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We have a request from a client to clean brushed aluminum cast 3D letters. These letters have been on a recreational centre for about 10 years. The front of the centre is being rebuilt and they would like to put the same letters back up in a new shiney state. The letters are 10" high and appear in very good shape but have the following issues. Blue paint has been splattered on the returns. Birds have used them for a bathroom perch. The wind has enbedded dust in the brush marks.
My quetion are...has anyone tackled cleaning letters like this before? What would you do to them and what products would you use? Have your ever tried rebrushing aluminium and how would you do it? Do you know of a good clear coat we could apply that would withstand Canadian cold and hot summer heat with lots of UVs.
-------------------- Chuck Churchill, It's A Good Sign Inc. 3245 Harvester Rd, U-12 Burlington, Ont. Phone: 905-681-8775 Fax: 905-681-8945 Posts: 633 | From: Burlington, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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Yes, you can rebrush them with a steel brush in a slower turning grinder or drill, or sand them with like a 100 to 400 paper, depending on the look you want. It's not really hard at all and should be a breeze.
Incryliac (sp) is probably the most used outdoor clear for metals, or used to be. It is used on outdoor bronze art. Pelucid is another that might work. These questions might better be answered for you in a metalworking forum. www.artmetal.com might still have a working bb. Good luck.
-------------------- "Don't change horses in midstream, unless you spot one with longer legs" bronzeo oti Jack Davis 1410 Main St Joplin, MO 64801 www.imagemakerart.com jack@imagemakerart.com Posts: 1549 | From: Joplin, MO | Registered: Mar 2000
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You'd best find out if they are anodized or not...sometimes they look like clear aluminum yet they have a what they call clear anodized. If you're lucky they are and will be relativity easy to clean and you shouldn't have to mess with the brushed finish. Believe it or not a dishwasher does a hell of a job on them (try one and see).Depends on the size I guess.
Be careful not to use any corosive cleaners.
To get an expert opinion on cleaning and or refinishing I'd call Gemini Letters.
-------------------- "Werks fer me...it'll werk fer you"
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Hiya Chuck, I'd check into Gemini too. From what I recall, they can refinish the letters for you.
Havin' fun, Checkers
-------------------- a.k.a. Brian Born www.CheckersCustom.com Harrisburg, Pa Work Smart, Play Hard Posts: 3775 | From: Harrisburg, Pa. U.S.A. | Registered: Nov 1998
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I have cleaned aluminum letters a number of times. Often they are just clearcoated. If you have to solvent strip the paint on the returns it would be not much more trouble to strip the letters entirely. Let them soak in solvent so that it does the work.
If the brushed finish needs renewing it can be done with sandpaper. The trick is to sand in the same direction on all letters. Otherwise the letters will not all look the same color. If you mount each letter to a slightly larger square of plywood you can sand the letter face down on sandpaper attached to a work table. A 2x4 clamped to the table can serve as a guide during sanding to keep the lines straight and going the same direction. Just move the letter back and forth on the sandpaper, letting the edge of the plywood ride against the 2x4, like a rip fence on a table saw. It may not take much to give the letters a factory-like new appearance.
Of course, like Monte said, if you can get the letters looking good with just soap and water, you are way ahead. Try soaking them with Simple Green, then car-wash. Latex drips may come right off. Washing with alcohol may remove the paint without damaging the clear coat if it has one.
If the letters are anodized you can solvent wash them without worrying about a clear coat. Anodizing is a controlled oxidizing that permeates the face of the metal. It doesn't sit on top of the metal like a paint or a clear. It is very durable and doesn't need clear coating. How do you know if they are anodized? Sorry, I haven't the slightest idea. But if they are clear coated, which you may be able to determine, I'll bet they are not anodized.
What to clear coat with? An autobody guy I know of uses Dau. He uses it on brass and copper, too. I believe the painter at our shop uses Matthews. I don't know what Gemini uses, but whoever is spraying for them is not skilled. Every batch of aluminum letters we have received from them is poorly finished, with heavy buildups and sags from applying too much too fast.
Brad in Kansas
-------------------- Brad Ferguson See More Signs 7931 Wornall Rd Kansas City, MO 64111 signbrad@yahoo.com 816-739-7316 Posts: 1230 | From: Kansas City, MO, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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