Mill Finish Aluminum

[shopfabricator]

I did not want to hijack the "Painted Aluminum" thread so I'll ask here.
Has anyone figured out the "easy" one-step polish method that Retro Traveler uses on their Garageable Standy? I remember a thread they reported a "secret" and left it to us to discover. Anybody find it?

[rainjer]

It looks like to me they are not using mill finish aluminum. It appears to me they used mechanically polished clad aluminum. Clad aluminum has a 2 to 6% (of the thickness) layer of pure aluminum. It polishes up real nice but scratches really easy.

Jeremy

[shopfabricator]

Now That makes since.

[aggie79]

I believe they use mirror clear anodized aluminum.

That material is discussed in this thread: http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=26957&start=120

[rainjer]

I believe they use mirror clear anodized aluminum.

That material is discussed in this thread: http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=26957&start=120

Mirror clear anodized aluminum is polish clad aluminum with a clear anodize finish to prevent corrosion. The aluminum would need to be polished before anodizing. There is not a clear anodize that would give that depth of shine. The anodize is only a anodic film of .000250" on the surface of the material.

I have a piece of .375" mechanically polished clad aluminum on my desk here at work. It is as reflective as a glass mirror.

Jeremy

[aggie79]

On the Retro Traveler website, their specifications say "Anodized, mirror finish aluminum exterior." http://www.retrotraveler.com/845.html

This is the same material I bought. It may not be as reflective as a glass mirror, but it is pretty reflective. Even through the protective film on it, you can see reflections of the other side of my garage.

[greasywheats]

Aggie-
Where in the world did you get your "anodized, mirror finish aluminum" and what did it run you??? It looks like a 4x10 sheet?

[aggie79]

Aggie-
Where in the world did you get your "anodized, mirror finish aluminum" and what did it run you??? It looks like a 4x10 sheet?

Most places that supply sign shops should be able to get it. I bought the aluminum from Regal Plastics in Fort Worth. It was about $150 per sheet for a 4' x 10' x .040 sheet.

[Trackstriper]

Ditto what aggie79 said. One of local sign supply outfits in the Atlanta area has a decent website that will give you some relative costs for product. Other places may vary some due to shipping cost but I would assume these folks have to be fairly competitive to get business. The following link will take you to their aluminum page. You can find various colors and types. One interesting factor is that you can buy partial sheets as "sign blanks", so if you want a 24"x 48" (or whatever) piece of material to act as an accent piece, you won't have to buy a full 4'x8' sheet. Food for thought.

http://www.alumapanel.com/subcategories.cfm?lines_ID=3

Bruce