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Vibratory aluminum polishing help please

I use vibratory polishers for all sorts of jobs. But I have been stumped trying to deburr and then polish aluminum parts. I can get all sorts of matt finishes and smooth finishes but a high polish has so far eluded me. I have asked for and recieved advice from the folks who sell abrasive finishing compounds. The stuff they said would work doesn't. I polish brass parts with corn cob media and brass polish, or I use the pre-treated stuff. Both work equally well on brass. Poor performance on aluminum though. Is there anybody here who is actually doing this and getting highly polished parts? If so, what exactly are you using? Thanks, Eric R Snow

Reply to
Eric R Snow
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Her in the UK I used to use a product called solvol autosol, sold in motor factors, used to polish up ally castings on my motorbike engine to mirror shine. Chris

Reply to
Merlins laptop ©

I can't answer your question directly, but only repeat what the owner of a large plating shop told me a few years ago.

That is, some metals won't acheive a high polish no matter what you do. I suspect it's due to molecular structure.

For aluminum, I would guess it depends a lot on what alloy you are using. If castings, it might be mircoscopic porosity.

Good luck, Ace

Reply to
Ace

Aluminum polishes very well using a buff. In fact, I've polished all sorts of aluminum alloys, cast, wrought, and rolled. And a high shine has always been achieved. It's this vibratory thing that's the problem. ERS

Reply to
Eric R Snow

When pad-polishing by hand on the lathe, I gotten excellent results with 3M Perfect-It Foam Polishing Pad Glaze 051131-05996, from the auto parts or boat store. This is a fine aluminum oxide abrasive in a water-oil-glycerin slurry, but it also contains some acrylic emulsion as the glaze. The glaze improves the look of the surface on the aluminum. Don't know how this would perform in a vibratory finisher. I have gotten better results in a rotary tumbler than in a vibratory type, with aluminum.

Reply to
Richard J Kinch

How about Mothers Polish. I think it might be - don't know - diatomaceous earth. e.g. A chunk of DOVER cliff.

Martin

Martin H. Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH & Endowment Member NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member

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Eric R Snow wrote:

Reply to
Martin H. Eastburn

Steel sphere media and a slightly acidic solution. That's the ticket to very polished aluminum part in a vibratory machine. That said your machine must be able to run the steel because of the weight. Ask you media supply house for samples. LOOK at

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depending on the part size and finish desired I have found the satellite balls to get into all my corners and not stick in my parts.

Pedroman

Reply to
Pedroman

Reply to
skoobyz

Hey Pedroman, thanks! That's just the kind of real world info I'm looking for. Cheers, Eric R Snow

Reply to
Eric R Snow

Thanks to you too Mark. Expect a call today. Eric r Snow

Reply to
Eric R Snow

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