Doug recommends taking off the Altoid tin's painted finish then covering the exposed metal with a clear coat finish. If I read his comments correctly, the idea is to have a polished surface for signaling. I'm questioning whether or not this is really practical or necessary?<br><br>1. The contents include replective aluminum tape on the bottom for signaling.<br><br>2. Is the polished tin surface effective in reflecting light? It would seem to me that it would disburse the rays and produce a dull or diffused beam.<br><br>3. Is it another case of redundancy in case the aluminum tape is marred and unusable?<br><br>If it is practical, then it's worth the extra time and effort. If not, then why not just use the Altoids tin as is. The original finish is likely to be more durable and protective than my secondary finishing efforts.

I'd like to add some additional comments on my reasoning for asking this question. Chris' idea on the honing paper was to include a sheet or two to the inside of the kit. But I was wondering if it would be better or more convenient to apply a sheet to the outside if the tin using the PSA (Preasure Sensitive Adhesive) paper. Cut one piece with one grit to stick it on the bottom of the tin. Cut another the same size and stick it on the top of the tin. Add a piece of wax paper or label backing paper on top of both pieces and then wrap in electrical tape per Doug's concept, followed by a wrap of para-cord. The wax paper will protect the grit surface from the tape's glue.<br><br>Of course, doing this covers up the polished surface of the refinished tin... which led me to my question in the preceeding post.<br><br>BTW, the sheets are offered in three grits:<br><br>"The 15 micron (approx. 1000x) removes steel quite quickly; the 5 micron (approx. 2500x) refines the edge to usable keenness; and the 0.5 micron (approx. 9000x) gives it a mirror finish. "<br><br>My thought would be to use the 15 micron and 5 micron grits. Getting a mirror finish with the 0.5 micron grit doesn't seem important in a survival situaiton. Any thoughts on this selection?

Interesting point, and something I am now considering as I'm building my PSK.<br><br>Stripping and recoating the tin would maximize the total reflective surface, which might come in handy if all you could muster in an emergency was to dangle the tin from a cord and let the breeze move the mirror.<br><br>In terms of protecting the metal from the elements, I think you are correct, and further, putting a finish over the Altoids paint might be even better.<br><br>I'm also wondering if it would be better to add a true mirror to the PSK. If only there was an ultra-thin plastic signalling mirror that was custom shaped to fit in an Altoids tin. It seems to me that having a rigid mirror would not only provide better reflectivity in terms of signalling, but might come in handy if you needed to check an injury on your backside for instance. Does the clear-coated tin and/or aluminum tape provide a decent reflection for these types of purposes?