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Was in the '80s I made my rear bumper, it's heavy duty too. Steel, near 1/4" thick, 3/8" inside bracket plates, top is 3/16" steel diamond plate. It was initially just an 8" wide x 2" deep straight steel channel formed under a big press at B&W, had 8 holes where it was bolted to the front of a Blazer. I sunk the tag, cut notches to taper the ends, etc, added the diamond plate. It has been painted all it's life, several times actually. My patch welds over the holes were once filled as to be invisible .... but those same welds can be seen now again as I had sanded them a few years ago. It had some chips in the paint and thin filler. I could fill, etc. again.
I noticed a piece 3x3 of polished aluminum diamond plate in my basement today, had bought it for another use but didn't, but it's easy to cut on my bandsaw, and would cover the whole face of my steel bumper twice over. Id add a couple bumper guards though to protect from impacts, etc.
Then I thought might be better ideas out there ... or maybe is best to just leave as is?
Thank You Sir. From mine too really, just was "thinking". I can back that against a dumpster or loading dock and at most, maybe need to touch it up. The same bump with aluminum diamond plate will forever show .... but I'll find a use for that aluminum yet.
Helping a buddy build his house I'd say same most times he asked "How's that look?" .... well, except for that time I saw a slight upgrade on a 3" toilet drain over his kitchen cabinets area.
That bumper looks great. I wouldn’t touch it, unless it was to sell it to me, lol.
Eventually I have to come up with a bumper and a bed. When I first bought my truck from an iron worker, it had a homemade heavy steel flatbed and bumper. After a motor rebuild and axel swap to 4:11, I still wasn’t impressed. I swear the ton of weight being carried around was the culprit. The extra weight sure didn’t help in the mud holes. So I got rid of the bed eventually and replaced it with an 85 bed that doesn’t match. I didn’t care at the time what it looked like, I just needed it to get the dirt bikes to the good trails. The bed interfered with the steel bumper, so I had to take it off. That meant loosing the rear mounted winch also. The winch I still have, but the bumper got forgotten under a pile of leaves by the wood pile when I moved 25 years ago.
In a fantasy world I would build a custom camper bed and hit a fishing hole in all 50 states when I retire.
Thank You ...... I was looking for some feedback. The shipping would be crazy. ......
It's a tough bumper, but really not a great "step" bumper for those of us under 7 feet tall. I'm pretty sure, come spring, I'll smooth & fill it better, and paint it a very slightly darker "Graphite" wheel paint, like below. For some reason, I repainted it a brighter silver, and haven't been real happy with it since it dried. It's like the lighter shade of silver highlighted the defects?
Comparing this to the color in my sig-pic at the same time below, I see it so clearly.
I guess I'm just feeling "cabin fever" between the cold / rain / snow / & power outages. Just a trip (in red truck) out to the dumpsters & Food Lion & local "Sam's Hot Dog Stand" (30 miles total) yesterday was huge.
I like it, I'd leave it, it looks like is can provide protection to the back and bed. If you want a change repaint it. Cut in/add in some LED reverse lights.
Nothing like old school Warm with storage compartments.
Best one is just B&W? Thank You for them all, some ideas there for other mods. I've been considering B-U lights too. Thought about a pair of those 4.5" rubber body "Tractor Lights" peaking out through holes in back that will go along with the classic SS old school 4.5" Unity Fog Lamps I picked up to go up front Could happen. I have all the lights already, was gonna put the tractor lights on a tractor, never did though. Could even mount them up behind the bumper and fixed for easy swing down for use?
I'm convinced though, the "Graphite" color it was .... will be it. I once told my painter not to do the bumper because as it is, I could fix most anything that might scar it, so I probably should stick with that plan. First good warmer day, I'll pull it and get it inside to work on.
If you use round or square lights or even oval lights, get/use some corresponding size round pipe, square or oval tubing as your behind the bumper mounts. Flush to the backside of the bumper to put all the light straight out the back and to protect them. Like how you can make a protective cover for round, square or oval trailer lights.
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From mine too really, just was "thinking". 
I can back that against a dumpster or loading dock and at most, maybe need to touch it up. The same bump with aluminum diamond plate will forever show .... but I'll find a use for that aluminum yet. 
It's like the lighter shade of silver highlighted the defects?
