[Powaqqatsi]

I'm making a stand for my PowerBook to stand on (something like an iCurve) and I would like to use some fitting materials so I was thinking of using aluminium that I would like to see brushed. Anyone know how to do this ? Or is it a chemical proces ?

Searching google led to nothing really relevant, maybe my searching skills suck today.

[webcookie]

steel wool?

i thought i saw a tutorial online once upon a time that described how to make the back of your ipod brushed metal. don't remember where it was though.

[Mediaman_12]

You just buy brushed Alu plate and use that to make/cover the stand. If you order it over the phone or on line make sure you get the RIGHT sort. there is 2 main types the regular straight brushed, and one that is covered in a 'circular' pattern.

[wdlove]

I have now idea, but I wish you good luck. Hope that you will post a picture of the finished product.

[skalie]

Or brush it yourself, a steel brush on an angle grinder or even on a drill. Give it that personal touch like.

[djohnson]

Here is a good tutorial:

Creating Brushed Aluminum

[Spliffdaddy]

Steel wool works really good - better than sandpaper.



Also, you can have aluminum color-anodized. Or you can do it yourself at home, but the only available color is black.

http://www.black-oxide.com/metal-bla...g-article.html

[Powaqqatsi]

Thanks for the link djhonson.

Spliff daddy, did you use alu sheets or thick alu with that project ?

I went to the store this morning the see what they had and I took a pic with my phone of it (the camera phone IS handy for once).

Now this is bare plain jane aluminium, can you brush that with steel wool or do you need sheets ?

Originally posted by wdlove:
I have now idea, but I wish you good luck. Hope that you will post a picture of the finished product.

I will, even if I completely fail

[djohnson]

Originally posted by Powaqqatsi:
Thanks for the link djhonson.

Spliff daddy, did you use alu sheets or thick alu with that project ?

I went to the store this morning the see what they had and I took a pic with my phone of it (the camera phone IS handy for once).
Now this is bare plain jane aluminium, can you brush that with steel wool or do you need sheets ?

No problem. You can use any kind of aluminum you want. The thinner stuff is mainly used as a coverage and it can have a tendency to tear. The way I look at it, the thicker the better. Need some aluminum armor?

[Spliffdaddy]

Any aluminum can be 'brushed'. I doubt there are any alloys that are harder than steel wool.

I used 1/8" X 2" flat aluminum stock and rubbed it with (000) steel wool in a sorta random pattern. I could have made straight passes with the steel wool and ended up with a more normal brushed aluminum look...but I liked the rough 'prototype' look.

It's worth a try. There's a good chance that a sanding block and 400+ grit sandpaper would result in straighter lines - but I didn't think the sandpaper gave a realistic-looking brushed finish.

Brushed aluminum is generally accomplished with a rotating steel-wire brush. Something you can't duplicate easily at home.

edited:

On second thought....I just tried something that looks damned good. Using 220 grit sandpaper on a hard rubber sanding block in a straight sweep across aluminum will get you 90% of the way there. The finish will be slightly too rough for a proper brushed appearance - but a few passes with some 0000 steel wool knocks down the roughness and yields what looks to be a near perfect brushed aluminum finish...like you'd be accustomed to seeing.

edited again:

Polishing aluminum is much easier than duplicating a 'brushed' look. I've mixed brushed and polished aluminum in some projects and I thought it looked fantastic. Something to consider. Polish it first...if you don't like the look, then switch to a brushed finish.

[Powaqqatsi]

Thanks, I'll try something this weekend

[brapper]

Originally posted by Spliffdaddy:
Steel wool works really good - better than sandpaper.



Also, you can have aluminum color-anodized. Or you can do it yourself at home, but the only available color is black.

http://www.black-oxide.com/metal-bla...g-article.html

yo do interesting work.
I wish I had the time...but 6 courses (and a lack of tools) doesn't afford me that.
but yeah, good stuff.

[Mediaman_12]

Originally posted by Spliffdaddy:
Steel wool works really good - better than sandpaper.

The problem with that method is that it LOOKS like it's been rubbed by steal wool, not the nice even straight effect (like iTunes has for example) you get with the machine created stuff.