brushed aluminum finish, how to?

[Magura]

Originally posted by Peter Daniel
I'm using 6" belt sander with 100 or 120 grid belts. Depending on the tension on a belt you will get more or less of the rolling of the edges. To wet the surface I'm using Varsol (or paint thinner) with very good results.

Ohh Peter...please dont do that...i guess we all like you here...and if you keep on using paint thinner while using your belt sander...we suddenly wont have you around for a while. An electrical motor makes sparks, and a belt gets static....more sparks.

I have seen it blow up in the face of a guy using a powerdrill...not a nice sight.

How were your experiences with anodising at home?? easy?? cheap?? deadly poisonous??



Magura

[Peter Daniel]

I started using Varsol after the recommendation from a commercial place that do metal finishing.

[Magura]

I dont know what VARSOL is, but i sure hope its not flameable like paint thinner.

I usually use petroleum(kerosene) it works well, is easy to clean of and is almost impossible to ignite.......and it isnt paticulary poisonous (unlike paint thinner, wich is not for home use, since the fumes are very toxic).

Magura

[Peter Daniel]

http://www.exxonmobilchemical.com/Pu..._Grades_WW.asp

[Magura]

Point taken

I just got vorried that youd blow up


Magura

[tiroth]

Have you looked at the MSDS for Varsol? Not very nice stuff to come in contact with. Any solution to this? I would think even latex-type gloves would be even more dangerous than the varsol.

[Magura]

Accept the fact that your hands will eventually fall off if using kerosene or varsol....but you got a nice looking amp

Magura

[rcrump]

Peter, just take it to a shop that does grain sanding and alodine coating....There is an art to grain sanding and worth the minimums involved in graining and coating......My shop has a $25 minimum......Don't care for alodine coating as either bright silver or gold as I recall.....Like it either black or clear anodize.....

[Peter Daniel]

Originally posted by rcrump
Peter, just take it to a shop that does grain sanding and alodine coating....There is an art to grain sanding and worth the minimums involved in graining and coating......My shop has a $25 minimum......Don't care for alodine coating as either bright silver or gold as I recall.....Like it either black or clear anodize.....

I tried most shops in my area (including the one that does Sonic Frontiers ). Unfortunately, I wasn't always happy with the quality of their job.

The plates had to be redone, anodising had to be stripped, brushed again and anodised again. It all took additional time, so now, when doing prototypes and small runs, I prefer to do finishing myself. The good part is that I can have it all done in one sfternoon, without waiting a week or two for metal finishers. You know how it is, when only chassis keeps you from listening to your next creation.

BTW, I think I mastered the art of grain sanding pretty well
The minimum they charge here is $75 -100 CAD. Of course if it's 20 pcs or more, I'm not trying to do it myself.

[rcrump]

I have had some trouble as well with finishing, but finally found a good shop to do the grain sanding and anodize work. I still have to run all over the place with knobs as have to be bead blasted, have lines engraved in them, then anodized and then paint filled......Three different shops involved......The grain sanding/anodize shop have $25 minimums, the bead blasting is $15 and engraver wants $50 minimum.....Runs about $300 to have our two chassis 60 pound preamp chassis finished and engraved.....Found a guy with a pantograph machine who does nice engraving and normally have it engraved through the anodize with the black anodized units. No set-up involved so each unit can be touch different as respects the lettering....`