end to that.
 
If you're interested in the products I can easily list them all off where to get them for you. I spent a lot of time repurchasing them because I didn't do it effectively the first time lol.:cross:
 
Polish - Either Compound works
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FGUJ4OM/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
Item ID: 002-8166203-6830637
Item: Porter Cable Iron/Steel Rapid Cut Cleaning Compound- PCPC2
Lots Purchased: 1
Total Price: $8.10

Ryobi 4 oz. Stainless Steel "E" Buffing Compound Tube
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ryobi-4-oz-...1106392523?pt=Power_Tools&hash=item1c3280e5cb

Pads-
http://www.farmandfleet.com/

Gator
4-1/2" Finishing Discs 2 Pack
Type: Polishing
Blain #742013

Gator
4-1/2" Quick Change Backer Pad
Blain #595812

Gator
4-1/2" Finishing Discs 2 Pack
Type: Fine
Blain #742010

Final Polishing Compound - Bought this at the local auto parts store
Finishing Metal Polish
http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotive/products/g15605-finishing-metal-polish/
 
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