POLISHING Aluminum 411 needed-PLEASE!!!!

[monte87]

hi-all

i got a question????????????????-Maybe you guys can help me out about polishing and all! Well-recently-being that i live on the northeast and it sucks, with snow and ice and all that road crap, Something got on the intake, i guess-while driving and it baked into the finish. i thought i could windex it out-but no! So i rip the intake off, and i use mothers aluminum mag polish, Nevr Dull, Noxon, Brasso, everything-and nothing. the **** is cooked into it and will not come off. So i get pissed and start using brillo, and still nothing, then i take it up a notch and use 320 wet sand paper the entire intake-and of course it comes out-but completely ruins the finish that you created. It now looks satin-and like ****. Now-Im ****ed-because it looks like **** again-can you tell im sick about it!
So-I basiclaly go through every archive on our board, and come up with some 411 about polishing. ya know-White rouge, tripoli and all.
Can you please give me some advice to get this thing-back to looking MINT-because- im bummed and down about this-and dont know what to do. i went and used the a drill with buffer and W/R and it shined somewhat, but was hazy/foggy. what other steps should i take to make this right?
Should i use tripoli on the thing first, or go right to W/R.... Its sanded now 320 completely! What buffers are the best? And that W/R is hard as a bitch to get on the buffer on the drill-how do you guys manage?

Thanks man-
Anthony

P.S. i went to ALMOSTSTOCK's (leemotorsports) something like that-and it doesnt work anymore......

 

[DMAN302]

Easy to maintain, and looks excellent..paint it.

 

[monte87]

NAHHHHHHHHHHH-IM NOT GONNA PAINT IT! THE HARD WORk, SANDING AND ALL WAS DONE ALREADY BY aLMOSTSTOCK, I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET THE MIRROR LIKE FINISH BACK.....
i think it was road salt that got on the intake from the bottom of the car and baked into the plenum.... Once i figure how to remove it and shine it up-then i'll maintain it, i thought-I didnt have to do any mantianing.

 

[DMAN302]

Then your going to have to get paul to refinish it for you. All my aluminum requires maintenance...I try to hit every pc with billet polish at least once a month wether the car is on the road or not...it's a pain, but the look is well worth it IMO.

 

[monte87]

hEY tHANKS dman!

I NEVER REALIZED THAT YOU HAD TO POLISH SOMETHING POLISHED FOR UPKEEP. I WOULD JUST WIPE IT DOWN WITH WINDEX AND BE DONE. GUESS-i WAS IN FOR A URDE AWAKENING-HUH!
NOW-wHEN YOU SAY BILLET POLISH, WHAT ARE YOU USING-MOTHERS, OR SOME OTHER BRAND????
tHANKS-aNTHONY

 

[RacEoHolic330]

I don't like using a buffing wheel on a drill to polish something. It works if it alrady has a mirror finish and you want to keep it maintained, but if you're trying to polish sanded aluminum, the drill won't spin fast enough to get you the results you're looking for. I don't know the technical term for them, but I use a buffing machine that is bolted down to a bench in my garage. One one side is a buffing wheel that i use the tripoli compound on, and the other side has a wheel that I use white rouge on.

If you want the best results, you'll have to take the intake off the car and use a buffing machine. Also, if you sand with a higher grit, it will make the buffing process easier and will create a better shine.

 

[rd]

I tried the aluminum polishing deal a few years back. It took a series of steps, from sanding, that you have done, through polishing and buffing, etc.

You could try by hand with up to 2000 grit paper.

I found a company, Brightworks, (Brightworks.com) that sells instructions and materials.

I had the best results with what they call setup wheels, cotton buffing wheels that you coat the edges with glue and roll in very fine abrasive. You can make them in any size you need. I think you then use them with some lubricant.

After this, you go to the tripoli, white rouge, etc.

If you don't do the wheel step, it takes forever to get it to the nice shiny stage.

And it you don't coat it, wax it, or repolish it, it will get dirty quickly.

I gave up on everything but wheels.

 

[Roland69]

now go sand it agian with 600 grit than agian with some 1200 then agian with 1500 then you can buff it. alot of work but worth it in the end. I use a bench grinder with a cotton buffing wheel. I do a first stage buff with aluminum compound then I do a finial stage using a compound used for polishing gold works awsome.

 

[RacEoHolic330]

it really isn't necessary to go above 600 grit when polishing aluminum. Anything above is overkill, IMO

 

[ALMOST STOCK]

I don't like using a buffing wheel on a drill to polish something. It works if it alrady has a mirror finish and you want to keep it maintained, but if you're trying to polish sanded aluminum, the drill won't spin fast enough to get you the results you're looking for. I don't know the technical term for them, but I use a buffing machine that is bolted down to a bench in my garage. One one side is a buffing wheel that i use the tripoli compound on, and the other side has a wheel that I use white rouge on.

If you want the best results, you'll have to take the intake off the car and use a buffing machine. Also, if you sand with a higher grit, it will make the buffing process easier and will create a better shine.

There are a lot of hand held electric drills that will turn 2800-3500 rpm and more. Most shops that do buffing/polishing use something like Baldor buffing motor which only truns 3600 so there is really only a few rpm at best difference between the big 3/4 hp buffers and a small hand held electric drill.
http://www.carbuyingtools.com/tools_supplies/Metal_Buffing_&_Finishing_Buffing_MotorsAccessories.asp

I now sand only up to 220 grit and then I start using the compounds, but 320 is all you really need to finish sanding with IMO.

Yeah I'm also an owner of one of those big Baldor buffer and I hate it, that's why I went to a drill with buffing wheels but that's just me.

 

[monte87]

Tripoli uses??? and white rough uses??? which ones???

guys-

Tripoli should be used with a Spiral sewn buff or a canton flannel buff?

White rouge should be used with a spiral sewn buff or a canton flannel buff??? Im lost here as to which one goies with what!

Which one is better for abrasives and which is better for polishing for that mirror like finish that im looking to get back!

Greatly appreciate everyones help!
Anthony

P.S. In the future, if i get stains again-Should i go with tripoli or straight to White rouge, If regular polishes such as mothers aluminum mag polish cant get it out!

 

[illwood]

All my aluminum requires maintenance...I try to hit every pc with billet polish at least once a month wether the car is on the road or not...it's a pain, but the look is well worth it IMO.

I wonder if that Zoop Seal stuff would be worth it to try out to protect the polished finish on the aluminum?

The clear coat that is supposed to protect the satin finish on my Steeda wheels has peeled alot and looks like crap. I'm planning on stripping the clear off and polishing the aluminum, then putting on some of that Zoop Seal.

 

[ALMOST STOCK]

guys-

Tripoli should be used with a Spiral sewn buff or a canton flannel buff?

White rouge should be used with a spiral sewn buff or a canton flannel buff??? Im lost here as to which one goies with what!

Which one is better for abrasives and which is better for polishing for that mirror like finish that im looking to get back!

Greatly appreciate everyones help!

I've always used a Spiral sewn buffing wheel with the Tripoli and White Rouge.

Most people have great success by using either a Canton flannel or Loose Section when doing the final polishing with the White Rouge. But I've never had much success with either the Canton flannel or Loose Section so I do my final polishing with White Rouge and a Spiral sewn buff wheel.
No 2 people sand or polish aluminum exactly in the same way; it’s what ever works for that individual is the best method to use in my opinion.

P.S. In the future, if i get stains again-Should i go with tripoli or straight to White rouge, If regular polishes such as mothers aluminum mag polish cant get it out!

Go with a polishing paste first and if that doesn't remove the stain then go with the Tripoli followed up with the White Rouge. The Tripoli and White Rouge should only take 10-15 mins to do if you have easy access to the stain while the piece is on the car or off the car

 

[monte87]

hey paul-

Thankss so much for your help & time, i cannot thank you enough for sharing your knowledge with me.

-Anthony

P.S. And all who contributed to help me out as well-I salute you.

 

[DMAN302]

I wonder if that Zoop Seal stuff would be worth it to try out to protect the polished finish on the aluminum?

The clear coat that is supposed to protect the satin finish on my Steeda wheels has peeled alot and looks like crap. I'm planning on stripping the clear off and polishing the aluminum, then putting on some of that Zoop Seal.

I have had limited experience with the Zoop line, but the experience I did have was so-so..I prefer the mothers billet finish appearance more. Clear coat and heat are not very cooperative in the bay and don't even consider it an option. I really don't mind the hour or so every so often for maintenance, it gives me the oportunity to keep an eye open for anything needing attention. You could try the zoop, but I'd hate to have to "FIX" the finish if the zoop reacted with the heating/cooling experienced under the hood. Having an eye catching bay requires some effort..both initially(obviously)and continuously, if you don't want to endure the effort I would look at going a different route. There's nothing wrong with a well kept painted/powdercoated appearance at all...seen several well done engines and I like the look very much.

 

[monte87]

Hi guys-

i was wondering-Has anyone ever used Green rouge before??? what is that rouge for??? is it like a combination of tripoli and W/R... Can you use that to maintain after the initail tripoli and W/R???

Thanks man-Anthony

 

[DMAN302]

Best maintenance is cotton cloth and mothers IMO..any abrasive bar use would require some RPM to be applied. That's fine when the parts up on the bench, but one hell of a mess when you start power buffing under the hood. White rouge and jewlers rouge are the best I've found for finish so far.

 

[stang22]

P.S. i went to ALMOSTSTOCK's (leemotorsports) something like that-and it doesnt work anymore......

It works...

http://www.leemotorsports.com/almoststock/

Tim

 

[ALMOST STOCK]

Hi guys-

i was wondering-Has anyone ever used Green rouge before??? what is that rouge for??? is it like a combination of tripoli and W/R... Can you use that to maintain after the initail tripoli and W/R???

Thanks man-Anthony

At one time all I ever used was the Green Rouge, but that was before I found the Tripoli and White Rouge and a few other compounds that I've tried.
The Green Rouge has less cutting action than the Tripoli but more cutting action than the White Rouge.
At times I've used the Green Rouge rather than the Tripoli or White Rouge because it seemed to work better than either the Tripoli or White Rouge on some parts.
Southwest Metal Finishing Supply Co. has a good selection of the different compounds and a good explanation of there use if anyone is interested.
http://www.swmetal.com/