? Where is your part right now?

Not made yetOne shop: we machine the part and polish it in the same order, so the surface that leaves the machine is the surface that gets refined. Polishing removes a little material and follows the marks the cutter left, so the finish is decided before the part is cut rather than after.See the processes we run →Already madeSend the finished parts and say which faces have to be glossy. Polishing is aimed, not dipped - a face that is left alone keeps its machined texture, so tell us which is which before the parts arrive.Check if my parts qualify →Still comparing finishesPolishing is the finest step on our surface ladder: it removes scratches and marks and leaves the published glossy texture. If the part only has to look smooth and even, a coarser step does the job for less.Which route do I need? →

SURFACE FINISHING

Polishing Service

Glossy, reflective 5 metals listed Automotive to kitchenware Removes scratches and marks

Polishing refines and enhances a surface by removing or minimising imperfections such as scratches, marks or unevenness, so the part reads as smooth, reflective and visually even. Our published texture for this process is glossy, and the published material list is ABS, aluminium, brass, stainless steel and steel. It is a physical process - the part is rubbed, by hand or by wheel - and it is normally the last operation a part sees.

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GlossyThe published texture for this process

5 metalsABS, aluminium, brass, stainless steel and steel

Removes scratchesThe published purpose of the process

4 areasAutomotive, tools, kitchenware and architectural parts

A group of stainless steel machined parts resting together, their surfaces polished to a glossy reflective finish — Polishing adds no layer and changes no colour. What it changes is how light leaves the surface - which is why the same part looks different before and after, and why the result depends on the finish the previous step left behind.

Where it fits

Polishing is the last step - and it follows the finish the machine left

Polishing removes material rather than adding it. It refines what is already there, so a face that arrives scratched and torn takes far longer to bring up than one that was sanded or fine machined first.

STEP 1Machine to the shapeThe cutter leaves the geometry; polishing only refines the surface, it does not fix a step or a gouge

STEP 2Prepare the surfaceA coarser step - sanding, smooth or fine machining - takes the deep marks out before polishing starts

STEP 3PolishYou are here - the face is rubbed by hand or by wheel until the scratches and marks are removed

STEP 4Clean the compoundPolishing compound and the debris it lifts have to come off before the part is handled

STEP 5Inspect the reflectionThe finished face is checked for remaining scratches, haze and uneven gloss under light

The order matters because polishing is the finest step on our surface ladder, not a repair. It can remove a scratch a coarser step produced, but it cannot flatten a deep gouge, and it removes a little material while it works. See how the steps compare.

A polishing wheel spinning against a metal surface as a part is brought up to a glossy finish

Polishing is a physical process: an abrasive or a polishing compound on a wheel, or on a cloth by hand, rubs the surface until the fine marks are removed.

A metal part being pressed against a rotating polishing wheel to bring up a bright surface — The wheel does the work on flat and open faces. It is the fastest way to a uniform gloss over a large area.

Bright brass bar stock arranged in a stack, its surfaces polished until they reflect light — Brass is one of the five published materials and takes a high polish readily, which is why it is often the finish of the metal rather than a coating laid over it.

A close view of a polished metal surface reflecting a soft highlight across the face — A polished result is judged by reflection: a uniform gloss reads as even, and a patch that still scatters light reads as a scratch or a haze.

A titanium part with a mirror-like polished surface reflecting its surroundings — At the finest end a polished face can be highly reflective. The published texture is glossy; how far a given part can be taken is confirmed per job.

Fit check

Can we polish your part? Three things decide it

The material, the geometry the wheel has to reach, and the finish the face arrives with. The last one is where most polishing jobs are won or lost.

Material

Published list - ABS, aluminium, brass, stainless steel and steel are the five materials in our table for this process
The published text also says polishing is rarely used for plastics because hardness is required
The table and the text disagree about plastics, so both are shown as published and the plastics case is being confirmed
Soft metals scratch and load the wheel differently from hard ones, so the material changes how the finish is approached

The table lists ABS and the published text says plastics are rarely polished. Both are shown as published; the plastics case is To confirm.

Geometry

Polishing works on faces a wheel or a cloth can reach - open, flat and gently curved surfaces are the easiest
Sharp corners and pockets are harder: the published description notes the process may be unable to create them
Deep recesses and narrow slots polish less evenly than an open face
Fine detail and sharp edges can round over if polishing is aimed at them

Tell us about sharp corners, pockets and fine detail so the polishing is kept off them.

Previous finish and handling

A face that arrives smooth needs far less polishing than one that arrives scratched
A coarser step sets how much work the polish has to do before it can bring the face up
Polishing removes a little material, so a critical dimension has to be allowed for
A glossy face shows handling: a fingerprint or a contact mark reads far more clearly on gloss than on a matte surface

Say which face has to be polished and which stays as machined - polishing cannot be undone.

Specifications

Polishing: a glossy, reflective finish on five published metals

Every value below is what we publish for this process. Where the shop has not confirmed a figure, the line says To confirm rather than a guess.

Materials (published table)

5 listedABS, aluminium, brass, stainless steel and steel - the five in our table for this process

Plastics (ABS)

Published and contradictedABS is in the table, while the published text says polishing is rarely used for plastics because hardness is required - being confirmed

Colour

n/aAs published - the process changes the surface, not the colour of the metal

Texture

GlossyAs published for this process

Standards

To confirmThe published table has an empty Standards cell; the standard this process is run to is being confirmed

Surface roughness (Ra)

To confirmNo Ra figure is published for this process - a numeric target is being confirmed per job rather than quoted

Dimensional change

To confirmPolishing removes a little material; how much a given face loses is being confirmed before it is promised against a tolerance

Minimum hardness to polish

To confirmThe published text says hardness is required; the hardness below which the process is not offered is being confirmed

The line that matters most: no roughness figure is published for this process. Polishing is specified here by purpose and appearance - the removal of scratches and marks to leave the published glossy texture - and a numeric Ra target has to be confirmed per part, which is why the row above says To confirm rather than a number.

What it removes

Polishing takes material off - plan the allowance before the part is machined

Polishing is not a coating and adds no thickness. It is the opposite: a small amount of metal comes off as the high points are rubbed down, which is why it behaves very differently from a plated or a painted finish.

Where it acts	What changes	Why it matters	What to do
Flat and open faces	Surface refined, a little material removed	The finish is the point; the loss is small and even.	Allow a polishing allowance on any face that carries a critical dimension.
Critical dimensions	Size can move as material is removed	A dimension set exactly on nominal has no room for the polishing step.	Name the critical dimensions so they can be measured after polishing.
Sharp corners and edges	Edges can round over	A wheel or a cloth does not stop at a corner - the edge can lose its sharpness.	List the edges that must stay sharp and keep polishing off them.
Unpolished faces	No change where the process is not applied	Polishing is aimed: a face left alone keeps its machined texture.	Say which faces stay as machined - it is a per-face decision.
Colour and material	No colour is added	This is the metal showing through, not a pigment or a coating.	Choose the material for its colour - polishing does not change it.
Corrosion behaviour	A cleaner, more even surface	The published text states polishing aids in preventing corrosion damage.	No allowance needed - this is part of the duty the finish is specified for.

The direction of the change is published - material is removed, not added - but the exact amount is not, which is why the dimensional row above says To confirm. A polishing allowance has to be agreed with the shop, not assumed.

Tell us which dimensions are critical and which faces are cosmetic, and we will confirm the allowance before the parts are made.

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Which route

Three ways a glossy face is reached - and the case where polishing is the wrong route

A polished result can be reached by hand or by wheel depending on the part, and there is a group of parts where the answer is not polishing at all. The last card below is that group.

An aluminium part with a brightly polished face reflecting the light around it

Hand polishing

For detail and small batches

A cloth or a pad and a polishing compound are worked over the surface by hand. It is slower than a wheel, but it reaches detail, narrow areas and faces where a wheel would round an edge or miss a recess.

Best for: small parts, detail work, low-volume and one-off jobs, faces that must not be over-polished

Not for: a large flat area that needs a uniform gloss quickly - hand work shows variation across a big face.

Polished stainless steel components with a bright even surface laid out together

Wheel polishing (buffing)

For flat and open faces

A rotating wheel charged with compound is brought against the part. It is the fastest route to an even gloss over an open face, and it is what most production polishing uses on flat and gently curved surfaces.

Best for: flat and open faces, batches, a uniform gloss across a large area

Not for: sharp inside corners, deep recesses or fine detail a wheel cannot reach without rounding it.

Two metal panels side by side, one with a brushed directional grain and one polished to a uniform gloss

When polishing is the wrong route

The not-applicable case

Polishing removes scratches and marks and produces the published glossy texture. That is the opposite of what some parts need, and asking a polished face to do a brushed, matte or coated job will not work.

Consider instead: a directional brushed face, a uniform matte blast, or a coating that adds a layer

Not for: a part that must keep a directional or matte texture (use brushing or bead blasting), a part that needs a protective layer added rather than the metal refined (use powder coating or painting), or a deep cavity whose inside faces a wheel cannot reach to an even gloss.

Tell us whether the part needs a reflective face, a directional texture or an added layer, and we will confirm the route before you commit.

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Pick or avoid

When polishing is the right call - and when it is not

Pick polishing when

The part has to read as smooth, reflective and visually even - scratches and marks removed rather than covered.
The face is open or gently curved, so a wheel or a cloth reaches it evenly.
The material is one of the five published - ABS, aluminium, brass, stainless steel or steel - with the plastics case confirmed first.
The finish is cosmetic and final: the part is seen, handled or sold on how it looks.
A little material may come off, and no critical dimension sits on a polished face without an allowance.

Avoid polishing when

The part must keep a directional or matte texture - a brushed or a blasted face is the intended look. See brushing or bead blasting.
The job is to add a protective or coloured layer rather than refine the metal. See powder coating or painting.
The face is a deep cavity or a sharp-cornered pocket a wheel cannot reach to an even gloss.
A critical dimension sits exactly on nominal with no polishing allowance.
The part is plastic or soft and the shop has not confirmed it is in scope - the published table lists ABS while the published text says plastics are rarely polished.

Not sure whether the face needs a polish, a brush or a coating? Send the drawing and say how the surface has to look and what it has to survive.

Get a quote

Design constraints

What decides whether the polished part comes back even

Four variables: the finish the face arrives with, the geometry the wheel has to reach, the material, and the dimension the polish is allowed to move.

The finish the face arrives with

Polishing refines a surface; it does not repair one. A face straight off a roughing cut carries scratches a polish would take a long time to remove, while a face that was sanded or fine machined comes up quickly and evenly.

Reachability and geometry

A wheel needs to reach the face. Open and gently curved surfaces polish evenly; sharp inside corners, deep recesses and pockets are reached less easily, and the published description notes the process may be unable to create sharp corners and pockets.

Material and hardness

Harder metals take a higher gloss; softer ones load the wheel and can scratch more easily. The published text says hardness is required, which is also why it says plastics are rarely polished - even though ABS is in the published table.

Allowance for the material removed

Polishing removes a little material. On a cosmetic face that is nothing; on a face carrying a critical dimension it is the whole tolerance, so the allowance has to be agreed before machining.

Handling after polishing

A glossy face shows every touch. A fingerprint, a wipe or a contact mark that would be invisible on a matte surface reads clearly on a polished one, so handling and packing are part of the finish.

Consistency across a batch

Matching a gloss across many parts, or matching the colour of brass batch to batch, is harder than finishing one. Say if the batch has to match, so the process is set for consistency rather than for a single part.

Drawing notes

What to write on the drawing so the polish lands where you meant

Two lines carry the requirement: which faces are polished, and which dimensions may not move while they are.

1.  POLISH THE FOLLOWING SURFACES:    ____________________________________________  (SEE VIEW A)2.  TEXTURE:  GLOSSY  (AS PUBLISHED FOR THIS PROCESS)    TARGET ROUGHNESS (Ra): ______ um  (TO BE CONFIRMED)3.  LEAVE THE FOLLOWING FACES AS MACHINED:    - ____________  (ANY FACE THAT MUST KEEP ITS CUT FINISH)4.  DIMENSIONS ON POLISHED SURFACES ARE    BEFORE POLISHING / AFTER POLISHING  (DELETE ONE)5.  EDGES TO STAY SHARP:  ____________    DO NOT ROUND THESE EDGES OVER.6.  INSPECT: NO REMAINING SCRATCHES OR HAZE,    EVEN GLOSS ACROSS THE FACE, CLEAN OF POLISHING COMPOUND.

Examples only - replace every blank with your own requirement. The dimension line matters most: polishing removes material, so a face that is already to size has to be marked as before or after, not left to chance.

Which metals

What we polish - five published materials, and the metals that belong elsewhere

Our table for this process lists five materials. The published text says plastics are rarely polished because hardness is required, so the ABS line is shown with that contradiction rather than hidden.

Material	Polishing	Notes	Use instead
Aluminium	Yes	In our published specification table for this process. It is soft, so it can pick up handling marks after polishing.	—
Brass	Yes	In our published specification table. Brass takes a high polish readily.	—
Stainless steel	Yes	In our published specification table. For a corrosion duty alone, passivation cleans the surface without changing how it looks.	—
Steel	Yes	In our published specification table. A polished carbon steel face is not protected from rust by the polish alone.	—
ABS / plastics	To confirm	Listed in the published table, but the published text says polishing is rarely used for plastics because hardness is required - being confirmed.	—
Parts needing a matte face	Different process	Polishing leaves the published glossy texture, not a matte or a directional one.	Bead blasting
Parts needing a directional satin finish	Different process	A uniform gloss is the opposite of the linear grain a brushed face shows.	Brushing
Parts needing a protective layer	Different process	Polishing refines the metal; it adds no film and no colour.	Anodizing

Send the drawing with the material on it - if polishing is not the right step for the material or the surface, we will say which one is.

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Applications

Where a polished face is doing the work

The published application areas for this process are automotive, tools, kitchenware and architectural parts. These are the three cases behind those words.

A car light housing being polished to a bright reflective finish on a polishing wheel

Automotive and transport

Trims, light housings and visible metal parts are polished because the part is judged by its reflection as much as by its shape. The published application list names automotive first.

Polished screw parts laid out beside an aircraft engine, their surfaces bright and reflective

Tools and precision hardware

Hardware, instruments and tooling get a polished face where the finish is both cosmetic and functional - a smoother surface is easier to clean and shows wear clearly.

A polished metal frame standing on a plain background, its surface reflecting light evenly across the face

Architectural and consumer parts

Architectural fittings and kitchenware are polished for the look of the metal itself. Where the part will be handled, remember that a glossy face shows every touch.

QA and documentation

What you get back with the parts

Purchasing usually needs paper as well as parts. Here is what we can state today and what is still being confirmed.

Available

Visual inspection

Polished faces are inspected for remaining scratches, haze and uneven gloss under light, which is how this finish is judged.

Available

Clean of compound

Polishing compound and the debris it lifts are removed before the part is packed, because a residue reads as a defect on a glossy face.

To confirm

Surface roughness record

No Ra figure is published for this process; whether a measured roughness record can be supplied against an agreed target is being confirmed.

To confirm

Standard and specification

The published table has an empty Standards cell; the standard this process is run to is being confirmed before it is quoted.

Where polishing sits on the surface ladder - and the steps below it

Polishing is the finest step in our surface-finish ladder. Each step below it is coarser, and the rule is simple: stop at the coarsest step that meets the job.

Fine machining - Ra 0.8 um

The step directly below polishing. It creates the surface with minimum roughness by controlling feed rate and cutting speed with sharp tools, published at Ra 0.8 um (32 uin). Choose it when a fine but still machined face is enough and a full gloss is not needed.

Smooth machining - Ra 1.6 um

One step coarser again. It smooths the surface and lowers the corrosion risk while tool marks may stay visible, published at Ra 1.6 um, and it is a good surface to paint or polish afterwards.

Sanding

The coarsest texturing step. Abrasive on paper or a belt leaves a random, non-linear texture, with the grit number setting how fine it is. Choose it when you want a prepared or a textured face rather than an even, reflective one.

When you do not need a glossy face

Polishing is the most work on the ladder, so it is worth asking whether you need it. If the part only has to look smooth and even, fine machining at Ra 0.8 um gets much of the visual benefit; if it only has to be flat and uniform, smooth machining at Ra 1.6 um or a sanded face is enough.

Brushing - a directional face instead

If the surface should show a controlled grain rather than a uniform gloss, the answer is a brushed face, not a polished one - it is the opposite of a mirror.

Bead blasting - a uniform matte face

Where the requirement is an even matte with no directional marks at all, bead blasting rather than polishing is the step that produces it.

All surface finishing processes

The hub page listing every process we run, so the polished step can be seen against the coating, plating and conversion families.

FAQ

Polishing FAQ: the questions engineers ask us

What is polishing?

Polishing refines and enhances a surface by removing or minimising imperfections such as scratches, marks or unevenness, so the result is smooth, reflective and visually even. It is a physical process - the part is rubbed - and our published texture for it is glossy.

Does polishing add a layer?

No. It does the opposite: it removes a small amount of material as the high points are rubbed down. That is different from plating, coating or painting, which add a layer and grow the part. See what it removes.

What surface roughness does it reach?

No Ra figure is published for this process, so we do not quote one here. Polishing is specified by appearance and purpose - scratches and marks removed, glossy texture - and a numeric Ra target is being confirmed per part.

Which materials can be polished?

Our published table lists ABS, aluminium, brass, stainless steel and steel. The published text also says polishing is rarely used for plastics because hardness is required, so the ABS line is being confirmed rather than stated as a plain yes. See the material table.

Can it remove a scratch or a mark?

Yes - removing or minimising scratches and marks is the published purpose of the process. What it cannot do is repair a deep gouge or a dent: those are removed by a coarser step before polishing, or they stay.

Will polishing change my dimensions?

It can. Polishing removes a little material, so a face carrying a critical dimension needs an allowance. How much a given face loses is being confirmed - the row above says To confirm rather than a number.

Does polishing stop corrosion?

The published text says polishing aids in preventing corrosion damage and improves the appearance of the parts. A polished carbon steel face is not a protective coating, though - if the duty is corrosion, a coating or passivation is the process to specify.

Can polishing fix the whole part?

No. It works on the faces it can reach. Sharp corners and pockets are harder, the published description notes the process may be unable to create them, and a deep recess a wheel cannot reach will not come up to the same gloss as an open face.

How do I get a quote?

Send the drawing, name the material, and mark which faces have to be polished and which must stay as machined. Contact the team with the part details and we will come back with a quotation.

Get your polishing quote

Upload a STEP, IGES or PDF drawing. Tell us the material, which faces have to be glossy and which must stay as machined, and any dimension that may not move - we will come back with the finish and the sequence.

Get a quote Machine it first

What to send us

Drawing - 2D and 3D files (STEP, IGES or PDF).
Material - aluminium, brass, stainless steel, steel or ABS.
Which faces - polished, and which stay as machined.
Critical dimensions - any face that must not move during polishing.
Edges - corners that must stay sharp.
What happens next - assembly or storage, so the hand-over state fits.

All uploads are secure and confidential. Engineers review and reply with a quotation and lead time.