shiney alluminium finish ?

[therealjoe]

when you wet sand the alluminium what do you do to stop it from oxidising? can you put a layer of clear on it and if so what do you do to prepare the alluminium for the coat of clear i dont want to use clear if this is possible is there anyother way i think you can use polish aswell?

[xmastree]

As far as I remember, aluminium oxide is transparent, and protective. So it grows its own protective skin, which is invisible.

[Slug Toy]

if you want to preserve the aluminum with a clear coat finish, you can do that, but i woud recommend that you use upwards of 2000 grit if you want to leave it like that.

you WOULD be better to polish though if you want a shiny finish. there are two jewelers polish compounds called tripoli and rouge that polish very well. tripoli is the first stage, and is good enough. rouge is for super-refined polishing, and it is the next step after tripoli. if you want to polish aluminum i would recommend those compounds just because they're of jewelry-grade quality, and because i have experience with them.

i wouldnt suggest just sanding and leaving it though. even though the oxide later is protective, if you touch it, your hands will still turn black and you will make the metal dull again.

[therealjoe]

how much would them polishes cost ? and how would i apply them ?

[Slug Toy]

i cant really remember how much they cost, but it wasnt very expensive. id definitely remember if i were shocked at the price. id hazard a guess at $10 canadian for a tube (at most). yes, tube, they come in tubes sometimes, but they kind of like a wax. you can probably find bricks of the stuff if you know where to look.

applying is pretty easy. you just need a buffing wheel. start the buffing wheel up, rub the wax onto the moving wheel, and then you're set to polish. dont load the wheel up with too much though or you start getting black streaks, just a 2 or 3 second touch is enough.

hopefully you know how to buff metal, or know the methods. if you've ever waxed a car with one of those power buffers, its similar to that. you will probably notice a difference right away too. i remember the first time i polished a silver ring i made, i thought the wax had turned it black, but it turned out that the ring was so reflective it only looked black because of my shirt. as soon as you know for sure that you've managed to get all the scratches out, and the metal is nice and shiny, you dont need to polish anymore. dont spend too much time in one spot or else that too will give you black streaks.

one word of warning. wear gloves for the final sanding and keep them on until you are done polishing. that way you wont get fingerprints or contaminations on the metal.

[Cevinzol]

You can buy a little tube of tripoli and rugue in most hardware stores.
I have a few, they are about 1-2 ozs. and cost about $1.50 US
The problem is that Tripoli is probably rougher than 2000 grit sanding.
If you take the finish to 2000 I would just put some good microcrystaline carwax on it and call it done.

[jdbnsn]

I just used a buffering wheel on my bench grinder for the first time and it worked wonderfully. I don't know what compound I used, I just bought a tube from Lowe's labelled "High Gloss" and was amazed at how easy it is and what a dramatic difference it makes. You should definately try it if you have the means. Another tip to add to the above, if you heat the metal slightly (I just used a propane torch and gently heated, not real hot) it helps keep more compound on the wheel instead of rubbing off on the metal too quickly. I highly recommend giving it a try. For an example of what it can do, you should look at Tribaloverkill's work on blackout, that is where I got the idea to try it. He is real good!

[crazybillybob]

If you use a polish make sure you clean the surface very well (de natured Alcohol, Acetone) because the clear will not stick to some of the oils and waxes that are in them. You can also use car wax to protect the shine, you just have to wax it every few months. Also Aluminum Oxide is not clear, it is the white film that develops on aluminum over time.

Good luck,
Crazybillybob

[jdbnsn]

If you use a polish make sure you clean the surface very well (de natured Alcohol, Acetone) because the clear will not stick to some of the oils and waxes that are in them. You can also use car wax to protect the shine, you just have to wax it every few months. Also Aluminum Oxide is not clear, it is the white film that develops on aluminum over time.

Good luck,
Crazybillybob
Are you saying clean it after polishing? And is there another way to protect it without having to wax it periodically? He mentioned clear coat, how would this work? Thanks.

[crazybillybob]

You can use clear coat paint to protect the shine. But if you paint it it will not be as shiney as if you polish it and wax it.

Crazybillybob

[therealjoe]

thanks for the information i was wondering if there was any websites which sell polishes ?

[Slug Toy]

if i were you, id be more inclined to take a trip to your local hardware store. online dealers arent the answer to everything, and besides, if its within walking distance, its an excuse to get some excercise.

on a side note, crazybillybob, are you sure aluminum oxide is white? im not saying im an expert, but i do have a reasonable chemistry and metalwork background, and ive never seen my hands turn white from handling aluminum. perhaps you're thinking of aluminum peroxide or hydroxide. or maybe you're thinking of aluminum oxide in its crystalline state, in which case it would tend to be more clear providing there are no impurities. anyways, not that big a deal, you just made me second-guess myself.

[Cevinzol]

oxidized aluminum It is not clear. if it was we'd be using it in car windows and whale tanks (a la Start Trek IV: The Voyage Home).

The 2000 grit mirror finish will greatly reduce oxidation but eventually it will turn grubby grey because you will have to touch it when moving it. if you have to wear gloves to handle your case then its not a finish worth having. Car wax should last a long time (unless you leave your computer outside in the elements - like a car)