Finishing Talk Forums - The Online Surface Finishing Community - Having trouble getting mirror finish on alloy http://finishingtalk.com/community/topic1488$2.html The most recent posts in Having trouble getting mirror finish on alloy. Mon, 11 Apr 2011 14:48:52 +0000 PunBB Re: Having trouble getting mirror finish on alloy http://finishingtalk.com/community/post3391.html#p3391 <p> That stitched buff is too firm for a mirror-bright finish.&#xa0; The stiffer the buffing wheel, the fster it will cut, which is not something you want towards the end of your buffing process.&#xa0; Try using the unstitched wheels.&#xa0; </p><p>If your reflection in the piece looks wavy, often times you have used a wheel that is too firm or you have pressed too hard on it.&#xa0; If your reflection is hazy, then the piece is not perfectly smooth.</p> info@finishingtalk.com (DustinGebhardt) Mon, 11 Apr 2011 14:48:52 +0000 http://finishingtalk.com/community/post3391.html#p3391 Re: Having trouble getting mirror finish on alloy http://finishingtalk.com/community/post3390.html#p3390 <p>OK POLISHERS !, Some updates, half a job done I guess and half satisfied. <br />Please do read may be long but it is my procedure I tried. <br /> <br />So The surface was smooth to the feel from previous attempts, so I hit it back with some 600 Grit and WD40 as Charles suggested.&#xa0; The WD40 seems to let the sandpaper do a smoother cut, (or I may just be imagining).&#xa0; So after the WD40 and sandpaper it looked quite uniform and smooth, so i wiped the wd40 off with a cloth and then here is the METHOD : <br /> <br />1. Colour Stitch Mop Picture - <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.polish-up.com.au/product_images/f/150/4_x_2sec_CS__98375_zoom.jpg">http://www.polish-up.com.au/product_images/f/150/4_x_2sec_CS__98375_zoom.jpg</a> <br /> <br />Used the colour stitch with some ORION GREY FASTCUT COMPOUND - Held the mop parallel with the long piece i was polishing and went in a Serpentine Pattern LIKE THIS : <br /> <br />[img]<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/5236/pattern1e.jpg">http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/5236/pattern1e.jpg</a>[/img] <br /> <br />Going at medium speed I continued like that slightly overlapping.&#xa0; Then I turned the mop and held it diagonal to the piece and worked my way the same direction again, but just holding the mop diagonal. <br /> <br />Then after that I did the same proccess again but going at SLOW speed. <br /> <br />Then I did the same as above but going at SLOW speed and put PRESSURE on the piece. <br /> <br />After that I did the same, but going faster and only &quot;Gliding&quot; the mop over, as if the mop wasn't even touching (it was), but just flying over the piece. <br /> <br />I turned the drill off, then I used LIQUID REFLECTION POLISH on a microfibre cloth. <br />After that I used &quot;BLUE SAPHIRE&quot; Polish paste. <br /> <br />In the end after cleaning up and wiping with a clean clean cloth, from a distance the piece is shiny, you can see objects like my tools nearby and bottles reflecting on it, but if I were to look at it with my face, I would see myself, but my face is blurry.&#xa0; Not like looking at a picture yourself, but more so like a fog over it. <br /> <br />Any suggestions Welcome, do note I have lots of compounds as I previously posted. <br />I was contemplating using GREEN CHROME compound on a swansdown buff, but apparently that is only for Jewelry. <br /> <br />Any input welcome, I will try anything.&#xa0; I don't know maybe use finer sandpaper next time? or maybe the cutting compound I'm using doesn't like aluminum. <br /> <br />Again Here is a link to my BUFFS and COMPOUNDS please have a look : <br /> <br /><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.polish-up.com.au/products/Alloy-Repair-%26-Polishing-Kit.html">http://www.polish-up.com.au/products/Alloy-Repair-%26-Polishing-Kit.html</a> <br /> <br />Ontop of that I have lots of finer sandpapers etc but those compounds and buffs are the ones I have.&#xa0;</p><p>I also tried to hit it with some &quot;Green Chrome&quot; Green compound on a swansdown buff, i got the impression it made it a bit brighter but other than put heaps of black marks on the piece it didn't do much, after i cleaned the black marks off with liquid reflection paste, and polished it up, my reflection didn't seem any brighter after I had used the Green compound.</p><p><br /></p><p>Any ideas welcome, I am going to go out to do some more trial and error again wish me luck.</p><p><br /></p><p>ddddddddddfdffff</p> info@finishingtalk.com (Z2TT) Sun, 10 Apr 2011 04:19:51 +0000 http://finishingtalk.com/community/post3390.html#p3390 Re: Having trouble getting mirror finish on alloy http://finishingtalk.com/community/post3386.html#p3386 <p>I'm not sure how it works with your compounds, but in my experience the white compound is finer than the green.&#xa0; You might try to hit it again with the white compound and then apply the liquid polish.</p> info@finishingtalk.com (DustinGebhardt) Thu, 24 Mar 2011 19:27:26 +0000 http://finishingtalk.com/community/post3386.html#p3386 Having trouble getting mirror finish on alloy http://finishingtalk.com/community/post3379.html#p3379 Hello, First of all let me list my arsenal : - Flap Wheels 60, 80, 120 grit. - Sisal, Colour stitch, white stitch, loose flap mop, swansdown mop - Sandpapers 240-1200 grit -- Grey Fastcut Bar, Brown Tripoli, Terracotta Light Brown, Blue, White and Green ORION compound bars - Liquid Reflection and Blue Saffire Polishing Liquid and Paste. - Microfibre cloth. I have an alloy Piece that I started off with. I used a 80 grit flap wheel to get rid of casting marks, then I used sandpaper starting from rough 240, going up in grit working upto 1200 until the surface was smooth. The compounds I use are not Caswell but Orion but still the same types I believe. I started with the Dark brown Tripoli to begin with on a colour stitch buff, going across the piece in straight lines/rows, then holding my buff on a diagonal angle and working down the piece in rows again. Then I used the Light Brown (Terracotta I think it is) compoundicon with the White stitch mopicon, again working my way in the same method. I now used the Blue compoundicon on the Loose Flap wheel. Then used the White compoundicon on a Swansdown wheel, after that, I used the Green compound on the swansdown wheel. Using Liquid Reflection or similar polishes from bottles in the end on a microfiber cloth did not help. In the end what I noticed : 1. At some Stage when I used the Tripoli or terracotta, I put some sort of "stain marks" on the alloy that are visible on the final finish, like black tinges that just don't come off. 2. I cant get a mirror finish, when looked at from a distance it looks like a mirror finish a bit, but if I look into it my face is very dull, reflection is dull, like a fog over a mirror best to describe. I don't know if it's my method of the compounds i start with and ended with or the sequence i used the compounds and on which buffing wheels I used them. Any input appreciated. Thanks. info@finishingtalk.com (Z2TT) Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:19:08 +0000 http://finishingtalk.com/community/post3379.html#p3379