Aluminum Pens

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mrplace

mrplace

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I just turned by first aluminum pen today in a Baron kit. I have a mirror finish on it and am very happy with the way it has turned out so far. My question is what do I put on the outside so it will keep its mirror finish?

Is there anything short of powder coating I can use?
 
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BCA, you use your woodturning tools. As far as keeping the shine on the alum. you can use a polish like Mothers or just rub it with a soft cloth.[;)] Mothers polish can be bought at auto parts stores.
 
I have a hamlet scraper that I converted to cut the aluminum. It is still a slow process, and wear gloves for sure.

Afterward I sanded to 600 and then used buff wheels with black emry, red rouge and white diamond.

I was thinking car wax, but I would bet it has to be reapplied often.
 
Something I thought of trying also was Zoop seal. I remember being at a car show and they say you clean the aluminum with it and the "seal" the shine with their product and it lasts outside in the weather for about a year. The only downside is the cost. If I remember correctly it was about $80.00, but if you turn alot of aluminum it may be worth it in the long run.
Andy
 
6061 is a good grade. Some are soft and gummy. MSC has some in their catalog. You can get it in 3' lengths. Check to see if there is a metal supplier in your are. I have a Metal Supermarket close to me, and they will cut as little or as much as you want.
 
Thanks,
I found some in a Mcmaster Carr catalog (mcmaster.com pg3427). A 6 foot piece of 5/8 round is only $13.61. Can I really turn these with regular wood cutting tools? Also , do you need to glue in a tube or just drill a 1/4 hole for say a slimline?

Thanks
 
I think Paul's recommendation for Clear anodizing is the best. Clear PCing in my opinion turns the aluminum sort of a creamy color. It doesn't do this with brass, just the alminum for some reason. I have done it many times and still do. If you are looking to keep the high gloss shine though, you likely won't like the PC.

Fangar
 
Samuel

Yes regular tools will work for aluminum. But I would suggest getting one you wont mind damaging. You dont have to glue tubes, as you say you could drill 1/4" for a slimline. I used tubes because I didnt have the drills for the baron kit without the tubes.

Read the aluminum pen tutorial, it has some good information. Do use a thick tool if you can.
 
Originally posted by samuel07
<br />Thanks,
I found some in a Mcmaster Carr catalog (mcmaster.com pg3427). A 6 foot piece of 5/8 round is only $13.61. Can I really turn these with regular wood cutting tools? Also , do you need to glue in a tube or just drill a 1/4 hole for say a slimline?

Thanks
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Use a letter 'D' drill. It is .246 diameter. A .250 will work, but might be a little loose on the parts.
 
It is pretty tough to drill the holes perfect enough to press the mechanisms in, especially in deep holes. The holes tend to get wallowed out a bit. I usually drill one a few thousandths undersized and sneak up to the correct diameter with a drill used as a reamer. Use slow rpms and fast feed to keep it from chattering.
 
Samuel, I used 3/4" round, but I made a baron so that took up alot of space.

Joe, I downloaded the PDF twice and both times it says it is a corrupt/damaged file.
 
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