how to get rid of scratches from old shim600 stem?

hi, i've some scratches at the top of the stem (prob due to turning over the bike and doing some wheel repair on the road by some previous owner(S)). The rest of the stem is in immaculate condition.

Any advice on how to get it to a nice polished look? will autosol work? or must i do the whole sand paper from lower to higher grit thingie...then autosol?

Thanks.

 

You must do the whole sand paper from lower to higher grit thingie...then autosol. Actually I would go with steel wool and I would not go too coarse or you will just make things worse. Actually you need to be very careful that you don't compromise the strength of the stem. If you wanted, you could use a little automotive body putty in the scratches and paint the stem.

 

ok did the sandpaper thing as recommended....got the scratches out! but.....the sanded area actually looks like chrome finish after autosol and now I have a crome-like patch against the alloy-look of the rest of the stem...yikes!

 

If you continue using sandpaper you will pass from a chrome-like surface to an opaque-like again... try

 

Why not do the rest of the stem, then? It's going to be very hard otherwise to match the finish on the "old" parts of the stem, which may be brushed and corroded in a unique way.

 

yeah i guess i *could* do the entire stem. The once anodized stem will look chrome!

 

If you have access to a vice and an electric drill you could sand by hand to 1200 then get a buffing wheel and some polishing compound and put a mirror surface on it.Keep in mind that the better the finish you put on it, the more that scratches and fingerprints will show.

 

is there anyway i can simulate the anodized 'look' on that 'chrome' portion using a mixture of scouring pads or higher grip sandpaper?