How to Polish Aluminum Molds
As a production tool, lightweight aluminum molds are affordable and efficient. But there's a downside. As a soft metal, aluminum is prone to scratches from tools and machinery. You have to polish aluminum carefully to keep the surface of the metal clean and ready for production. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Abrasive stones, various grits
- Stoning oil
- Sandpaper, various grits
- Microfiber cloths
- Aluminum polish
Instructions
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1
Pour stoning oil in a small dish. Soak an abrasive stone in the oil for about 10 minutes. Use a 120-grit abrasive stone to remove course scratches. Start with a finer grade stone, such as 320-grit, for lighter scratches.
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2
Wipe the surface of the aluminum mold with a clean microfiber cloth to remove any grit or debris.
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3
Brush the stone very lightly across the aluminum in a crisscross motion, starting in one corner of the mold. Make light crisscross strokes about 1-inch long as you continue to slowly work your way across the mold. Apply more stoning oil to the aluminum with the cloth when the stone runs out of oil.
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4
Scan the mold for scratches when finished. If the original scratches are still visible, repeat the process with a heavier grit stone. If the original scratches have been diminished but smaller scratches remain (a normal part of the polishing process), you'll need to remove those marks with a lighter grit.
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5
Run 400-grit sandpaper lightly over the mold in the same crisscross motion to take out light scratches left by the stone. Each grade of stone or sandpaper will leave progressively finer scratches that can be removed by using a slightly lighter grade of grit. For instance, 600-grit paper can remove marks made by 400-grit. Repeat the sanding process until there are no noticeable scratches.
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6
Wipe the aluminum with the cloth to remove any residue. Dab a fresh microfiber cloth in aluminum polish. Buff the mold in a circular motion until the metal is shiny.
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Tips & Warnings
Start out with lighter pressure than you think you'll need; it's much easier to apply more pressure or switch to a heavier grit later than it is to remove scratches caused by sanding too vigorously.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Aluminum cans on end image by Jeffrey Studio from Fotolia.com
