Official Polishing Thread. How to's and tips!

I’ve done some polishing over the years and I am a firm believer that if you get started right you’ll be more than pleased with you’re finished piece.
10 years ago I use to start with 80 grit sandpaper and then work my way up to 400 grit sandpaper, then I would move too the Tripoli and White Rouge compounds to do the buffing and polishing to finish the piece, but the more pieces I’ve done over the years the more I hated all that sanding and found out that there was no need to sand ANY part past 220 girt sandpaper.
They’re people that have done some polishing before and believe if you don’t sand a part with at least 2,000 grit sandpaper your part will never shine but just so happens I’m not one of them. WHY because I hate sanding!!! But then again no 2 people do a part the same way.

This may or may not help but this is the method I use now.

I start by removing any heavy powder coating (if there is any) with aircraft paint stripper, if the exterior casting is really rough such as the upper intake I’ll start by hand sanding w/ 80 first; but most pieces I’ll start by hand sanding with 100 grit sandpaper and then move up to 150 or 180 grit and then 220 grit sandpaper, all done by hand. I’ll also say that if there are areas I can’t hand sand with at least 180 grit sandpaper, I’ll use a nylon wheel on the electric drill to do those areas.

Next
I’ll then move to a Ventilated Flap buffing wheel with Emery compound on an electric drill which does all the work of sanding that sand paper would from 320 through 600 grit sandpaper and probably more.

Emery Compounds main purpose is for heavy-cut on iron, steel, or stainless steel so it take all the scratches out left by the 220 sand paper.

I’ll then I’ll buff with the Tripoli with one Spiral Sewn buffing wheel and polish with White Rouge on a different a Spiral Sewn buffing wheel with an electric drill and I’m done.

Some people say you need a bench grinder to polish a part with and some people say you need a big high speed buffer to polish a part with and I can tell you from my own experience with a big buffer because I had one, those big buffers only turned 3,600 rpm; which my electric drill turns 3,500 rpm and is easier to move around the part and is the reason I chose to use an electric drill to do the buffing and polishing with instead of a big buffer or bench grinder.

stunning as always. great post.

After all these years of seeing those same pictures of your engine, I never get sick of looking at them.

do you spray any kind of clear on it to keep the aluminum parts from getting that white scale/chalky looking stuff on it?

damn i love those pictures every time

I've polished some parts in the past and I've yet to find a clear that doesn't either bubble, turn yellow, or turn hazy after a few months. I haven't tried anything like Zoop Seal yet though.

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This is where I am at in the process. I just started on my T-body and EGR.

I also got one of the original valve covers about 70% finished; polishing is just plain time consuming.

this may be a stupid question but, what is the tripoli you guys are talking about? I tried to polish my intake elbow but it doesn't have that chrome look either. could you guys maybe post pics of what polishing tools you use.(except sand paper of course)

thanks. I clicked the the link and it says sold out and dont knoow when or if it will be back in stock. At least I know what it is now. so once you have sanded, you apply the compounds to a buffing wheel in a drill to finish up. do you use a different wheel for each compound?

good to know where to get it. thanks.
do you use a different wheel for each compound?
Here is another question. I have an intake that I modded to accept injector bungs. I JB welded them into the intake. Would I be able to sand the JB Weld down, solder over it & then polish the intake & soldered areas?

Thanks again for the info. I will try the solder polishing in a few days & post the results.