Modern Vespa

What can I use to make a glossy metaL surface (gold) matte? I want a silk matte, not a brushed look.
Any kind of sandpaper would be too abrasive, I guess.

Festool makes a soft pad backed "buffing" sandpaper called "Platin" that leaves a not so glossy finish that is smooth as silk. They are in the 1000 to 2000 grit range. Use with water as a lube/coolant.

Their pads are hook and loop, so any brand of orbital will work. Sold in 5" and 6" sizes. Your local Festool dealer will have them in stock. They make a 3/4" foam spacer for use on curved work that would be highly recommended.

Go to the Festool website to locate a dealer.

Toothpaste? A serious suggestion BTW...

That is a good idea. "Paste", no gel!

Scotchbrite would be your best bet.

Try the different grades on another surface before hitting your part.
I don't recall off the top of my head how many different grades there are & how they relate to sandpaper grits. (i.e. Scotchbrite "Fine" equals XXXX grit).

http://www.industrial-supply-store.com/Abrasives+-+Accessories%7C%7CSCOTCH+BRITE+PADS%7C%7CkoNNbDu1z8hmU.php

also you can get different grit polishing compounds or "rouge" to work in conjunction with it.


http://www.swmetal.com/cart/search?category=Polishing%20Compounds



The toothpaste idea works BTW.......

toothpaste is excellent but my object has small indentations which would fill. The scotch Brit is a great idea, I will fry that next.

post deleted by Salima

Toothpaste can be used both as a polishing agent (up to a point) and also as a very fine abrasive (which it is). Over here the proprietory brand "T-Cut" is very similar in effect. It appears to polish until you really look at the surface. It all depends on the observer's definition of 'polished' and 'matte' I guess.

Put it this way - I'd use toothpaste (or T-Cut) to clean up cellulose painted surfaces - I'd never use it on a plastic windscreen!

Media blasting (aka sandblasting). I've put a satin finish on a number of things in my shop with our media blasting cabinet. Works well on aluminum and plastic, but would probably not result in a satin effect on steel, which is too hard.

If by "gold" you mean actual gold, I suspect media blasting would do the trick, gold being fairly soft.

How about polishing compound. It's more abrasive than toothpaste, but not so much as to gouge.

Sandpaper comes in many grits; start out coarse and work your way up - it's how many people "polish" aluminium. The final polish would be with a polishing compound (duh).

Alright, this is my area of expertise! There are several different kinds of matte finish, and how coarse you want it will determine your grit. The cheapest and easiest way to apply a matte finish is with sandpaper. You will want 400 grit or finer. When applying with sandpaper, you want to make sure that you move in one direction as smoothly as possible for a professional look. If you have access to a dremel tool, you can purchase unitized fiber wheels for a smoother satin finish. They are specifically designed for this. I also find that I like the radial bristle brushes made by 3M, depending on how coarse a finish I want.

Sandblasting is another great option if you are looking for an overall matte finish with no directional grain (i.e. not brushed). There are many types of grits, but in general this is not the path for a satin (very fine matte, like silk) finish. If you do not have easy access to a sandblaster, however, I would not recommend it. The cost of renting or having a shop do it would not be worth it.

If you are looking for the brushed stainless look, I would go with a 600 grit sandpaper, which you can tape onto a paint stirrer. Place the sandpaper grit side down and score it along the edges of paint stirring stick so that it folds smoothly around it on all sides. Then carefully use the stick in one direction (no waviness!) to get the effect you want.

So right you are!

I only had one variety at home and just used that, pushing hard to scrub the glossy surface over the scotchbrite pad, in an irregular pattern of circles, criss-cross action.

It turned out just like I wanted it. Silky matte. Like a haze over the glossy surface, without any visible (to the naked eye) scratches or marks.

Thank you Thom. I knew it would work, because the moment you mentioned it, I remembered messing up some new, shiny copper pots with the same pads, back in the day.

Toothpaste does have a very fine abrasive in it, and this is what polishes. Tarnish removal using toothpaste is not a chemical action, but the use of the micron grit in the toothpaste to remove the oxidised outer layer. It is the same thing when using a polishing machine or a buffing cloth. (there are chemical agents for oxidation removal but not applicable to this post) Jimc was referring to a slightly coarser grit.

The first buffing compounds were made from very fine clay. The super fine particles produce a shiny finish. I hope that makes things clearer.

When I saw the thread title, my first thought was "surely that would be Michael Ovitz?"

post deleted by Salima

I was thinking Drew Rosenhaus

Now there's an abrasive agent!


Kevin

I was along the same lines, but being a baseball fan. I suggest the DEVIL, oops I mean BORAT, no I mean Scott Boras