Mirror Finish on Milled Aluminum! Machined on TAIG CNC bencthop Mill

[badbob406]

most auto parts stores carry up to 2000 grit wet/dry

[viggoM35]

Thanks for the video. I'm polishing up some aluminum rims. Already did the sand paper/fine steel wool, getting close but now need some compound. I'll look up some MAAS next trip to the hardware stock. ;)

[saunixcomp]

@viggoM35 Probably doesn't have to be MAAS - I bet just about any polishing compound will work OK.

[viggoM35]

@saunixcomp Although not aluminum polish, I tried Turtle Wax Chrome Polish and it worked fine. But using a polishing wheel with green or white compound seem to do the trick. My aluminum rims turn out great on Jeep GC limited. I polish the whole outer rim and painted the inner part with some tough epoxy gloss black paint.

[saunixcomp]

@viggoM35 great to hear. Yes, a polishing wheel is much more efficient than doing it by hand (as I do in the video). A bench grinder, drill press or even hand drill / dremel can function as a polishing wheel - just be certain to be safe when using them.

[Trimere]

Way to waste water. Sanding in a bucket accomplishes the same result.

[saunixcomp]

@Trimere Totally agree. Thanks for pointing it out for future viewers.

[AFATC]

You can get high grit sand paper (1200 and 2000) at most automotive stores like O'reillys or AutoZone. Its used on paint jobs for cars. (So it will be in the paint area) Nice job btw!

[reggieobe98]

You don't jump grits like that. In addition Scotchbrite does come in a range of fine "grits" as well. An entire range of "polishing" pads, complementary to the more aggressive cleaning pads. 3m/Scotchbrite would have been happy to educate you if you had contacted them.

[gixxerlady2011]

you dont need all that gallons of water, a little spit will do just as good a job with an occasional rinse

[saunixcomp]

@gixxerlady2011 I dont' agree - I feel it needs to be done either under running water or submerged (e.g. in a bucket) - this lets the loose particles wash away immediately which is key to a good polish

[diyengineer]

You should of made a custom tool that holds the sand paper. Just like the fly cutter, you could have made a single pass with 400, 800, 1200, and 2000. Then you could have even rigged up the buffer and did a cnc pass :)

[saunixcomp]

@diyengineer That's a great idea. My only concern is that most machinists cringe at the idea of using abrasives near a mill. Without doubt, the substrate will get onto the machine's ways, gibs, rails, screws, etc and wear it down...

[diyengineer]

@saunixcomp VERY true! That didn't even cross my mind!! OPPS! haha. Great job though!!

[Lokivoid]

@saunixcomp

a double buff wheel with emery compound followed up with aluminium oxide jewlers compound is all you need. For a part that size it would take maybe two 30 second passes on a wheel.

[65funstuff]

@Lokivoid I agree, you could get a true mirror finish straight off the mill using two buffing wheels on a bench grinder and choosing the right compounds. Buffing wheels are amazing at how they can remove material and polish at the same time. Have a look at DCsupershine how to polish aluminum, you have to really work it.

[hamiltonj87]

Great tutorial! Helped me in putting a mirror finish on some aluminum CNC pieces for work. Thanks!!

[bigchad007]

Mothers Aluminum Polish for wheels works good too.

[Wizbang2u]

PISSSING MY >>SELF

BE POLISHING FOR YEARS .... KIDS KWON THIS

[Wizbang2u]

PISSSING MY >>SELF

[pumuli1]

your shinw looks lik shit u have the cleanest piece of alloy in existance moron

[adwestley]

You did forget to mention that using this technique will round the corners of your work, there is no way to stop it.

If you require this sort of finish with square corners you'd require a better made machine / better tooling.

[saunixcomp]

@adwestley You're right - it does. I've since started using a flat surface (granite block) which helps a lot.

[adwestley]

@saunixcomp Agreed that having more control over your sanding / polishing will improve your corners, but you will still round corners.

Another option would be to chamfer the corners after the polishing, however you risk damaging your finish.

From personal experience and not just IMHO a well prepped tool means you dont need to use such a corse grade of sandpaper to begin with thus reducing the problem of sanding material off the corners in the first place.

[Blutquell]

@saunixcomp I suggest: superglue the whole sheet of sand paper into a piece of glass, working your way into 2000 or 2500 grit.

Then, for the last step, form a slurry with the polishing compound by adding more water to it, then work with the slurry on an empty glass. This takes more time but produces an even finish without round edges.

[saunixcomp]

@Blutquell I like that idea - thanks!

[DjWuzHear]

yea u really need to lower the speed of the feed

[sof1map]

it looks awsome off flat cut

[fall22123]

you could get an even better finish with diamond paste. Similar to sandpaper, there are different grits available and you start with the rougher grit and work your way up. Finally, finish it off with some simichrome.

[NoobiiPower]

Sorry, i fell a sleep, while i watched this video.

Hard day at school.

[astrialkil]

You could try car rubbing compound , its for new paint.

[phoebelala]

You should date woman

[crazzydude14]

ima do this to the back of my ipod touch ^_^

[JuicyFruitFresh]

@crazzydude14 good luck.

[bakker1664]

I am a Machiniest, we always use a buffing wheel and paste. It is now secret. Good finsh every time with mini effort.

[Bobbyl007]

Buff with diamond polishing compound.

Rouge also works, but I like fine diamond polish better.

Slow down on your fly cutter feed also.

[saunixcomp]

@Bobbyl007 Interesting - I will have to try the diamond polish. 

[Bobbyl007]

Buff with diamond polishing compound.

Rouge also works, but I like fine diamond polish better.

Slow down on your feed also.

[Bobbyl007]

Buff with diamond polishing compound.

Rouge also works, but I like fine diamond polish better.

[WestCoastMods]

You can pick up finer grit wet sandpaper from most automotive stores. Just another alternative for you.

[questionful]

thanks! i might be using this info soon

[Nannestadboy]

Your mom gotta be sooo angry when she sees that dirty bathtub xD

[adriannyasia]

lol, u remind me of me...buffing wheels are still better in my opinion.

[citydriver]

600 to 1200 is a big jump i usualy only jump 200 grits at a timeup too 2000 and use oil

[russianpegs]

you wasted water, next time just get a bucket, fill it up, and sand in the bucket

[TechAnvil]

If a flat surface and sharp corners must be maintained you can use sanding film (not paper) on a sheet of glass. The paper absorbs water and stretches. It lifts on the leading edge of the part and rounds over the edges. Sanding film stays flat.

[fornello123]

in rod we trust

[bobbysam232]

That is coool Sub'd :D

[wvistaultimate]

Use. Less. Water.

[mwernero0]

@wvistaultimate The more water the better. Most people actually use a drop of soap mixed with water as lubricant for wet sanding.

[gopedguy27]

@mwernero0 Soap does not act as a lubricant, it traps the removed particles so as not to scratch the surface. I would also have to say that rinsing the part every 3-5 seconds is not needed.

[wero350]

buen video exelent

[dragonice000]

Westlake Ace Hardware Carries fine grit sandpaper, for midwest viewers

[dragonice000]

Westlake Ace Hardware Carries fine grit sandpaper

[krisjk2]

you should try using a flat surface plate to sand on, the corners got super rounded.

[sphinxrising58]

If yuou know how to polish Pewter, you can polish aluminum

[happymark1805]

Trie to find a bottle of belgom alu for that mirror shine

[kevingambrell]

Put your abrasive on a granit block or a sheet of thick glass and try again youl find you loose the roll edges that have taken away from your milled flat surface.

[signs65a]

Well sorry but this is of little use in the real world of polishing parts! This would have to be the easiest kind of thing to polish, no indents or ridges. Doing a car part would take a year using this method....

[GSRJosh33]

Harbor freight has these sanding items cheaper than anyone else. Worked great by the way an yes the buffing wheel made the end product super reflective. I used Mothers aluminum polish for the final buff. Now on to cear powder coating!! I love shiney BMX parts!!! Thanks !

[morningstomper123]

nice waste of water mate, that is totally unnecessary.

[fakiir]

autoparts stores carry the high grit sand paper for wetsanding car paint.

[pf126p]

I would imagine not so easy on a ridged or diamond-plate textured or pitted surface that you can't fit into the bathtub... like a trailer.

[pdhemming]

work in the bathroom much?

[15DjjC13]

best way to make a mirror finish is use a 6 flute fly cutter running around 2200 rpm. feed rate of about 12 inches / min. you can take any size cut u want. spray a little wd-40 on the surface as you cut. if your running new carbide teeth and your mill is tight then you will get a 100% mirror finish. This flycutter he is using is ghetto. another plus to my method is your part is still to size. no extra material taken off.

[sylvanenergy]

All the supplies you need can be found at auto body supply shops, at a far better price I assure you. A buffing wheel will give you the ultimate result.

[Azteka]

hi, u have a great video, but u wasted tolo much water, do u think it will work fine if i put water in a bucket? and just sanding the objet in the water ?

[punchyouintheface]

you can usually buy 1200 to 1600, and maybe 2000, grit sandpaper at auto stores like pep boys or autozone. Good tutorial, thanks for uploading

[markcumbriauk]

Very Helpful A+++++++++++++++

[JuanPapaNicolao]

i use a very very mild polishing compound after fine sanding

[eddietas]

why

[nasatwoburn]

Nice....thanks for the tips. I'm going to try on my BMW wheels :-)

[mortie806]

I race vintage oval sleds, my exciter is 95% aluminum, for our tunnels and belly i start with steel wool the finer stuff it a little be more abrasive then an sos pad that worked really nice to get the oxy and grim off then i use a air buffer then some mothers to make it look 10 time better then factory.

[MrDhcracker]

If you would have fed your piece slow, you could have near end result finish just from machining. The key is not taking too little a bite, a real slow feed comes out much finer a finish cutting 3 thousands as opposed to 1 thousands.

But I'm using a Bridgeport 1 1/2 hp with a J head, circa 1952 made with the good steel yep :).

But you have a really nice finish in the end result. Great work.

[xXBallistic82Xx]

You can get that sand paper from most auto stores. I use 600, 1000, 1500, and 2000 grit. I sand dry, then I use a grinder fitted with buffing pads, and I use buffing compound, I get a mirror finish. I do a lot of work on gun parts.

[elpackaCOOP]

fuck wet sanding get blue magic!!!!!!!!! it makes mothers look like shit!

[M4aster]

you can get high grit papers from autozone...

[drkam6]

Thank you so much for this video! I have pretty much the same size of aluminum parts to polish by hand, will get the materials at Home Depot today. Cheers!

[lmogden1]

another route to try is trizact are used by body shop repairer`s try the suppliers to body shops or paint suppiers the trizact have been around for about 10 years or so now in different forms and widths i have samples that go down to 2500 grit great for polishing glass

[lmogden1]

good video i was in the engineering trade most of my life selling abrasive belt machines to the engineering trade and i worked with 3m they have a trizact belt which is brilliant. from machining go 240# to remove the machining marks, do it wet use soapy water in a garden sprayer the little hand jobbie that holds about half a pint of water.then use A30 then A16 FOLLOWED BY A6 THIS BELT IS = TO 2400# you wont need much polishing hassle your 3m rep for some samples be honest with them it works

[x65535x]

I don't quite see the purpose of polishing the aluminum.

By hand sanding and polishing you lose your flat square surface. Unless the part is completely aesthetic or requires little precision then it's acceptable.

If you are determined to polish something and want the best look.

Sand wet with a hard backing and the paper flat, no raised edges. The backing should be something very flat, like a piece of cut glass or a granite surface plate

[2OQP]

@x65535x I agree 200% although this process might be fit for what he needs, I found the squareness of my piece was thrown off by using a none hard substrate for the sand paper.

Also:

I found that downgrading the grit is not always the answer to removing material. I get a better result upgrading to 1200 alu paper than trying the brute force of 600 or 800 grit.

I suggest using coffee filter in the drain, else, we're throwing aluminium that'll become aluminium oxide in the sewer.

[jv30456]

Try Brillo pad - wire wool, soap and jewellers rouge all in one product, just add water.

In UK use Solvol Autosol to polish.  (MAAS is probably similar/same). Available from good motor accessory stores everywhere. And Halfords ..

[musiclovr2]

use dish soap as well , it washes the filth off the clean aluminum

as you sand it cleans , otherwise it will grind the dirt that is sanded in to the aluminum

and you cant replace a motor plpolishher by hand the motor/wheel will get the aluminum hot and butter it, and it will shine a lot more, but not to fast or youll burn the polish

[dieselholicpullteam]

jewelers rouge

[dieselholicpullteam]

Another big thing to add is to only go in one straight direction with each different step, then perpendicular with the next step. so like 400 go one way then 600 go perpendicular to your passes with the 400.

Your method works if we all have a little piece of aluminum but most dont. A lot of people are doing semis and cant do it in their bathtub.

On machine finish i do 400,600,800,1000,1200,1500,200­0 then buff 3 times with quality polish, then finsih with show polish. Its overkill but nice.

[Quokka57]

Hmm.... 600, 1200, 2000 are pretty big jumps. You might find your work comes up quicker if you go 600, 800, 1200/ and or 1500, then 2000.

Just a thought..

[daddybiscuit]

Good finish, I am a 3rd Dan swords man and when my teacher shown me, it took me back when you turned the block around to polish, that how he did it...good work, I am going to have to get some MAAS cream, we dont have that shit in the U.K...lol

[activiafibras]

It would be cool too if you did a video on machine mirror polishing ^^

[eurogk1]

im looking to polish some alum sheets, was wondering if steel wool (like triple 0) would work and what thats equiv. to in sand paper?

[saunixcomp]

Not sure - i'd give it a try. I don't know the equivalent - but 000 is very fine; it's not really apples & apples with sandpaper, though - it's more similar to something like a scotchbrite pad.

[Metalloys]

@eurogk1 steel wool would 'grab' in alum. you'll have to do it manually and have a very sensitive hand

[sylburn22]

@eurogk1 I used steel wood 000 with pounce stone powder to polish my aluminium exhaust. you can se it on my vidéo : RIEJU MARATHON s'est fait une beauté or RIEju marathon le son. I didn't use no machine at all and I have a real mirror effect

[iiredeye]

@eurogk1 Solvo Autosol...Awesome on Aluminium

[YoureAbsolutelyRight]

4:00

When I assume this position my knees are painful, then the lower back goes because of the leaning forward and the extending to the faucett area.

.

In that position I become stuck and unable to get up from the kneeling position and so have to sit on the floor and then climb back up onto my legs by pulling muself up holding the door knob handle or some such thing.

.

Nice and shiney; thanks for the good info.

[danway60]

Just use Brasso! Put a a drop on a piece of paper, and put the paper on a very flat surface and rub the metal on it. Or put a bit of brasso on a tissue and rub with your finger, fantastic finish.

[alehax27]

just think of all of the people in Africa who would die just to have a drink of water.

But nice finish.

[johnhampton]

And when they do, it will have been brought to them by an engineer.

[MattMiller11]

How can you preserve the finish? I've heard of people using clear coat but isn't that for paint?

[saunixcomp]

Use something like turtle wax (car wax) which will protect & preserve but not alter the finish

[MattMiller11]

Cool thanks, you can get that at a home depot or do you have to go to a car shop?

[varun009]

home depo.

local grocery.

any really...

[pixuma]

good vid... though the finish is nowhere near show quality finish

[samsonevickis]

Good Effort.

[proaudioguy]

Wet sanding under a running hose or faucet does not require that volume of water. A trickle will work fine. You can also just dip the paper in a bowl or bucket of water often for nearly the same result.

Also you can get the finer grits at Napa Auto Parts as well as some of the other auto parts stores.

[csar3]

The video is good, but Save water please

[slome815]

doesn't alluminium loses its shine very fast because of the spontane oxidation.

[xRoCKSTaR914x]

yes it does

[MisterBaz1]

I've had better success using Mothers Mag and Aluminum Wheel polish for polishing metals like aluminum. It will give you a true mirror finish.

For some other metals, you may need to use a buffer and some jewlers rouge.

[jlyosha]

Thanks for the informative vid. I'm working on refinishing an aluminum mountain bike and am eager to see how well your process applies to finishing the surface. I was basically going to do the same process, but learned a few additional hints looking at your vid. Thanks for posting.

[howkemon6559]

what happen if i want to polish a big object that can't carry it to the basin? or where there is no water?

[saunixcomp]

You can definitely sand without water, but it won't look as nice because wet-sanding helps remove the particles from the area. If the part is too big to submerge in a bucket, just run a hose or stream of water over the area.

[Simila86]

Thx alot for the video ;)

[tryally]

Thanks for sharing!

Very nice vídeo.

Luiz

[THRUXTON1]

thats nice.

[saunixcomp]

Sorry to hear! Did you look in the kitchen cleaning area? It's next to soap, detergent, etc at my home depot. They have MAAS as well as a few other brands. I'd really be surprised if they didn't have some type of metal polish...

[rosenpwn0rt]

I just went to home depot to get the MAAS polish, and they said they don't carry it >:( RAWR!

[rosenpwn0rt]

will sanding under water ruin the sandpaper? I am working with 12,000-15,000 grit sandpaper btw.

[deanthemotocrossman]

how did you get that high grit of sand paper??

[rosenpwn0rt]

I got it at a Rockler woodworking store. I purchased a 4,000 , 6,000 , and 12,000 grit piece of sandpaper, each costing about 4 dollars.

[fastassevo16g]

thanks so much i had an idea of what to do but this is awsome i wanted to polish the frame on my ninja but didnt want to sand the paint off and look like sanded alluminum. i did a spot behind the fairing and it looks like chrome thanks.

[MikeAdorff]

Thank you for that first class video!

[wurlitzergroup]

wow - I am restoring a 1964 jukebox and wanted to polish the aluminum instead of the expensive! rechroming. We ground off what was left of teh chrome, but haven't had much luck getting out the light grinder marks - Your video has given me motivation to try again - I think the 1200 and 2000 grit paper is the trick. jukebox jimmy.

[kinmanyuen]

Thanx for the vid!

Will toothpaste work as a fine polisher?

[saunixcomp]

I don't know; I've never tried.  Why don't you give it a shot and let us know?

[fastassevo16g]

it may but most polishers take a bite out of the aluminum to make it shile like that(to kinda wear it away ultra smooth)

[ShawnSpecial7]

i have purchased an airsoft pistol with the same type of aluminum, do you think that if i wanted to polish it for show that this method would work, and, if there are any cheap ways to preserve the shine it would be greatly appriciated if you could tell them to me.

Oh, and this was a good instructional video.

[saunixcomp]

Use a wax. I use renaissance wax which is designed for jewelry & art/sculpture but a car-type wax would also work and likely would be cheaper. Talk to guys at Autozone - i bet they can help

[ShawnSpecial7]

thank you

[dirtridder5150]

do you think i can do this to my dirt bike

[JTMarlin8]

If you ever need to polish aluminum in bulk, try a vibratory tumbler using walnut shells with rouge (dry). You'll get the same finish after about 12 hours unattended with a batch of parts in the bowl.

[saunixcomp]

JT - Nice Handle ;)

Thanks for the tip. Will the walnut shells with rouge cause sharp corners to be rounded?

I also will be posting a new video in the coming weeks, as I purchased a buffer and have found that to be MUCH more efficient for polishing aluminum and it produces superior results

[jpm000001]

Nice job, thanks.  Why are you polishing that, what's your end product?

[stormgsi91]

nice video, the only thing i can say is that you want to use smaller steps. Polishing alluminum requires you to remove all the peaks and vallys' in the medal, 600 is a good start for bare alluminum. after 600 use the next step up (800) and sand the OPPOSITE way of the 600. once all the 600 scratches are removed, use 1000 opposite way from 800 and so on all the way to 2000, i need to use a buffing compound but i have had great results. Time and patient is key.

[happymark1805]

You can trie to find a product from the brand Belgom, Belgom alu is the product I use for buffing aluminium to a real mirror finish.

[briphillips29]

blue magic beats everything ive tried. ive had the same jar for 15 years! its kinda expensive but it lasts alog time and you get great results.works on all metals too.

[briphillips29]

dude save your time and get some blue magic !!

you can skip the 600,1200 and go strist to the 2000. same results but alot less work.

[saunixcomp]

BLmartec - that sounds great. The only new advice I have to share is that if you're sanding a flat/level part, you should sand it on a HARD surface. E.g. take a thick piece of smooth metal or glass, lay the sandpaper on it, then hold the part in your hand and move it over the hard surface+sandpaper. Otherwise you'll end up ruining your crisp corners

[aznricejp]

I found some 1200 grit sandpaper in the automotive section of my walmart. I'm gonna polish my paintball valve soon and I'll probably follow this.

[blmartech]

i use micron paper then a buffing wheel on a bench grinder and mothers aluminum polish and it seems to work well, (watch out for the static that can build up when using the buffing wheel, dont want to fry your controller or computer)