LocostUSA.com

Over the years there’s been several discussions on the forum about the best processes for creating low-luster, non-polished finishes on bare aluminum panels. I’ll be starting to final finish my body panels in the new year and wanted to check with you folks re current thinking/experience and best practices.

Several of the forum posts recommended using 3M Scotch Brite pads (gray - 0000) lubricated with WD-40 or Simple Green. Some mentioned wet sanding done very wet and with the grain. One article I read involves a DA sander and various pad grits.

My 5052 panels are generally un-scratched factory finishes, having been protected by vinyl film. The panels have lots of large flatish (or slightly warped) areas and some have hammered and/or formed edges. I’m looking for an easy to maintain finish with a soft, matte look complementing the directionality of the panel grain.

Your thoughts?

_________________
Cheers, Tom

My Car9 build: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=14613
"It's the construction of the car-the sheer lunacy and joy of making diverse parts come together and work as one-that counts."
Ultima Spyder, Northstar 4.0, Porsche G50/52

I wash the aluminum on my Locost with a green kitchen scrubbie....

_________________
The Lethal Locost
The Lethal Locost 2 - Even More Lethalerer

I used the Scotchbrite approach, Tom. In the removable tunnel panels shown below, they won't actually be visible in the finished car because I'm going to add insulation & carpet. So, I didn't detail them to the degree I would have with body panels. I would call them 70% of the way there.

It's a lot of work to get there, and a lot of work to keep them that way, but I'm a sucker for polished panels. I keep debating about what I want to do for the exterior of my build: polish; scuff; or just paint. Decisions, decisions.

_________________
Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886

I use white Scotch Brite.

_________________
Peace, Ron

I tried the brushed effect on build 1 scuttle and build 3 bonnet. I felt, and this is only my opinion, that it looked unfinished. I ended up fine sanding the 'brush' and clay polishing to a shiny finish. The nose and fenders are painted on my builds, the rest of the aluminum is finished to a high polish.
In the end it depends on the builders choice and the personality of the 7 that decides the finished look.

_________________
Perry

'If man built it, man can fix it'
"No one ever told me I couldn't do it."
"If you can't build it safe, don't build it."

Perry's Locost Super Che7enette Build
Perry's TBird Based 5.0L Super 7 L.S.O
Perry's S10 Super 7 The 3rd
Perry's 4th Build The Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered
Perry's 5th Build the Super Slant 6 Super 7
Perry's Final Build the 1929 Mercedes Gazelle

Hi Tom.

The bare alloy surfaces on my car were dburnidhed with green Scotch Bright pads that I cut into 5" circles that would fit on my DA sander. The one I got from a pawn shop for $10. Did this dry, hadn't heard about the WD40 trick. Will need a spring touch up. I'll try the WD on it then.

BTW the $10 sander didn't hold up well. But they do seem to be in good supply. Pawn shops seem to always have 1 or 2 on the shelf.

Cheers!

_________________
Larry in Seattle

Basically wd40 in one hand, green scrubby in the other, a little squirt every few seconds. The pads stay sharp much longer, cuts faster, and doesn't clog with aluminum. My first step toward polishing is green scrubby. You can go right behind the scrubby 400grit with mothers metal polish for an outstanding shine that will last a few months but green scrubby alone looks great if you keep sanding longitudinal.

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

I use the Scotch Brite 000 pads and Simply Green, then polish with Meguiar's detail spray, works great no corrosion, do it every spring. I consulted with Meguiar's at one of the Carlisle car shows and a discussion between the staff they recommended the detail spray and it work well.

Graham

Found a vid using mothers, scrub pads, and wd40. Easy peazy.
No mess to ingest this way (though you would always wear a mask when traditional power polishing with compound).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgvkyGffkSY

Note, not a secret invented by jr but nice try!

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

@MV8

Nice video.

Looking at the much larger issue of doing an entire Locost, I wonder what things look like if you use power tools, like a circular buffer? Are there swirl marks? If not, it looks like a pretty good way to go, and not much more work then Scotch Brite alone.

Cheers,

_________________
Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886

With a typical spinning head 7 inch polisher where the face contacts the surface and you have rpm control, it should work great with minimal mess and just overlap. If it were a pro type polisher head where the OD is used to polish, it goes everywhere like traditional polishing. Need coveralls and a full face shield.

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

I use 600 grit and water on a random orbital. Should you choose to polish it later, hit it with 1200 followed by 2000. From that point you can use a coarse metal polish followed by smooth. This is from the fellows who maintained the bright work on the Gulfstream that I flew. This process also serves to remove any minor scratches and dings from road debris.

I wonder what Soda Blasting would look like?

_________________
If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!