Freethinker
Member
I have a question about sanding aluminum pens.
I recently ordered some of the aluminum blanks from johnnycnc, for the Jr. Statesman kit.
I made one of the pens last nite, but really ran into a snag with the sanding.
I first began with 200 grit,then 350, 400 and 600. (sanding long ways between each grit and wiping down with DNA)
When I reached 600 I began wet sanding. On to 800 grit, 1000 then 2000, all wet sanded. I could tell I was not really getting the sort of reflective "chrome" looking shine I was looking for, but kept thinking, "Surely it'll begin to show up with the next grit".
Then I went through the MM sheets (skipping past the first couple of courser sheets since I'd already gone to 2000 grit with the paper sheets) up to 8000 grit.
Then on to the buffing wheel with white diamond. To put it mildly, after all of this, under a magnifying glass,the blanks looked like --for lack of a better word-- crap.
Yeeeck. They had very poor shine and almost an alligator like pattern of small indentations or scales. Pathetic.
I started over.
I began with 400 and then 600. Immediately, I had more shine than after the white diamond polishing. Not a great shine, still more of a brushed look, but better than before.
Then 800, 1000, and 2000.
Then Brasso applied on the lathe then polished with a Viva paper towel at high speed.
Still not much shine....very uneven and blotchy.
I started over.
I began with 400 and then 600 then 800 grit, --no water this time-- then 1000.
Then I used some 1500 grit (Klingspor) paper I have with a "greasy" sort of feel to it.
This produced the best shine I had yet achieved, but still not a really "chrome" sort of smooth shine. I applied two coats of Ren wax and assembled the pen.
So.
Does anyone have a sanding regime for aluminum that has produced good results for them?.......a shiny and smooth shine like a mirror??
Any help you can give is much appreciated. (I showed the aluminum pen to my banker today and he immediately ordered three of them for Christmas presents for his friends, and I'd like to do a better job on the next ones)
I recently ordered some of the aluminum blanks from johnnycnc, for the Jr. Statesman kit.
I made one of the pens last nite, but really ran into a snag with the sanding.
I first began with 200 grit,then 350, 400 and 600. (sanding long ways between each grit and wiping down with DNA)
When I reached 600 I began wet sanding. On to 800 grit, 1000 then 2000, all wet sanded. I could tell I was not really getting the sort of reflective "chrome" looking shine I was looking for, but kept thinking, "Surely it'll begin to show up with the next grit".
Then I went through the MM sheets (skipping past the first couple of courser sheets since I'd already gone to 2000 grit with the paper sheets) up to 8000 grit.
Then on to the buffing wheel with white diamond. To put it mildly, after all of this, under a magnifying glass,the blanks looked like --for lack of a better word-- crap.
Yeeeck. They had very poor shine and almost an alligator like pattern of small indentations or scales. Pathetic.
I started over.
I began with 400 and then 600. Immediately, I had more shine than after the white diamond polishing. Not a great shine, still more of a brushed look, but better than before.
Then 800, 1000, and 2000.
Then Brasso applied on the lathe then polished with a Viva paper towel at high speed.
Still not much shine....very uneven and blotchy.
I started over.
I began with 400 and then 600 then 800 grit, --no water this time-- then 1000.
Then I used some 1500 grit (Klingspor) paper I have with a "greasy" sort of feel to it.
This produced the best shine I had yet achieved, but still not a really "chrome" sort of smooth shine. I applied two coats of Ren wax and assembled the pen.
So.
Does anyone have a sanding regime for aluminum that has produced good results for them?.......a shiny and smooth shine like a mirror??
Any help you can give is much appreciated. (I showed the aluminum pen to my banker today and he immediately ordered three of them for Christmas presents for his friends, and I'd like to do a better job on the next ones)
