Diamond Plate Side panels

[73k5blazer]

So I'm making some diamond plate side panels for the rear of the K5. I got a 4'x8' sheet of alumninum 1/16" thick high polish diamond plate. For those that have done this, do you find this stuff scrachtes very very easily? I thought diamond plate was supposed to be tough? I got one side cut, and during the cutting, I had used milk crates with 2" of very clean soft cloth on the top of them, turned the sheet upside down, made my outlines and cut away with the jigsaw. When I turned it over, the piece has very fine rub marks where it was sitting on the milk crates. As I moved the piece in and out doing final fitting and slight trimming, I got more scratches from where it just slightly hit the roll cage on the way in and out.If I rub it hard with my finger, it scratches.
Did I make the wrong choice. The scratches all end up being pretty fine, and only visible uder certain lights and angles, but I'm not so sure I want these now if they are going to look like poop after a few people bang into them with their shoes, or tools or whatever. What are other peoples expierences with these? Should I have gotten steel or something, but then how to coat, because steel rusts? Or is that the way this stuff just wears, and eventually it just looks a little less polished because of all the fine scratches?

 

[79k20350]

i havent had a problem with mine. i made kick panels along with my dash. you can see pics in my sig.hit it with a buffing compound everynow and then and itll look fine for a long time. or spray them with a clear coat of paint to protect em' i havent done either to mine but they still look fine. theyve been in for about 6 months...

 

[muscle]

Aluminum will scratch easily but those fine scratches will be no big deal. It will look better than steel, and be lighter. Some mothers can easily polish out scratches but ill bet after a while you will forget about it.

 

[73k5blazer]

Here's a quick pic, just because I know somebody will ask anyway.

 

[Memphis]

How are those attached? Rivets? If I wanted to make "kick panels" on the inner door, how would I go about attaching them, sorry for the high jack.

 

[73k5blazer]

I'm not sure how I'm going to attach those, in the pic it's just sitting there. I'm thinking of using quick release quarter turn fasteners. My body is all fiberglass. I have a nice fiberglass panel that it can fasten too, where the OEM cardboard side panels go, mine is all fiberglass, part of the body. I cut holes for access to amp mounting, door stirker nut, and removable top nuts. So still need something decrotive to cover these holes.
If I was fastening a kick panel to door, I would just use stainless steel screws.

 

[73k5blazer]

Ok, well mabey I'm just being picky because everything here is brand new. Hey, what are those diamond plate tool boxes made of, theones that go in pickup beds that you can buy at qaulity farm and fleet or an accessory store? Steel or Alum? Mabey I just need to find a few in parking lots and check them out.
My panel looks fine from a distance, but get up next to it, and I can see where it was resting on the padded milkcrates. I'm just being anal though. Your right, I'll probably forget all about it.

 

[Memphis]

Boxes are made out of aluminum as well... they are nice though but I'd rather have a roll bar . I just took a quick look at the pic you posted and now I noticed it wasn't attached . But like others haave said, once you scratch it a little more your not going to give to ****s. Looks awesome in the pictures though!

 

[tRustyK5]

You can't get away from the scratching you're getting with aluminum. It is that soft...

Those toolboxes are made from the same stuff and would scratch just as easily. A lot of aluminum in that grade comes with a plastic cover sheet to keep scratching to a minimum during shipping. If it really bothers you I'd throw a coat of clear on it before it gets any worse, then still be gentle with it while installing it. As soon as it's been clear coated you won't be able to polish it anymore.

An alternative is to take a scotch brite pad to the whole thing. It'll take the glaring shine off and help camoflage the scratches. I really don't like the glaring shine on aluminum checker (or diamond) plate. Interior lights, sunshine etc etc will make it a nuisance anyways.

Rene

 

[muscle]

An alternative is to take a scotch brite pad to the whole thing. It'll take the glaring shine off and help camoflage the scratches. I really don't like the glaring shine on aluminum checker (or diamond) plate. Interior lights, sunshine etc etc will make it a nuisance anyways.

thats exactly what i would do. knock down that shine a bit!

 

[73k5blazer]

Yeah, it is a little shiny. I wanted that to brighten the interior a bit, it's been entierly line-x'd, including the inside of the top, so it's a bit dark in there, I thought these would look nice, be durable, cover the holes I had to drill, and brighten the interiora bit. But they are a little too bright, I even called my wife out into the garage to get her opinion, she said she liked it, but like me, mabey just a bit too bright. I'll try the scotch pad on a piece of scrap and see how it is. Thanks for tip!
Yeah, I was just at the tractor supply co, and I took a piece of nearby cardboard and rubed it a bit on the backside of one of those toolboxes. Did the same thing, very light scuffs.

 

[tRustyK5]

hit it with a bit of WD40 before you scotch brite it, then after a bit of polishing with the scotch brite clean off the blackish residue with some brake kleen.

Should give you a satiny (sp?) finish. I've had to polish up many machined parts using the same method...

Rene