brushed aluminum look-DIY

[b4a41point8t]

so Ive got enough info to start this process (going from fishscale to brushed aluminum). Im doing it the acetone way and not the wet sand route. There is a DIY on youtube, and i read the recent DIY thats been circulating around here. The problem is, I do not know what grit sand paper to use to give it the brushed look. Can anyone who's done this tell me what grit to use so that it doesnt dig too deep but not too light either.

thanks

Will post before and after pictures as well. Stay tuned

[lotusgardener]

Green ScotchBrite Pad

[b4a41point8t]

im not sure im on the same page.

I am putting acetone on a scotchbrite pad and getting the fischale out. After that is done (im left with silver trim), are you suggesting I then take more scotchbrite to it?

[b4a41point8t]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtII-d4eoo4
This is what I'm going off of. After he scrubs off the fishscale using acetone and scotchbrite, he applys another sand paper to get the brushed look. My question is, what grit was that or can I just go over it again with scotchbrite?

[oildrpr]

i dont remember what i used.. maybe i wrote it on my post.. but it was over a year ago. but i'd say just use some 180 or 220.. you'll be fine with that. i wouldn't use a scrotchbrite pad.. get some sand paper, and just do long even strokes, without stopping. that stuff is very delicate and scratches easy. so put some clearcoat on it before handling it, to keep it nice. :)

[A4natomical]

grit is all preference. If you prefer a more rough look, go with around 350. If you want a fine smooth look. 600-800 would be better.

I did 320 and it came out great. I'm sure 400-600 would be good as well.

A tip for you: after you acetone the original clear coat off, use a very low grit (like 200) to knock the fish scale down. Once it's flat, go back with the finishing grit (~400) to complete the brushed look. If you used 400 grit to knock down the scale, it would take forever.
A belt sander would do wonders for this DIY.

[b4a41point8t]

actually, I was planning on using the acetone for more than just removing the original clear coat. I was going to use the acetone in conjunction with the scotchbrite (the not so coarse kind with the sponge on the other end) to remove the clear and fishscale until I'm left with only silver. I am then planning on using either a rougher scotchbrite or a >200 grit wetsand type paper to give it the brushed look. Then I will give it a very nice coat of clear to finish it off.

I hope it goes well, i'll make changes as I see fit during the process. Maybe ppl can learn to, or learn not to, from my attempt. I will be posting before and after pics. Im starting tomorrow morning so expect to see some pics this time tomorrow.

thanks for your input guys!

[oildrpr]

now that i think about it. i think 320 is probably what i used. good call homie. i think i used rougher to sand down that fishscale, which wasn't that easy really. then finished it up with some 320.

[A4natomical]

actually, I was planning on using the acetone for more than just removing the original clear coat. I was going to use the acetone in conjunction with the scotchbrite (the not so coarse kind with the sponge on the other end) to remove the clear and fishscale until I'm left with only silver. I am then planning on using either a rougher scotchbrite or a >200 grit wetsand type paper to give it the brushed look. Then I will give it a very nice coat of clear to finish it off.

I hope it goes well, i'll make changes as I see fit during the process. Maybe ppl can learn to, or learn not to, from my attempt. I will be posting before and after pics. Im starting tomorrow morning so expect to see some pics this time tomorrow.

thanks for your input guys!

You're probably going to need a little more than just a scotchbrite pad to knock the fishscale down flat, but I'm sure you'll get it. Once you do the first piece its all downhill from there.

[NDA4]

If you use plenty of acetone and a couple scotchbrite pads it knocks the fishcale down pretty easily. This is a really easy mod and it turned out really good for me. the only hard part is getting the "brushed" part to be perfectly straight.

[b4a41point8t]

To all you guys who've done this. Did you apply clear coat to the finished product? I did not know they were aluminum or some other type of allow. I thought they were plastic.

Almost done with the rear ashtray. This was not as easy as I had imagined. My arms are hurting like fack.

[b4a41point8t]

Ok, word to the wise... Don't bother with the green/yellow scotchbrite pads. Get the full green pads, pour acetone on it, and rub. It'll save TONS of time and effort. Elieve me. I've been at this since 6 am.

[b4a41point8t]

And after all the fishscale is gone, go over it again with a new
green scotchbrite pad. Perfect lines! Pics tonight.

[b6onboost]

As for clear, you definitely need it. The bare aluminum gets dirty and will start to look darker in spots. If you wipe it with a wet paper towel it will clean right up but the towel will be all gray from the aluminum. Clearing it seals. So once the brushed lines are perfect, acetone it clean and clear it.

I used Minwax Matte Clear Brushing Lacquer. Used a foam brush and applied one light continuous coat. I recommend the Matte clear so it wont look shiney like normal clears.

[NDA4]

definitely clear coat it. I had fabric over my fish scale trim. The trim had been covered with painters tape, then spray adhesived (is that a word?) and then fabric. I pulled all that shit off, then acetone, then sand, then clear coat and was done in about 2 hours. Myabe I'm not as meticulous as the rest of you but it really shouldn't take that long to complete.

[AvantJunkie]

Any pics yet?

[a4darkness]

Subscribed, very cool.

[b4a41point8t]

So I was all finished up but after I cleared it, it looked plastic like. So I removed all the clear. Is there a special clear I need? I noticed someone mentioned matte clear. I'm at bare aluminum right now and it came out amazing. I'm doing clear coat research right now.

[b6onboost]

Yes I mentioned Matte or Satin Clear. See post #14 above.

The result is the trim looks identical to bare aluminum, just a hair darker. When doing mine I honestly had to feel each peice to remember which ones I cleared already.

[b4a41point8t]

forgive my lame iphone 2megapixel junker pics: Here's what i got so far. like i said, im gonna head out to homedepot for that satin/matte clear i desperately need. I wish i would have taken pics last night with the car clear coat so you could all see how horrible it looked. PLEASE DO NOT USE PAINT CLEAR COAT!








I'm not as OCD as some people here though I'm a little. If its not perfect, please dont tear me a new one. But I love the way it came out. Constructive criticism only, please.Let me know what you guys think?

[Certified MD]

Looks pretty dern good so far. I'll be checking for the finished result all buttoned up.

[MOFSTEEL]

Looks good but you need to burn those chairs.

[a4darkness]

Those look awesome. Install that ish and snap some more lame iPhone 2megapixel junker pics.

Yes. Kill it with fire.

Looks good but you need to burn those chairs.

[b4a41point8t]

Clear coating almost done but losing daylight. I'll wetsand and buff after. Prolly won't be done until tomorrow afternoon. Finished pics and summary/tips I gathered from my experience accompanying pics. Then pics in car. Thanks to everyone who's given advice.

Noted: chairs will be burned. :-p

[b4a41point8t]

so loooong after i first started this thread and project, and I still cannot get the finish I want. Ive done the satin coats, the matte coats, but after the coat is applied, it looks hazy at angles and hardly brushed. My question is, did you guys wet sand (what grit) and buff after? Can someone give me in depth details of the process after the clear coat?

I even tried brushing lacquers but it left air bubbles and orange peel. Help please... I cant keep applying and rmeoving clear coats. I have it bare aluminum now, is there perhaps a wax sealer I can use.

Any help is appreciated, the sooner the better. thanks

[oildrpr]

why are you going thru all that? sounds a bit much. after i sanded mine, got the grooves going the way i liked.. i let them dry, then hit em' with some clear coat spray paint. (use some good stuff! can't remembrer the name, but got it at a paint store) anyways, put a few coats on it (over time). then once dry, i wetsanded mine. they still looked really hazy. but i just hit with some wax, and they cleared right up and look amazing. look at the pics from my thread from when i did it...

[b4a41point8t]

ive got all my pieces clear coated now. I guess i made it impossible because I dont have alot of experience with wet sanding. I was afraid it would go too deep into the clear. What grit did you use? I picked up 1500 for tomorrow. I'm gonna hit them all with clear and then buff with glaze and my orbital buffer. Hope it comes out cool.

I guess I was just loooking for a magical clear that would go on even and look crystal clear. I wasnt aware buffing was absolutely necessary but now I know. Is 1500 grit too light or heavy? what kinda of wax did you use?

[b4a41point8t]

the first time around I hit em up with clear, and the next morning put armor all on it and it ate away at the clear and left them faded. I didnt wetsand, and prolly should have as well as given it more time to cure.

[Rommulus]

Is 1500 grit too light or heavy?

1500 or 2000 should both be fine

[oildrpr]

with a few coats of clearcoat, you can wet sand with 1500. you dont need too much. just make it smooth to the feel. it will probably look all hazy once dry. (mine did). then i just used some Meguires TECH wax.. liquid stuff. i didn't use any kind of buffer or anything. just put some wax on, let it dry, and wiped it off. i think mine came out pretty good.. and once they're in the car for a few days, you kinda just get over it anyways. you won't nick pick at it.

i know i have a few flaws in mine, but i really dont care at this point. i'm really the only one that notices, and it's not like i have a show car. so i live with it :)

but yah, once you wetsand it, it'll look all hazy. just put wax on it by hand, wipe it off when dry, and you should be good to go!

keep us updated

[b6onboost]

its not. i didn't wetsand or buff mine. i found that imperfections in the clear coat could not be sanded/buffed out. if there was a spec of dirt, smudge, ect the piece had to be stripped and recleared. i recleared almost every piece at least once, some twice, in order for it to look perfect.

I guess I was just loooking for a magical clear that would go on even and look crystal clear. I wasnt aware buffing was absolutely necessary but now I know. Is 1500 grit too light or heavy? what kinda of wax did you use?

[b4a41point8t]

I've recleared every piece ATLEAST once. I've got them now all cleared, with imperfections, but i will be wetsanding tomorrow. If it doesnt work, I'll just have to settle. I dont see why it wouldn't though.

[b6onboost]

Wetsanding will remove surface clear imperfections from additional coats. If the base clearcoat has the imperfection you'll end up just wetsanding to bare aluminum, then having to strip and reclear the entire thing.