The polishing shop is the key area in the restoration of old parts. It is the work here, before the main plating stages, which largely determines the quality of the finished parts. Any marks or flaws left in the surface of an item are actually highlighted by decorative plating and not covered up as some people imagine. 

There is no substitute for skill and experience at this stage. The polisher is dealing with various metals in various states of decay, they are also dealing with various shapes and need to be aware of stampings and logos so as to retain the originality of items.

It is often the case that when the polisher has gone as far as they dare, there are still flaws and pits in the surface. In this case build up plating processes would be used to put on a heavy layer of metal which can then be polished to a much better finish prior to the final decorative plating stages.