At what point have you sanded aluminum enough? Noisy Cricket specifically...

[Jediwannabe]

So I'm now on my third day of sanding the Noisy Cricket kit. I've been using 800 then 2000 grit. Then I use my Dremel with a polishing bit to apply the Blue Magic Metal Polish Cream. I still see some slight lines and imperfections in the mirror like finish...so I go back to sanding.

How far can I go? Can I get every little line out or am I just making myself crazy?

I've read every posting on this form regarding the technique of polishing aluminum but none seem to give me the idea of when enough is enough.

Somebody...

Anybody...

?

 

[tripoli]

Surprisingly, I found using a Dremel polishing wheel with the Novus 2 polish takes out the lines completely. Mirror finish that look super, thats the way I know put on the best finish for metal surfaces. Better than any wet sanding I can do with the paper.

 

[PHArchivist]

You went from 800 to 2000? Anything in between? Because that's a pretty big jump.

Though I've not done this with metal, I generally go from 600 or 800 to 1000, then 1200, then 1500, THEN 2000, and finish off with 2500.

 

[Jediwannabe]

Hello tripoli,

Yes, I saw that you had mentioned that option. I have the Novus 2 standing by but I have not tried it yet. Some of the imperfections are pretty deep in the aluminium. Can Novus 2 really do a better job then wet sandpaper or is really just in place of steel wool or 3000 grit sandpaper?

Hello PHArchivist, I am a total amature but I can say I read what the other people on the forum were doing and it was recommended to do 800, 2500 then 3000 grit. I could not find anything finer than 2000 locally. I've used the 800 to get the imperfections out and then 2000 to do the final sand.

It doesn't seem to need a finer sandpapaper then 2000 when you finish with the Blue Magic Metal Polish. I am however still seeing some of the lines from whatever was used to cut the aluminium. I feel the finish is close but not perfect.

I'm wondereing if the other members have been getting perfect finishish without any imperfection? Is it possible or am I going to sand too much metal off trying to get this thing perfect?

 

[PHArchivist]

Hello PHArchivist, I am a total amature but I can say I read what the other people on the forum were doing and it was recommended to do 800, 2500 then 3000 grit. I could not find anything finer than 2000 locally. I've used the 800 to get the imperfections out and then 2000 to do the final sand.

It doesn't seem to need a finer sandpapaper then 2000 when you finish with the Blue Magic Metal Polish. I am however still seeing some of the lines from whatever was used to cut the aluminium. I feel the finish is close but not perfect.

I'd look to fill in the "gaps" between the 800 and the 2000. Try an auto body supply store (that sells auto body finishing producst; paint etcetera).

 

[Jediwannabe]

I'd look to fill in the "gaps" between the 800 and the 2000. Try an auto body supply store (that sells auto body finishing producst; paint etcetera).

What would you recommend...1000, 1500?

 

[tripoli]

I would recommend transitioning from 400 to 600 to 800 to 1000 to 15000 and finally 2000 grit paper followed by the Novus. The Novus won't get rid of deep grooves, but it does a remarkable job on the fine scratches. You want to make sure not to push down on the wheel while polishing it and to use enough of the Novus polish with a good layer on it. Wear goggles when doing it, nothing like the pain of nailing your eye with that polish.

 

[JBReplicas]

Trouble with aly is its SO soft and picks up marks SO easily, but it can be done :thumbsup

 

[Great_Bizarro]

When you polish, you are just removing the metal adjacent to the scratches and bringing the surrounding area down to the level of the scratch. When you have reached that level then you are "polishing" by producing smaller and smaller scratches, until the naked eye can no longer perceive the tiny grooves. You must do this in small steps otherwise you are going from crater size to hair size in 2 steps and you will be polishing till yer arm falls off with the fine paper.

 

[Darth Lars]

Another thing to think about is to clean the surface in-between sandings with each finer grade of sandpaper. If you have any larger metal particles left on the surface then sanding with a higher (smaller) grit will only move around the larger particles, thus creating new scratches.

 

[Jediwannabe]

Thank you Great Bizarro and Darth Lars. I found your explanations very helpful. I see everyone is suggesting I should work with smaller jumps in sandpaper.

Thanks again,
-Jediwannabe

 

[The Dude]

Another tip...I have done over 25 or so Noisy Cricket build ups so I speak from experience...


When changing sandpaper, change the direction of the sanding...

Horizontal with one grit, vertical with the next grit, etc, etc.

 

[darth_myeek]

I wish I had read these words of wisdom 10 years ago.

-dm

 

[Jediwannabe]

Thank you The Dude.

 

[The Dude]

Hey...you don't have to call me THE Dude....

I'm just the Dude. So that's what you call me. You know, that or, uh, His Dudeness, or uh, Duder, or El Duderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing.

 

[Jediwannabe]

You couldn't resist...could you? Thanks Dude!

 

[WebChief]

This is actually great advice on a project I've been working on... sanding down an aluminum R2 dome. Thanks!

 

[dz4180]

I just finished a noisy cricket myself using 800/1000/2000 wetsanding. Then I used Mother's aluminum polish with a dremel. Yeah if in the sunlight I can see some small imperfections in the aluminum you speak of, but I can live with it personally (but I still love it regardless). When I show this to friends they are actually wowed about the cool factor to even care about said imperfections.