Metal finishing can involve a lot of different processes because not all metal surfaces are finished in the same way. From polishing or buffing to plating or coating the material, choosing the right finishing process can make all the difference in the final look and feel of the material you are working with. 

Metal Polishing

Polishing metal is a common way to make that metal shine on the surface. The process involves finishing the surface of the metal with multiple steps of adding polishing compounds. The compound slowly removes small amounts of surface material, smoothing out scratches and imperfections in the metal until the service is smooth. 

Polishing compounds have varying amounts of grit in them, and as the polishing process continues, a compound with less grit is used, and less material is removed from the surface you are polishing. This process can take a long time, but if it is done correctly, the surface can be polished to a near mirror finish. 

Metal Plating

Plating or electroplating is a process of adding specific metals like chrome, zinc, or copper to a base metal through a process of dipping the base metal in several tanks that contain the plating metal suspended in a liquid. The base metal is negatively charged, and the solution containing the metal positively charged. The metal is drawn to the base, and when the process is complete, the base metal is coated with a smooth, durable coating of metal. 

Preparing the metal for this type of finishing is painstaking. The part you are plating must be smooth and clean because any imperfection in the metal will show after the plating process is complete. No matter how much you polish the part after, if there is anything that was not right, you will be able to see if in the plating, and often the plating highlights the flaw, making it look worse. 

Metal Buffing

Some metals are easier to buff than others and take little time to make the surface look good. Aluminum plate buffs nicely because the material is soft and corrosion-resistant, so the discoloration on the surface does not penetrate deeply into the material. A good buffing wheel and some buffing compound will clean the surface of aluminum, and with enough time, you can make it shine almost as nicely as chrome.

A great example of aluminum that shines is on large trucks like semis or fire apparatus. Aluminum plate is common on these vehicles, and in many cases, the operator has buffed the plate enough that you could almost mistake it for chrome.