Mirror finish steel and aluminum parts vibratory bowl?
I am going to have 100s of flat stock somewhat small items cut out of Steel and Aluminum next week on a water jet. The aluminum will most likely just need a mirror polish and the steel I would like to give a mirror finish them chrome plate.
I figured I could buy a 18Lb. Vibratory bowl from Harbor freight for $169.99 to have it do most of the grunt work. Then I would do the final polish on a wheel.
What would you suggest to use as a medium? how many grades of medium should I use? Will I need to do a 2 step buffing process with 2 grades of compound?
Sorry for all the questions, this is my first time doing this, I know I am capable I'm just not sure the order and steps needed for larger quantities.
Re: Mirror finish steel and aluminum parts vibratory bowl?
I'm sorry but you guys are dreaming...
I used DOGCO/DocGo in Alameda/oakland (man it was so long ag)o and their tumplers where about 7 feet in diameter (half a ton at least) and even then sometimes they have trouble achieving homogeneous finish..
I became very good friend with the foreman and he polish (the red parts) for me, with a seven step (secret method) The Rock shocks SIDS used to be send to oakland from China and then send back to china for final ensamble, yes it was that secret.. (It was a frreebee, but he estimate the cost of labor at about $700 and that was 13 years ago..
Oh when Nicolai "Shoot Pin" they shootpin for a reason (Even out the street rissers, after Welding, I dpn't think is a better bicycle mnufacture in the world (I don't think they are the best BICYCLES but they are the best made ones) they even void my warranty because i polish the frame.
https://patineto.smugmug.com/Bicycle...ai/i-mMg2KVp/A
Re: Mirror finish steel and aluminum parts vibratory bowl?
Hi, I worked in the door furniture industry for 17 years and all of our bright polishing work was hand done.
Materials were brass, steel, alluminium and die cast zinc items.
First you have to use either abrasive belts or abrasive coated buffing wheels to get the surface to a smooth finish, then by degrees of finer and finer grit the surface is rendered to a mirror finish, as in you can see your face in it mirror finish which is the last step before chrome plating or brass plated on brass etc..
If you don't get the base shiny enough the chrome won't shine..........we tried short cuts with vibratory bowl finishing machines using various grades and shapes for the media but the finish was too dull.
BTW.....there is no secret to get a bright polish finish, it's in the eye and hand of the polisher with years of experience.
Ian.
Re: Mirror finish steel and aluminum parts vibratory bowl?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
handlewanker
Hi, I worked in the door furniture industry for 17 years and all of our bright polishing work was hand done.Materials were brass, steel, alluminium and die cast zinc items.First you have to use either abrasive belts or abrasive coated buffing wheels to get the surface to a smooth finish, then by degrees of finer and finer grit the surface is rendered to a mirror finish, as in you can see your face in it mirror finish which is the last step before chrome plating or brass plated on brass etc..If you don't get the base shiny enough the chrome won't shine..........we tried short cuts with vibratory bowl finishing machines using various grades and shapes for the media but the finish was too dull.BTW.....there is no secret to get a bright polish finish, it's in the eye and hand of the polisher with years of experience.Ian.
Also you can not polish the edge you cut, you need to polish the whole piece...Maybe a little pass with a Scothbright drum (Metabo makes the best drum edge finisher but is like a $1000, to take the marks and round down the border but is very difficult (Actually Impossible) to make it look homogeneous to the factory materialI have also seeing "Scale up" machines of a knife sharpener, using two rollers in a V-grove but only work on flats or plates with a positive radius, Concave shapes the rollers don't have the reach.If you ind a answer, please tell us, or get a Patent because the whole industry is looking for a method, so far tumbling is best but is totally cost prohibitive to my reach chrome finish (do you wonder why "Chrome" is not popular anymore)
