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I have some spray lacquer but not sure if it’s worth it. What do people think?
While it's technically possible to apply clear lacquer to polished aluminium to make reflectors which are durable when exposed to air, it's unlikely that you can do it at home. As jono says, if you want shiny, you're probably committing to frequent repolishing.
gbj_tester
I’d appreciate a bit of advice. My old fixie frame (aluminium, nothing special, polished finish with clearcoat) was a bit of a mess, quite scratched and very ugly corrosion tracking under the lacquer. I have sanded off the old clearcoat and the scratches and have been polishing it back up. I have got it up to a good shine but not a perfect mirror finish - there are still some tiny scratches from the sandpaper, but it looks quite good I think. Current condition pictured below.
What I am trying to decide is whether to clearcoat it again. I have some spray lacquer but not sure if it’s worth it. What do people think? Does the lacquer over the top of a bare aluminium frame make much difference?