Machinist Apprentice | Anodized Truck Surface Quality | Day 151

The anodized trucks came in the other day, and I was quite surprised at the different quality finishes on the raw machined vs. tumbled and bead blasting!

The raw machined parts came out best; they've got a really nice shine to them that the camera doesn't do credit to. Though you can still see the machine marks leftover from the endmills, it makes them much less noticeable.

The tumbled parts didn't turn out nearly as good and had a very rough texture to them. It seems like the anodizing was slightly splotchy with patches here and there that aren't as bold in color. The part I accidentally left in over the weekend was awful and had depressions, giving it a beat-up and rugged look. 

Out of all three, my favorite, though not the prettiest, is the bead blasted finish. It's completely matt but has an amazing feel to the touch. My boss is considering adding a clear coat to give it a shine.

The truck process's next step is to put them back on the 5-axis and remove the material from the windows and door highlights. I'm super excited to see how these turn out! The shine of the windows coupled with the deep blue should really make them catch the eye!