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tbones1337
06-01-04, 09:15 PM
How can i get a brushed metal look or similar look on acryllic sheets?

I plan on using the wirebrush on my makita drill to remove the black paint on one of the sides.. the other panel is paintless.. mostly.


I want a look near brushed metal or something similar...


Preferably sold at somewhere like home depot... which i can get to before teh lan on sat-sun..


Thanks in advance.
newbienerd
06-02-04, 02:10 AM
are you talking about the way some metals look with the striped lines that run across?

if you are, then just take a grit you like and a level pad and just stroke in one direction. crevices are more challenging.

i hope that helps

:)
Diggrr
06-02-04, 07:03 AM
Agreed. Just take a piece of 80 or 120 grit sandpaper, wrap it around a flat piece of wood like a 2x4 and drag it in one direction over the piece. Blow off the plastic dust every one or two passes to keep the paper from loading up with plastic.
That's the brushed part.

The metalic look can be provided by chrome spray paint. They don't really look like chrome (the cap lies), mostly a fine particled silver paint, but it should look pretty good. Paint lightly one MAYBE two coats. Lightly because you don't want to fill the sanding marks, and you don't want to sand again after painting.

Carefull using that wire wheel/drill, it will burn into the platic faster than you think, leaving an uneven surface. Just go very lightly, and don't hold it one place for longer than a couple of seconds.

An acrylic LianLi...who'dve thunk it.
stool
06-02-04, 08:21 AM
One big problem I've found with the chrome paints, if you touch them AT ALL, you immediately change the color to some degree.
Diggrr
06-02-04, 09:36 AM
One big problem I've found with the chrome paints, if you touch them AT ALL, you immediately change the color to some degree.


Very true. Paint each entire panel at one time. Overspray with these paints looks like grey primer. :p
Smirabi
06-02-04, 11:38 AM
perhaps i'm missing the point, but it would be a hell of a lot easier to actually brush metal than it would be to make acryllic look like brushed metal. now, normally acryllic is used because of its neato see-thru properties, but if you're just gonna make it look like metal, why not use metal in the first place? i'm just trying to get an idea of what you're doing.

good luck, mod on
stikphysh
06-02-04, 12:19 PM
i agree with Smirabi.
metal is better for a metal look than plastic any day. it cools better too. if it were me, id get a sheet of metal and go at it with that wire brush of yours. or maybe a polishing wheel of some sort.
Captain Slug
06-02-04, 12:48 PM
Agreed. Aluminum duct sheeting is pretty inexpensive stuff...

Oh, and the pros use steel wool to get the brushed effect.
stikphysh
06-02-04, 02:00 PM
Agreed. Aluminum duct sheeting is pretty inexpensive stuff...

Oh, and the pros use steel wool to get the brushed effect.

so THATS what they use... makes sense!
Alucard
06-02-04, 05:35 PM
When you get done post some pics if ya dont mind, I want to see what you did.
tbones1337
06-02-04, 07:48 PM
ok... im gonna check home depot for the sheet metal.. tin snip it to close cut then stone sand block on the dremel..... and the steel thing is like steel wool, on a drill attachment with steel wook like a hat shape thingy... meh..

pics will come when done.. i have a lan this weekend and then school overnight trip mon-tues.... and then that week ill have it done.... i hope.
stikphysh
06-02-04, 08:01 PM
check your yellow pages for sheet metal. in reno i recomend mikes sheet metal. but most major cities have some sort of sheet metal place that will even custom cut them for you if you want
Smirabi
06-02-04, 10:10 PM
yeah, capt slug is right about the steel wool, and sandpaper works well too. and you can shange the line fineness by chainging grade sandpaper/steel wool
tbones1337
06-02-04, 10:36 PM
home depot has 30gauge sheet 2x3ft sheets for like 6 bucks two sheets will do for me.. once i get the time to go there.
Alucard
06-02-04, 10:42 PM
ok... im gonna check home depot for the sheet metal.. tin snip it to close cut then stone sand block on the dremel..... and the steel thing is like steel wool, on a drill attachment with steel wook like a hat shape thingy... meh..

pics will come when done.. i have a lan this weekend and then school overnight trip mon-tues.... and then that week ill have it done.... i hope.

Cool, I'll be waiting for those pics :)