For the truck. I'm backdating the steering wheel to one from the previous generation. It's in pretty good shape other than the button. I want it polished, but I'm not sure what the metal is or how it was originally plated. I don't plan on plating it again. I've tried some time with buffing wheels but I've had only minor success. What say ye?
"Polishing the old horn button." Nice euphemism.
I think it looks pretty cool like that. I'd be tempted to just clean it up and repaint the GMC.
If you want it bright and shiny, it's chrome dippin time. Take a trip out to the ole interstate exit and hit up Jimmy's Chrome Shack.
Alternatively, you might be able to bead-blast it if you want a uniform, matte look.
Is it metal or plastic? I can't tell. If it were metal I'd try to clean and repaint. Then hit the whole thing with a scotchbrite pad to take the paint off everything with the GMC and outer ring, hopefully to leave a semi matte finish.
iansane said:Is it metal or plastic? I can't tell. If it were metal I'd try to clean and repaint. Then hit the whole thing with a scotchbrite pad to take the paint off everything with the GMC and outer ring, hopefully to leave a semi matte finish.
metal.
I don't really want it painted though.
Tyler H (Forum Supporter) said:I think it looks pretty cool like that. I'd be tempted to just clean it up and repaint the GMC.
If you want it bright and shiny, it's chrome dippin time. Take a trip out to the ole interstate exit and hit up Jimmy's Chrome Shack.
Alternatively, you might be able to bead-blast it if you want a uniform, matte look.
uniform and matte beats chroming, but can't I polish it to get it shiny-but-not-chrome-shiny?
I'd bet it is a plated zinc casting, AKA pot metal.
If so, bead blasting is a bad idea as it will very quickly melt away under the abrasives.
Some OOO steel wool? Then some Mothers mag wheel polish on a buffer wheel?
I brought the button to work to try polishing it here.
It's gone now.
Stay tuned
I was going to say that I've polished metal like that before. Its a pain, but entirely doable when you've got a lot of time on your hands to work through the progressive numbers of sandpaper.
Since its round, you might be able to keep the finish more uniform by mounting it in a drill or drill press. The trick is the detail parts and for those you'll want to use a sanding block to keep it relatively flat to preserve the details.
When you get close, you can carefully paint the details and then sand the extra paint off before getting to the polisher and polishing compound.
Duke said:"Polishing the old horn button." Nice euphemism.
That's what the kids are calling it these days.
I would think today’s kids would have a more electronics device based reference ... “cranking on the joystick” comes to mind.
I’ll excuse myself now,
Glad I’m not the only one with a warped mind, sounded naughty to me!
I’d recommend rouge and a buffing wheel. I cleaned up some aluminum trim on one of the boats that way, I was able to get it to a good shine but it does take some time.
tuna55 said:I brought the button to work to try polishing it here.
It's gone now.
Stay tuned
Whaddaya mean, "gone?" 
And just in case we're talking about polishing the other horn button, you know you're not supposed to be doing that on the boss's nickel.
In reply to 1988RedT2 :
I would pick something softer, but I'm not into kink shaming.
I guess it's gone now, but you won't be able to polish it really. It's a zinc metal casting that has been plated with a copper alloy, then likely a nickel chrome. I'm seeing places where the chrome has worn through to the copper and other places where it has evidently worn through to the zinc.
Zinc doesn't polish. It's very much like trying to polish asphalt. Sure, it looks hard and feels hard, but zinc is more or less just a really firm block of gelatinous chunks. Even if you could polish it, it would just look grey and non-reflective.
Plating or painting. Those are really the two options with pot metal.
This thread reminds me of the time my work used to show fox news all day long. There was a 3 month period where daytime Foxnews was advertising Dutch Glow Amish Wood Milk.
In the infomercial style video they showed the gentleman gently rubbing down many common wood items to show the effectiveness of the product. He would wipe it on some shelves, banisters, cabinets and even wood paneling. But I always got a chuckle when midway through they showed him vigorously applying Amish Wood Milk to the knob on the end of his bed post. . .
Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:I guess it's gone now, but you won't be able to polish it really. It's a zinc metal casting that has been plated with a copper alloy, then likely a nickel chrome. I'm seeing places where the chrome has worn through to the copper and other places where it has evidently worn through to the zinc.
Zinc doesn't polish. It's very much like trying to polish asphalt. Sure, it looks hard and feels hard, but zinc is more or less just a really firm block of gelatinous chunks. Even if you could polish it, it would just look grey and non-reflective.
Plating or painting. Those are really the two options with pot metal.
Thanks Curtis!
That meets what I found. I couldn't buff it into anything nice looking.
1988RedT2 said:tuna55 said:I brought the button to work to try polishing it here.
It's gone now.
Stay tuned
Whaddaya mean, "gone?"
And just in case we're talking about polishing the other horn button, you know you're not supposed to be doing that on the boss's nickel.
A colleague grabbed it for an experiment. Stay tuned.
tuna55 said:1988RedT2 said:tuna55 said:I brought the button to work to try polishing it here.
It's gone now.
Stay tuned
Whaddaya mean, "gone?"
And just in case we're talking about polishing the other horn button, you know you're not supposed to be doing that on the boss's nickel.
A colleague grabbed it for an experiment. Stay tuned.
So, you're saying you let others "Polish the old horn button."
L5wolvesf said:tuna55 said:1988RedT2 said:tuna55 said:I brought the button to work to try polishing it here.
It's gone now.
Stay tuned
Whaddaya mean, "gone?"
And just in case we're talking about polishing the other horn button, you know you're not supposed to be doing that on the boss's nickel.
A colleague grabbed it for an experiment. Stay tuned.
So, you're saying you let others "Polish the old horn button."
Only people I know and trust. It has to be special.
Look what I found!
Too bad it says "Chevrolet Division" and you have a GMC.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/GM-332926-1968-72-Truck-Horn-Button-Cap-NOS-/132662107890
Edit: FWIW, the pics of NOS ones look more painted than polished or plated.
If you need more help polishing your button, just let me kn..... wait. Phrasing.
tuna55 said:L5wolvesf said:tuna55 said:1988RedT2 said:tuna55 said:I brought the button to work to try polishing it here.
It's gone now.
Stay tuned
Whaddaya mean, "gone?"
And just in case we're talking about polishing the other horn button, you know you're not supposed to be doing that on the boss's nickel.
A colleague grabbed it for an experiment. Stay tuned.
So, you're saying you let others "Polish the old horn button."
Only people I know and trust. It has to be special.
Your place of work seems to have a generous benefits . . . uhmmm . . . package. I hope the medical is strong on preventative measures.
tuna55 said:Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:I guess it's gone now, but you won't be able to polish it really. It's a zinc metal casting that has been plated with a copper alloy, then likely a nickel chrome. I'm seeing places where the chrome has worn through to the copper and other places where it has evidently worn through to the zinc.
Zinc doesn't polish. It's very much like trying to polish asphalt. Sure, it looks hard and feels hard, but zinc is more or less just a really firm block of gelatinous chunks. Even if you could polish it, it would just look grey and non-reflective.
Plating or painting. Those are really the two options with pot metal.
Thanks Curtis!
That meets what I found. I couldn't buff it into anything nice looking.
Did the Mythbusters not cover this in enough detail to follow along? Turns out you CAN polish a turd.
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