Anyone here with experience finishing aluminum?

[dmention7]

I've read a few how-tos on how to finish aluminum (ex. to brushed or polished finish), but I was wondering if anyone here has ever done it? Think I'm going to give it a shot on my valve cover, intake mani, IC core, and maybe a couple other parts.

Sounds like a brushed look is going to be easiest to attain, as you can pretty much get that done with a scotchbrite pad and some elbow grease... as opposed to going through about eleventy billion stages of sandpaper for a polished look.

 

[Big Nate]

I have refinished a lot of aluminum bits in the past. Nothing with a lot of detail (little spots that are hard to get to) but i have none the less done it. Power tools are your friend with this kind of thing. Drills with a bit a scotch brite work wounder's over stuff in minutes vs hours by hand.