stainless polishing/grinding question

[nyabinghi]

i'm polishing stainles bolts, if i grind the casting marks off the top first, then progressively sand till i get smooth finish, then go to polish will the stainless loose all it's tarnish resistance? i thought stainless only has a coating of chromium? basically, are these gonna rust?

[BOTLROKIT93]

I had the same question as you, and found the answer at: http://www.steelline.co.uk/stainless-steel.html
check this out, here is a quote....

"Stainless steel is a strong, robust and durable metal that far exceeds life spans of several other materials. Stainless steel is not just one material, it is a family of chromium containing steels, which all possess an inherent resistance to corrosion. The chromium is distributed throughout the steel and its purpose is to form a sub-microscopic surfacelayer of hard, adherent chromium oxide on a steel, a few atoms thick. The film is known as the passive layer, and it protects the underlying material from attack by corrosive species. If the layer is damaged in any way, it instantly reforms in the presence of oxygen to protect the surface of the material."
there you go.