Sanding/Painting Sink Tube: Matte Steel looking?

[ghost_a*]

master jedye's vid on sanding the chrome off looked like after the first round of sanding it was a nice brushed aluminum.
might try that before i go with stainless steel paint. i'll need to sand it to paint it anyways.
just try not to sand it all the way down to the brass.

...but have also done the same look on chrome sinktubes by sanding the chrome with a 400 grit sand paper, too. It gives it a nice brushed look, but you have to be careful not to go too far and get to the brass underneath.

after seeing master jedye's vid, and seeing the "nice brushed look", i'll go this route first.

thx again guys.

*edit*
can i get a 5/8" compression stop plug for my drill at someplace like lowe's?
is this something i can just ask one of the store employees about?

[TimeRender]

No, Lowe's employees never seem to know what I am looking for. Ace carries Gator Grit sanding drums in 1.5" diameters. They are about 5 bucks. Just take the sand paper off the drum and you're all set.

[Silver Serpent]

Ahh that's very helpful TimeRender. I've never been able to find anything suitable at Lowe's. I've got an Ace right here in town that will probably carry those.

My first sinktube was sanded entirely by hand. That was farr too much work for me to be willing to do it again.

[TimeRender]

Yeah, I always make the same mistake whenever I am looking for something. First I go to Lowe's and Home Depot because they are huge and I think they ought to have what I need, then the employees give me the blank stare of confusion, and then I go to the tiny Ace on the corner and they have it for me in under 60 seconds. Yet I never learn.

[ghost_a*]

i don't have an Ace near my work, but i do have a Lowe's.
needed to stop there to get some other crap anyways, so i took a shot. they do have the Gator Grip sanding drums in 1.5".
they're $9 there though.

thx again for the suggestions guys. i got some 400 grit sandpaper as well.
should be working on sanding and the bunny ears tonight hopefully.

[mudslinger]

I actually took some light sandpaper and did some light sanding around the pipe in a circular motion. It took away that 'shiny-sink tube-looks-like-it-is-from-homed-depot-plumbing-look. It really doesn't look that bad IMO.

[ghost_a*]

It took away that 'shiny-sink tube-looks-like-it-is-from-homed-depot-plumbing-look. It really doesn't look that bad IMO.

LOL @ 'shiny-sink tube-looks-like-it-is-from-homed-depot-plumbing-look'
awesome description.

yeah, i got some sandpaper today to do that as well. i just need a sec.

[ghost_a*]

400 grit sandpaper did it well.
i'm loving the look. then i'm gonna add some aluminum black to the mounting points and edges.

[TimeRender]

I don't think aluminum black has any effect on chrome, even after it's sanded. You could just try a little black paint and then carefully sand it off. There's a sticky for baking the paint somewhere. The result is nice.