How To Polish Auminum

[Schplitter]

Has anyone tried polishin aluminum? I can't find polished aluminum sheets to make reflectors and will have to polish some myself. Does anyone know of a place selling polished aluminum sheets? Here in town? Online? Anywhere?

Thank you,

BK

 

[capncapo]

Many of the light suppliers sell the reflector material.

 

[DrBDC]

I have a 36" PFO parallel as close to new as you can get w/o peeling the film off yourself if you're interested for 30. If that isn't a good length, check out a pair of 24" or whatever combo you need. You won't be sorry. Mark at thereefstop.com doesn't have the 24" listed but that's where I got mine, just send a pm or email. If you polish aluminum, yes it will be better but look at the difference in light output among various reflectors sold commercially that are all polished. The pfo is only barely beat by the hundred dollar lumen arc's and at some mounting heights, not enough difference to hardly count.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/mar2003/feature.htm

 

[MayoBoy]

If Doc's doesn't work, you can also by the SoloTube at Lowes/HD and bend it to yourself.

 

[Grace's Dad]

If you want/need more than one 36" PFO like Doc's I also have 2 of them probably in the exact same condition. Looks like the going rate is 30 each.

 

[geoxman]

go to one of those silver aluminum trailer/rv websites. They make them look like mirrors. I forgot what they are called?? they have a process to polish them and the same can be applied to your sheets. good luck

 

[geoxman]

Airstream!!

 

[Schplitter]

Thank you everyone. Great ideas and great offers.

DRBDC: Thank you for your great offer but I have to bend this myself because of the space this has to fit into. I'm improving a existing fixture. I am adding a 2nd metal halide bulb to the same housing and there is only one way to do this...

I found something at home depot today that might work. i will give it a shot. It's a bit thin but if i don; bend it too much it might work.

If anyone has a sheet hat is not bent and in decent shape let me know.

Thank you,

BK

 

[Schplitter]

Sorry about the spelling.

 

[TWINPEAKS]

I used a piece of polished stainless steel from a tractor/trailer repair place,its not easy to drill though.