finishing aluminum

Bead blast?

Fastest would be to grain it with about 200 grit sandpaper in one direction. Making very light scribe marks helps alot.

Agreed. With aluminum, you usually can do it by hand as fast as you can by machine, if it's not too large. Graining will cover marks a lot better and faster than blasting or other random abrasion. And it looks pretty good.

For larger areas of flat work I usually will go with matte instead, by using a random or figure 8 motion pattern and a maroon scotch brite pad.

Yeah, on a large area it can be difficult to make graining come out even. But it's easy on small ones.

Wire Brush!

I've seen mirror-smooth aluminum, but I have no idea how they achieved it - maybe lapping?

Good Luck! Rich

I've gotten near-mirror finishes by sanding with progressively finer grits of sandpaper, ending with 800 or so and then buffing with a canvas wheel and polishing rouge. Ryobi sells the wheels and rouge at Home Despot.

Thanks! Rich