Hi all,
Anyone have any recommendations for a metal that can be polished to have a mirror finish like chrome, and that will keep that finish? Aluminum can be polished but it will lose its luster due to oxidation. I was thinking of stainless steel but I wasn't sure which type (303, 416, etc) would work best. Also can titanium be polished like that?
Thanks in advance,
Mike
I recently purchases some Kohler shower grab bars that were polished stainless. Looks just like chrome. They didn't specify what alloy. You might contact them.
Chuck P.
304 takes a nice polish . It's not much fun to machine though .
Type 304 stainless polishes to a high finish, has good corrosion resistance, and is easily available in most forms; sheet, plate, bar, tube, etc. How well it'll keep its shine depends on how you polish it, how it's treated before and after polishing, and the exact environment it's exposed to.
Rhodium
Mike, First Chrome doesn't polish well. It is deposited on a base metal that is polished, normally copper. Non-corrosive metals all possess a very thin layer of oxide that in fact prevents them from corroding and therefore is not as bright as chrome plate, that includes stainless steels, aluminum and titanium. I personally find these metals more attractive than chrome. Steve
Silver
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