Blast media

[C.Costine]

I have removed the aluminum brake shoes from my parts car and need to clean them up. I believe that black beauty will leave them too rough. What blast media will clean them up but leave them smoother?

[theunz]

My favorite is glass beads, it works pretty fast and leaves a very smooth satin finish. For most parts you can paint without any additional sanding. For pieces I just want to clean without affecting the metal I use walnut shells. On my Porsche project I am trying to keep the original patina. When rebuilding the engine I used glass beads on the inside of the valve covers and cam housings to get them spotlessly clean, then I used the walnut shells to clean the outside. Now the outside is completely clean of any oil or grime, but still retains the patina of the oil stains and natural discoloration.
It’s very hard to resist the urge to make the engine look like new, but the theme of this car is to preserve it’s originality along with all it’s warts