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#241211 - 13/11/2004 17:10 Cleaning and getting rid of scratches on aluminum?
burdell1 old hand Registered: 14/01/2002 Posts: 931 Loc: Minnetonka, MN	I was wondering if anyone knows a good way to clean and get rid of scratches on aluminum? I bought an aluminum case for my Ipaq awhile ago and lately it got some little tiny scratches (which is weird because the only thing that was touching it in my pocket were old plastic Luden's cough drop wrappers.)
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#241212 - 13/11/2004 17:35 Re: Cleaning and getting rid of scratches on aluminum? [Re: burdell1]
schofiel carpal tunnel Registered: 25/06/1999 Posts: 2993 Loc: Wareham, Dorset, UK	Toothpaste and water. _________________________ One of the few remaining Mk1 owners... #00015
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#241213 - 25/02/2005 13:47 Re: Cleaning and getting rid of scratches on aluminum? [Re: schofiel]
burdell1 old hand Registered: 14/01/2002 Posts: 931 Loc: Minnetonka, MN	is there any other remedies? I finally got around to trying toothpaste and water, but it didn't help....
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#241214 - 25/02/2005 15:39 Re: Cleaning and getting rid of scratches on aluminum? [Re: burdell1]
Ezekiel pooh-bah Registered: 25/08/2000 Posts: 2413 Loc: NH USA	Ground pumice, fine sandpaper, or rottenstone in ever decreasing granule size until you reach the desired finish level. It takes scratching to remove scratches. If there's a finish (clear coat, anodize etc...) then nothing but re-coating will help, polishing will only make the holes in the finish bigger. -Zeke _________________________ WWFSMD?
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#241215 - 26/02/2005 01:35 Re: Cleaning and getting rid of scratches on aluminum? [Re: burdell1]
mlord carpal tunnel Registered: 29/08/2000 Posts: 14478 Loc: Canada	I have here two "micro-mesh" abrasive kits, designed for polishing aircraft windows back to shiney transparency. Basically just a series of ultrafine abrasives: lowest is 1000X, finest is a toothpaste-style compound. Works wonders.
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#241216 - 26/02/2005 02:57 Re: Cleaning and getting rid of scratches on aluminum? [Re: mlord]
matthew_k pooh-bah Registered: 12/02/2002 Posts: 2298 Loc: Berkeley, California	Quote: designed for polishing aircraft windows back to shiney transparency Does that work with car windows? My sister has a place on her windshield where she succeed in the battle with the oak tree sap, but unfortunatly lost the war. A glass shop told her they'd have to replace the window, but I suppose that's in their best intrest. Matthew
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#241217 - 26/02/2005 05:54 Re: Cleaning and getting rid of scratches on aluminum? [Re: matthew_k]
julf veteran Registered: 01/10/2001 Posts: 1307 Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands	Quote: Does that work with car windows? Probably not. Aircraft windows are usually plexiglass - a much softer material than real glass.
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#241218 - 26/02/2005 09:29 Re: Cleaning and getting rid of scratches on aluminum? [Re: matthew_k]
bonzi pooh-bah Registered: 13/09/1999 Posts: 2401 Loc: Croatia	There are (or at least these used to be in the long gone days of my youth) telescope mirror grinding kits - the finest or next-to-finest grit from them should do. Perhaps one can buy them separately. _________________________ Dragi "Bonzi" Raos Q#5196 MkII #080000376, 18GB green MkIIa #040103247, 60GB blue
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#241219 - 26/02/2005 15:51 Recursiveness reality check. [Re: burdell1]
gbeer carpal tunnel Registered: 17/12/2000 Posts: 2665 Loc: Manteca, California	Quote: I was wondering if anyone knows a good way to clean and get rid of scratches on aluminum? I bought an aluminum case for my Ipaq awhile ago and lately it got some little tiny scratches (which is weird because the only thing that was touching it in my pocket were old plastic Luden's cough drop wrappers.) The case that was purchased to protect the iPaq from getting scratched, is itself, getting scratched, and you don't like that either? BWT: The others are right. There isn't much you can do except make it worse. The processes used to achieve the factory finish just arn't mendable. Even if the parts were completley stripped and refinished at the factory, it wouldn't look the same. The stripping process itself alters the beginning conditions. _________________________ Glenn
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