Alternate ways of finishing a stainless steel sheet.

rons · Aug 20, 2019

1. Mounting a brush in a mill head and sweeping across the surface.
2. Use same brush but do not sweep, come down on sheet every few inches and make consistent pattern.
3. 400 or 600 grit brushed on surface.
4. Bead blast.
5. Chemical dip.

Involve a .057 sheet of stainless.

I also want to cut 26 slots .090-.100" wide and 1.5" long. I have not checked anywhere yet. But would a 3/32 bit do this or will I be breaking half a dozen cutters before the job is done. This would be a grill cover for a fan. Another way is to cut out a larger hole and cover it with a custom grill, with one screw in each of four corners.

I got the sheet at Alan Steel from a pile of stuff that probably came out of a restaurant kitchen. Probably sitting there for at least 3-4 years.
For any of the locals who don't know about Alan Steel in Redwood City. Get knowledgeable. I asked the owner if I could take some pictures and post them here. He asked me not to do that because he doesn't want to advertise. Local business is plenty.

Thank you for any advice.

danil · Aug 20, 2019

I'd be punching the slots with a ironworker and using either a stroke sander or belt sander to put a #4 brush finish on it.

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Scottl · Aug 20, 2019

danil said:
I'd be punching the slots with a ironworker and using either a stroke sander or belt sander to put a #4 brush finish on it.

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What he said but if you are looking for a more decorative finish than plain brushed turning the part 90 degrees before the final pass gives an attractive cross-hatched look.

DDoug · Aug 20, 2019

I would coarse sandblast to even everything out (and get rid of machining/punching marks)

And then work it down from there with scotchbrite/wirewheel/sandpaper etc.

Scruffy887 · Aug 20, 2019

Perfect job for a laser, apply finish first.
3M makes some really good abrasive brushes in cup and wheel form. And they last a real long time.

R. Dan · Aug 21, 2019

Either finish it with a Dynabrade finishing wheel or glass bead blast it. When I fabricated stainless rotational molds, we used glass bead blasting for the interior surface finish. It's a softer finish than a shot blasted finish (and steel shot blasting will rust from the residual shot).

azmachining · Aug 21, 2019

For finishing -
#1- time saver #2 stroke sander

How big of sheet?

For slots -
Punch
Laser
Plasma
Water jet

Plenty of ways to skin a kitty.

rons · Aug 28, 2019

azmachining said:
For finishing -
#1- time saver #2 stroke sander

How big of sheet?

For slots -
Punch
Laser
Plasma
Water jet

Plenty of ways to skin a kitty.

It's a small sheet about 3" x 8". A bulkhead for a VFD.

I don't have any of that stuff for cutting slots.

Found a ball type hone I used for a engine cylinder. Might try to spin it in a drill chuck and run it over the surface in a random fashion.

Bill D · Aug 29, 2019

Get a flat grinding wheel mounted on a dremel shank say one inch diameter. Use that flat circle end onto the work in a dril lpress in a overlapping pattern to give it the engine turned look. I suppose a small cup wire brush could do it as well.
The classic method is a wooden dowel and grinding compound
Bill D.

Graham Gott · Aug 29, 2019

Bill D said:
Get a flat grinding wheel mounted on a dremel shank say one inch diameter. Use that flat circle end onto the work in a dril lpress in a overlapping pattern to give it the engine turned look. I suppose a small cup wire brush could do it as well.
The classic method is a wooden dowel and grinding compound
Bill D.

Craytex round abrasive sticks chucked in a mill or drill press also work well for this.

Limy Sami · Aug 29, 2019

The Q was ''Alternate ways of finishing a stainless steel sheet. '' …

Etch primer and colour coat of your choice ?

Bill D · Aug 29, 2019

Leave it as is and call it "steampunk".

azmachining · Aug 29, 2019

Sounds like you need to learn the art of polishing with a air grinder. Use a glue ball, scotch brite flap disc, or cratex.
You could also nail a piece of scotch brite to a board and drag it. Super easy, It's flat and small. I could finish those in literally 2 minutes with a air grinder, both sides.

Bobw · Aug 30, 2019

The classic method is a wooden dowel and grinding compound

There are a bunch of ways to do it.. The grinding compound didn't seem
to work very well for me.. I ended up using a wine cork with sand paper
stuck to it. Worked pretty well.

Forestgnome · Aug 30, 2019

A random orbital palm sander gives a nice finish.

rons · Aug 30, 2019

Bobw said:
There are a bunch of ways to do it.. The grinding compound didn't seem
to work very well for me.. I ended up using a wine cork with sand paper
stuck to it. Worked pretty well.

The last wine cork I popped was a fake, just plastic. Better upgrade to a more expensive brand.

I may practice a little with some of the ideas.

gustafson · Aug 31, 2019

Predrill to save the endmill
keep the rpms low in case it is 304
it is so small just a sheet of sandpaper on a backer of some sort, or one of those sponges with sandpaper on it
try to keep the stokes a straight as possible your eye picks up the little wiggle at the end of the stroke

gustafson · Aug 31, 2019

BTW I am going to do a similar project, as the faux brushed nickle plastic bathroom vent grill I bought 9 years ago is going green, so this process is actually on my mind

Bill D · Aug 31, 2019

Throw it in the street and let a few cars and trucks drive over it. Get it back before someone picks it up and call it steam punk. I read about a antique furniture forger who would throw his work into the ocean to get a beat up wave action on the sand. He also buried it in manure piles to give it the aged yellowed look.
Bill D

rons · Sep 12, 2019

gustafson said:
BTW I am going to do a similar project, as the faux brushed nickle plastic bathroom vent grill I bought 9 years ago is going green, so this process is actually on my mind

I tried a abrasive nylon wire wheel brush. All it did was clean the dust off the surface.

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