I searched here and found a few guides on how-to get a mirror finish on speakers, but then a few persons give some new tips so I got a bit lost. Is there a -REAL- guide for this purpose? I'll have some speakers to paint in a while, but now, I'd need to know how to get a mirror finish on a bare steel chassis, and be able to KEEP it : Nevr-Dull and the like aren't lasting very long. Some solder spots are stuck on the chassis also. It's for two EICO HF-12 amps and an EICO HFT-90 tuner.
Keeping bare steel mirror like is difficult. No matter what you use on it, oxidation is going to slowly give it a dull look. This is why a chassis is plated(or these days, just powdercoated). Nickel-chrome plating is what Mac, Dynaco etc do to the their steel chassis in order to eliminate the oxidation and keep them mirror like. Steel needs protection of some sort.
Your best bet is to sand/buff the metal as smooth as possible, finishing with #2000 wet/sand and/or and then polish by hand or mechanically. The less porosity the surface has, the longer it will stay shiney. Best of course is to have them plated if they are real keepers.
As to the speakers, just find a guide to autofinishes that is compatable with the type of paint you are going to use. But generally, it involves polishing and buffing with increasingly finer grit abrasives.
I painted a pair of cabinets once with left over Glasurit that a friend used on an Alfa Duetto. Red with 2 coats of clear. They were incredible looking. To bad they were just Cerwin-Vegas
But they did look fantastic in the garage.
amt
Your best bet is to sand/buff the metal as smooth as possible, finishing with #2000 wet/sand and/or and then polish by hand or mechanically. The less porosity the surface has, the longer it will stay shiney. Best of course is to have them plated if they are real keepers.
As to the speakers, just find a guide to autofinishes that is compatable with the type of paint you are going to use. But generally, it involves polishing and buffing with increasingly finer grit abrasives.
I painted a pair of cabinets once with left over Glasurit that a friend used on an Alfa Duetto. Red with 2 coats of clear. They were incredible looking. To bad they were just Cerwin-Vegas
But they did look fantastic in the garage.amt
That would be quite easy. Ive gotten very good results with using just spray paint cans. Krylon color and clear can look very good if carefully done. Proper prep, dust-free environment and buffing correctly.
You can also do all the prep work and have a paint shop shoot them. A good trick is to find a custom painter than does motorcycles and leave them there until they can do them with another "full price customer". Ive had many a motorcycle part painted when another customer gets a larger job done and uses a color I can live with. Much of the cost is wrapped up in prep, color mixing and cleanup. If you eliminate those, you can ususally get a deal. Of course you dont know when the work will get done. Its usually a win/win for everyone.
amt
You can also do all the prep work and have a paint shop shoot them. A good trick is to find a custom painter than does motorcycles and leave them there until they can do them with another "full price customer". Ive had many a motorcycle part painted when another customer gets a larger job done and uses a color I can live with. Much of the cost is wrapped up in prep, color mixing and cleanup. If you eliminate those, you can ususally get a deal. Of course you dont know when the work will get done. Its usually a win/win for everyone.
amt
Just found one store not too far. How much do you think it will/should cost?
Oh, also, I have the brown side panels I'd like to get black. (I tried car paint on the front plates, the result is ± good.) What should I do, get them power-coated?
One other thing, how do I keep the cooper front plate shiny? (I wouldn't get this one at a polishing place, there's lettering on them)
Will 2000 grit sand paper completely remove the scratches? (I used steel wool when I didn't know I shouldn't a year and an half ago)
Oh, also, I have the brown side panels I'd like to get black. (I tried car paint on the front plates, the result is ± good.) What should I do, get them power-coated?
One other thing, how do I keep the cooper front plate shiny? (I wouldn't get this one at a polishing place, there's lettering on them)
Will 2000 grit sand paper completely remove the scratches? (I used steel wool when I didn't know I shouldn't a year and an half ago)
If you can swing a "backdoor" deal... maybe 20 - 30 bucks. Through the front door... $150 - 250 for a "lot" charge. Find a plating shop that runs night shift... and go in after 7 or so.
Powder Coating is good... don't expect mirrors though. There is also BLACK nickel plating!
Krylon and some care should work well too.
Powder Coating is good... don't expect mirrors though. There is also BLACK nickel plating!
Krylon and some care should work well too.
I wasn't thinking to do a mirror-finish outside, but maybe high-gloss, which I already saw on some powder-coated things. Black nickel... could be interesting if it looks like black paint.
I wonder if I should ask for both buffing and plating, considering that the equipment to do this isn't always cheap. (Well, I have a grinder and drill, but I found some aluminium polishing guides and they seem to tell that they used $40 wheels on their grinders)
EDIT:
Great!
I wondered since the Nevr-Dull wool and 1000 grit left some scratches. (Well, you see that the light reflections aren't always the same with Nevr-Dull depending on the direction I used it)
Depending on how deep the scratches are, #2000 will work. Start with #1000 and if that isnt taking them out, go down to #600, then #400...You dont want to put more scratches in by using too course a paper initially.
Once the major scratches are removed, I use #1000, then #2000 and buff with 3M #05973 rubbing compound. Then polish with Mothers Billet Metal Polish or similar. Other brands are fine, but Mothers is available everywhere. If you are doing small pieces, polishing by hand is quite easy but takes more time. I find that on small pieces, I get a more uniform finish than with my big buffing wheels. The piece gets hotter than hell and if it catches the wheel, it gets launched and destroyed. The photo is of a current project using copper plate. This was all done by hand.
For the black panels, just use Krylon. Semi flat black is a nice finish. Its non-reflective enough to look flat but low porosity so it can be cleaned and wiped off without leaving marks.
amt
Once the major scratches are removed, I use #1000, then #2000 and buff with 3M #05973 rubbing compound. Then polish with Mothers Billet Metal Polish or similar. Other brands are fine, but Mothers is available everywhere. If you are doing small pieces, polishing by hand is quite easy but takes more time. I find that on small pieces, I get a more uniform finish than with my big buffing wheels. The piece gets hotter than hell and if it catches the wheel, it gets launched and destroyed. The photo is of a current project using copper plate. This was all done by hand.
For the black panels, just use Krylon. Semi flat black is a nice finish. Its non-reflective enough to look flat but low porosity so it can be cleaned and wiped off without leaving marks.
amt
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Nice job amt!
I think I'll do it by hand, it's cheaper and the amps are quite small.
The only problem with paint is that there's ALWAYS dust or bugs getting on it when I paint it. I've used car primer and black on the front panels. The problem is that I always want to put too much paint... (We see drops) But I look at the front panels and the places sanded with 1000 grit look quite nice! (I sometimes used 600 while the paint was not completely dry, I think that what I'll need the most is patience.
I think I'll do it by hand, it's cheaper and the amps are quite small.
The only problem with paint is that there's ALWAYS dust or bugs getting on it when I paint it. I've used car primer and black on the front panels. The problem is that I always want to put too much paint... (We see drops) But I look at the front panels and the places sanded with 1000 grit look quite nice! (I sometimes used 600 while the paint was not completely dry, I think that what I'll need the most is patience.
OK, I found some carnuba wax, rubbing compound, polishing compound and buffing clothes(All Turtle Wax except the clothes).
I could use these for the front panels and front plate I think. All I don'T have is the 2000-grit paper.
If I get the chassis plated, what do I need to do? Can I stop with 1000 before getting it plated?
I thought about it and I don't think I would need a mirror-finish on the chassis. I could just leave the nickel plating like it is. It's all hidden by a grille (Which would need re-plating, it's brass or cooper and it's getting dull)
I could use these for the front panels and front plate I think. All I don'T have is the 2000-grit paper.
If I get the chassis plated, what do I need to do? Can I stop with 1000 before getting it plated?
I thought about it and I don't think I would need a mirror-finish on the chassis. I could just leave the nickel plating like it is. It's all hidden by a grille (Which would need re-plating, it's brass or cooper and it's getting dull)
Hi,
any plating process will exagerate the surface finish.
You or the plating house MUST polish before plating if you want a blemish free shiny surface.
The abrasives are used to remove the deep scratches left by the PREVIOUS process.
You must start with the abrasive grade that will remove the deepest scratches and move gradually towards the finest grade to remove the scratches left by the previous abrasive grade.
If you think you may want to complain about the final finish then the plating house will have to do the polishing.
The plating process is relatively cheap.
The labour intensive polishing is the expensive bit. You make some choices.
BTW a nickel finish looks superb when new but quickly dulls to a slightly yellowish silvery colour with ageing. It is also quite soft and will polish up well, but like silver plating will polish through eventually. The much harder chrome is what gives the long term polished look.
any plating process will exagerate the surface finish.
You or the plating house MUST polish before plating if you want a blemish free shiny surface.
The abrasives are used to remove the deep scratches left by the PREVIOUS process.
You must start with the abrasive grade that will remove the deepest scratches and move gradually towards the finest grade to remove the scratches left by the previous abrasive grade.
If you think you may want to complain about the final finish then the plating house will have to do the polishing.
The plating process is relatively cheap.
The labour intensive polishing is the expensive bit. You make some choices.
BTW a nickel finish looks superb when new but quickly dulls to a slightly yellowish silvery colour with ageing. It is also quite soft and will polish up well, but like silver plating will polish through eventually. The much harder chrome is what gives the long term polished look.
Maybe I should look for a chrome plating instead. I bought some 3M 1500 and 2000 grit sand paper yesterday that could help. Like I told a few posts ago, I have some buffing clothes instead of a grinder wheel for buffing. It should give a better end result I think? If I do most of the polishing and they do the rest will it be cheaper?
Now that I think at it, there are the top grilles which seem brass or copper-plated that look pretty bad. (Oxidation, old dust, flaking)
I wonder how I will be able to sand the thousands of holes on these...
Now that I think at it, there are the top grilles which seem brass or copper-plated that look pretty bad. (Oxidation, old dust, flaking)
I wonder how I will be able to sand the thousands of holes on these...
Hi,
when you talk about sand paper do you mean glass paper?
Glass paper is too soft for surfacing aluminium, it blunts too quickly.
Sand paper is not produced in the UK, since it was made illegal last century, something to do with cancer.
Silicon carbide also known as "wet and dry" is much harder and should last long enough to do a few pieces from each sheet.
Aluminium oxide might be hard enough to give a reasonable life.
when you talk about sand paper do you mean glass paper?
Glass paper is too soft for surfacing aluminium, it blunts too quickly.
Sand paper is not produced in the UK, since it was made illegal last century, something to do with cancer.
Silicon carbide also known as "wet and dry" is much harder and should last long enough to do a few pieces from each sheet.
Aluminium oxide might be hard enough to give a reasonable life.
Sanding paper.
It's 3M WetorDry for cars (Sold in 5x 1/3 sheet), I don't think that they tell what it is exactly.
I'm sanding steel.
Just like this, the chassis looks quite good with 400 grit sanded in the same orientation, it makes brushed steel.
I've been hand sanding with 400 and it was pretty long. How much time will buffing take??
Oh, and do I use the buffing clothes with both the polishing and buffing compound?
Hi Dragon,
you have just started.
Now go through all that rubbing again using 600grit. It will remove the scratches (brushed look) left by the 400grit. It will also show up any deeper scratches that the 400 did not remove.
If you see any deeper scratches you need to go back to 400grit, otherwise continuing with 600grit will seem to take forever.
When the surface is looking really good, after the 600grit, wash up thoroughly, to remove any dust from the 600grit.
Then repeat the whole process using 1000grit.
You may find it easier to use the 600 and 1000 grits wet, adding a little soap might helping wetting the surface.
BTW car grade wet and/or dry is usually silicon carbide.
you have just started.
Now go through all that rubbing again using 600grit. It will remove the scratches (brushed look) left by the 400grit. It will also show up any deeper scratches that the 400 did not remove.
If you see any deeper scratches you need to go back to 400grit, otherwise continuing with 600grit will seem to take forever.
When the surface is looking really good, after the 600grit, wash up thoroughly, to remove any dust from the 600grit.
Then repeat the whole process using 1000grit.
You may find it easier to use the 600 and 1000 grits wet, adding a little soap might helping wetting the surface.
BTW car grade wet and/or dry is usually silicon carbide.
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