
Curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET

The authoritative public forum
for Metal Finishing 1989-2025

-----
Polish Aluminum on curve surface
How can I polish Aluminum or Aluminum Bronze into mirror finishing for curved surface? Like spherical shape?
Since this is only a scinece project, is it possible to get the mirror finishing by hand polishing?
Eric Leong- Stony Brook, New York
2000
Yes you can obtain a mirror finish even on a curved surface. You will need to get several grades of sandpaper, I usually start with 80 then go to 200 then 400 then 800, finally 1200, then I use an aluminum polish such as Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] . I know it sounds crazy to use sandpaper, but I have done wheels, turbo housings, intakes, and other aluminum parts with great success. There is almost no limit to the smoothness, but bear in mind even a small surface (valve cover) can take all day!
James K windland- Washington, West Virginia, USA
2002
Q, A, or Comment on THIS thread -or- Start a NEW Thread