I have been experimenting with several different small abrasive buffs for my Dremel. I used these to clean up the discolored spots on a welded stainless steel sculpture as I wanted this piece to look rather uniform in color. I took the time to make notes on which ones I liked for my own reference, but it occurs to me that others may benefit from this information, so I decided to make a post out of it. As with anything of this nature, you may have different preferences as far as finish goes. These are the tools I tried and my impression of how they suited my needs. Maybe it will give you a good start in your search for some appropriate abrasives for your project.

NOTE: When I reference “my finish” I should state that the sculpture pieces were individually cleaned with a scrub pad before they were welded together. The piece overall had a satin sort of look to it, so this was what I was looking to duplicate when cleaning weld joints.

Dremel 512E – Fine Grit (320) Buff – Good results. Removes discoloration acceptably and leaves a clean satin finish that is close to the finish already present on my sculpture.

Dremel EZ473 SA – 220 Grit Detail Brush – This tool looks like a fan wheel made of curved rubber fingers. It leaves a clean satin finish. It does not seem to remove any metal. It gets some spots that a buff cannot reach, but it misses others. It is rather durable and lasts a fair while, probably as long as a buff or possibly a bit longer. It is acceptable as a buff substitute.

Dremel 530 – Stainless Steel Brush – This tool has stiff bristles and looks just like a tiny wire wheel. (Dremel makes a standard steel brush, but don’t use it on a stainless as it will discolor the metal and contaminate it as well.) The stainless steel brush works well on tough spots, but the brush itself is narrow and touches only a small area. It is not good for large areas as you end up with a brindled or sort of tiger-stripe look when trying to even out the appearance of the finish. It will get in narrow spaces well.

Dremel 511E – Package combines one Medium on Coarse Abrasive Buff – Why they don’t sell just