Okay - I need some advice here. I have aluminum parts that are too big to go into a toumbeler but that I still need to get a good shiny finish on. My first question is around the sanding of aluminum. I would like to get some thoughts on what RPM, Grit, and tool to use on taking a potentially rough finish down to polish-ready.
I was thinking of starting with a 200 grit and working up from there until I hit an 800. The problem is what tool do I use. I have an air compressor in the shop so I was thinking a 2500 rpm polisher with some sanding discs would work well. The sanders in the catalogues seeem to all be very high rpm (8,000 plus) and I thought that would be too high. They do have velcro pads though which I thought woudl be better for the job and are random orbital's. Is having a sanding disc that is hole mounted good or bad?
When it gets to the polishing i'm fine with that but the finishing on the sanding has to be good. as I will be polishing it and bright anodising it.
Thanks.