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Unpolished Panda finish

Fast14riot said:
Got a used Panda with a brushed finish I'd like to just go over again to clean up some rub marks and scuffs here and there. Thinking scotchbrite should work, but which one would be closest to original so as to not look like a patch job?
Click to expand...
We want before and after pictures.
 
Pic of the used action as received. I may wait to start polishing until after I bed it so I don't scuff a fresh surface.

You can see the scuffs and signs of being used. Nothing major, should be easy enough to work out.

20241207_123210.jpg
 
Well, got my stock the other day and took a sick day from work today. All hopped up on Dayquil I decided to sit at my bench.

I started with 400 grit because its easier to go backwards to a coarse grit if its not enough rather than starting off too coarse if it doesn't need it.

Weird machining mark across the bottom that could easily be felt and a large low spot around the forward action screw. Used a large 3"x4"x3/4" block of acrylic as a sanding block to keep things flat.

Before
20250115_105257.jpg20250115_105249.jpg20250115_105228.jpg
 
Aftet initial pass of 400 grit, most marks came out except the deepest scratches. The bad ones required going down to 220 grit to get things smooth. Then went back to 400 with windex for lubricant. Tongue depressers and random bits of acrylic were used as sanding blocks, sharpie and acrylic rods for the radiused areas.


Initial 400 grit pass left the machining mark
20250115_110216.jpg


After sanding back at 220 it looked better

20250115_115634.jpg


Working the flats at 400 grit

20250115_121746.jpg
 
Currently at a clean 1200 grit and decided was a good place to stop for the day. A nasty paper cut from the 1200 sandpaper that was dripping blood everywhere was as good of a sign to quit as any. Got things cleaned up and bandaged my finger, grabbed a beer and called it quits.

20250115_154822.jpg
 
Here is the initial finished product. I'll go over it once more after it gets barreled and bedded.

20250125_153615.jpg20250125_155944.jpg20250125_160132.jpg


I'm happy with it, of course I could have gone way further down the polishing path, but didn't want to have 20 hours into it. I need to work on the stock still and don't want to worry about a scuff needing hours of repair.
 
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