Polishing knurled aluminium.

Ok, so Im a bit stuck, I hate black and love shiny! So the obvious choice for me was to de ano my torches and then polish them.

I have been useing a dremel and it gives great results on the smooth part, but I am finding the black polish residude (I have polishing compounds and also mother polish) gets stuck in the groves so it never shines, I know knurling will never be mirror shiny, as it is not a flat surface, but I know it can get fairly shiny as I have had it shiny but then went I went to remove the compound with a scrubbing brush it removes the shine, any ideas anyone?

I did attempt to remove the knurling, but I dont have access to belt sanders and laths, so I attempted it with hand tools, and my dremel, needles to say that was an EPIC FAIL and I ended up throwing out that torch but kept the comonents. I have decided there is no way for me to remove the knurling with ease and get a good smooth round finish without pro workshop tools so that sucks!

So dose anyone know of anything I could try, I am throughly enjoying the moddin part and would love to have acess to tools and build a custom light but thats dreaming unfortantly, however I have been intrested in the whole P60 thing and might one day get into mods as well like what Vihn dose, (His work is simply magical!)

Im thinking a hiPower water jet after polishing might work, like a hose ect?

Thanks all!

I feel you, I had the same issue.
Tooth brush and running water is your solution, but if you over do it yoy will dull the aluminum a bit.
then it needs more polishing.

I am considering the final pilishing doen on a large felt wheel, but had no chance finding one yet...

hmm, ill try the toothbursh meathod, I have had an idea though, maby polish with mothers, clean off as much as possible with rag then try a clean wheel with NO polish to get in there and remove the black residude that is left, i.e dont add any polish and let the polish in the groves do the work with the blank wheel, I can give it a go with the toothbrush aswell, I am really wanting to get some large polishing wheels for the bench grinder but there about 10GBP ea, YIKES!

p.s what is the torch in your sig?

It took me ages to work it out as a whole but I think after some close looking I worked it out, is it a solarforce host, with a custom engraaveing were the logo would be and then just a aftermarket bezel and a rubber cigar grip?

....you could kill someone with that HAHA!

kosPap said:

I feel you, I had the same issue.
Tooth brush and running water is your solution, but if you over do it yoy will dull the aluminum a bit.
then it needs more polishing.

I am considering the final pilishing doen on a large felt wheel, but had no chance finding one yet...

Click to expand...

Here you go, any type of buffing wheel you want!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150mm-ben...Garden_PowerTools_SM&var=&hash=item3a80e34b1b

Have you tried a felt wheel for the dremel. Lowe's has a cheap house brand polish and wheel set <$10. Just keep the rpms low. Spray it with a catalyzed and never polish again!

Thx, I went the route of more power, dremel was to small XD, got a wheel for bench grinder, and I found useing as little as possible of polishing compound is great, seems less messy, combine that with a toothbrush and I should be good.

AKA put some polishing compound on a Lint free cloth, (Not on the torch or wheel) and rub it togeather, then rub the light with the cloth then use a wheel on it, not tried this but talking to a friend this should work better, seems more is less in polishing.

Shame I dont have a ultrasonic cleaner would be perfect for this!!!! But seeing how they are only £30 I am thinking of getting one as they have so many uses!!!!

If you're trying to polish (sand) and buff aluminum to a "mirror" finish, the toothbrush, IMHO, is taking a step (maybe two) backwards. If you're needing to remove buffing compound, try a 1:1 solution of Simple Green and H20. Trick is, you have to heat the solution. Room temp, won't do it. Scalding hot will remove compound (emory/bar compound) without even touching the part with any kind of cloth. That means less scratches. If you really want to make aluminum shine, there are sites like Eastwood, or Caswell's Plating that will help.

Steve

very good tips.....especially on cleaning afterwards

CS14, yes it is a Solarforce with the logo Photoshoped in//bezel and spikes are Solarforce too.

But I would vaporize the dude before making any bodily harm.
The new version is a hotwire (overdriven xenon) at 1200 lumens