Reply to "Glass Bead Blasting ZF Case"

Steve,

Thanks for the info on polishing the ZF case. I actually just want the flat matte look that I saw on a transaxle while I was in Montana the other day.

The guy said that he had his case Glass Bead Blasted. It was very smooth but did not look polished. I found this old post from 2007 with a picture of a glass beaded case (the pic is about halfway down).
2007 Post of Glass Beaded Case

Here is my problem – When I glass bead the aluminum it has the clean matte finish but if you look close it still has some waves and very minor indents in the metal. From a distance it looks pretty good, but up close it looks only half finished.

I would bet that it is just the way the metal came out of mold when the case was cast. I was wondering if in order to get a totally flat surface, without the minor waves or indents, if I should sand it, use a heavier blasting media, or use something I have never heard of, etc.

I have no desire to polish it myself. As I get older, and hopefully wiser, I have learned that often times it is better to pay someone else to do the grunt work while I do something I really enjoy. Thanks again for all the help.