Polishing aluminum parts

konga9 · New Member Joined: Mar 26, 2008 Posts: 7

Can anyone tell me some basic steps in polishing aluminum.
Information on the products to use will be helpful also.
I'm thinking of polishing my wheel hubs and various parts and engine covers. Keep in mind I'll be doing this in my garage on a low budget.
I've got plenty of time, just low funds.

weekendrider · Posted: November 19, 2008, 12:49 pm Post subject: Re: Polishing aluminum parts

Fine steel wool with liberal applications of elbow grease.

Retiredgentleman · Posted: November 19, 2008, 2:12 pm Post subject: Re: Polishing aluminum parts

A product called "Auto-sol" works well. Its a general purpose metal polish. Sold in motorcycle shops.

yamaman · Posted: November 19, 2008, 3:54 pm Post subject: Re: Polishing aluminum parts

On the bigger bits, you want some kind of buffer, cheap drill mounted is fine, just watch your RPM's. Autosol's great I love it!, steel wool, fine wet & dry sandpaper, scourer pads anything abrasive, start coarse and bring it up with something fine, finish with a rag & autosol.
Do the most awkward bits first. If you bring the easy bits up to a glimmer, sometimes its hard to make the hard bits look up to scratch!

kenb · Posted: November 19, 2008, 5:57 pm Post subject: Re: Polishing aluminum parts

konga9 wrote:

Can anyone tell me some basic steps in polishing aluminum.

Your timing is good, I just finished polishing some! I made these aluminum ball caps from raw 3003 aluminum sheet, and just finished the final polishing detail yesterday.

To produce the mirror finish, I first dry sanded them starting with 180, 320, & 400 grit emery cloth. For a bike engine, I'd suggest starting with 320 or so, using 180 only if there are some deep marks or scratches that need cleaned up with a coarser grit before moving on the finer stuff.

Once you have a clean surface dry sanded to 400 grit emery, switch to wet sanding with 600, 1200 and finally 2000 grit emery cloth. The water is important when you are using such fine grades of paper, as this is what is going to wash away chunks of grit that will otherwise leave more scratches as you work.

You will notice the aluminum getting shinier as you work, until you get to the 1200 and 2000 stages of wet sanding, when the finish will appear to get duller again. This is because the fine cracks and scratches are getting plugged up with the fine dust the fine paper is scuffing away.

When the emery cloth sanding is finished, polish it up for a while with aluminum polish and a damp cloth to bring out the shine, I usually use a brand of aluminum polish called "Mothers". If you follow the steps above, the result will be a mirror quality shine once the buffing is done.

Ken

konga9 · New Member Joined: Mar 26, 2008 Posts: 7

Thanks for all the great info.
I better get started, spring will be here before you know it.

Kenb,
Great looking work on the hats.

Konga

pumps · Posted: November 19, 2008, 6:45 pm Post subject: Re: Polishing aluminum parts

I too plan on spending some time polishing...engine side cases, rims, hubs, fork? Lots to do this winter. The aluminum baseball caps look cool. What are they for?

kenb · Posted: November 19, 2008, 7:12 pm Post subject: Re: Polishing aluminum parts

pumps wrote:

The aluminum baseball caps look cool. What are they for?

I think of the first one I made last year as a sculpture piece. I just sort of decided to try it out as a metalshaping exercise to see what I was capable of doing. That first hat will always sit on my mantlepiece where it's safe and sound, as it's the first real quality job I ever pulled off in aluminum. Check out the chick who models it for me in the pic below.

The second hat was made for someone else, so I took the first picture while the two of them are still together. The person who is getting it intends to line the inside and wear it in his hot-rod while out on cruise night and other vintage car events.

Ken

Retiredgentleman · Posted: November 19, 2008, 8:39 pm Post subject: Re: Polishing aluminum parts

Love the hat, but that chick has got to do something with her hair...............looks like something you'd use to mop the floor Smile

weekendrider · Posted: November 19, 2008, 9:26 pm Post subject: Re: Polishing aluminum parts

dreadlocks

killer · Posted: November 20, 2008, 12:47 am Post subject: Re: Polishing aluminum parts

Ok, here's the second part to the initial question. I've had my engine cases to a mirror finish. How does one keep them in this condition? They seem to dull after a while. [ Mind you I probably expose my bike to some rather severe weather while riding, which isn't any help. ]

Is there a product to put over the aluminum once its been polished to protect all your hard work and elbow grease?

pumps · Posted: November 20, 2008, 12:52 am Post subject: Re: Polishing aluminum parts

I have heard of clear powder coating....mostly though my own experience is just plain old elbow grease. Shining it up really doesn't take that long if you keep up with it. Yamaha clear coated it new....

bkmarsha · Posted: May 5, 2009, 10:57 pm Post subject: Re: Polishing aluminum parts

i used up to 600 grit wet paper and was pretty happy with the results but nothing like the mirror finish on the hats

does the 1200 and 2000 make that much of a difference or did i just not spend enough time with what i was using

650skull · Support Staff Joined: Jul 19, 2007 Posts: 1186

Polishing the alloy ...........240, 450, 800 1000, 1200. then a polishing compound, then a buff with a clean rag and i might have to do 3 or more turns at polishing/buffing before i finish........keep polishing until very little black comes of the alloy. Then final buff

bkmarsha · Posted: May 6, 2009, 12:59 am Post subject: Re: Polishing aluminum parts

your case looks great

right now i will be happy with the job i did maybe go back at a later time and improve but there are other things on the bike that need work first

some pics are posted in my gallery

ghostyder · Posted: May 6, 2009, 1:50 am Post subject: Re: Polishing aluminum parts

my .02 i prefer "blue magic" to mothers for that final polish.

bkmarsha · Posted: May 6, 2009, 2:00 am Post subject: Re: Polishing aluminum parts

i used a turtle wax polish

moltarscam · Full Member Joined: May 04, 2009 Posts: 26

I have always found that even a really cheap buffer makes keeping things polished easier.

Joseph · Full Member Joined: May 22, 2007 Posts: 767 Location: NY

Absolutely a buffer wheel and some polish even if used on a drill is the finishing shine. Every home store ive seen sells kits and wheels and polishes in the tool section.

dpmphoto · Posted: May 16, 2009, 1:05 pm Post subject: Re: Polishing aluminum parts

black for cutting,then brown then red, blue,green, white, finally mothers,=approximately 6.27 beers

dpmphoto · Posted: June 30, 2009, 4:49 pm Post subject: Re: Polishing aluminum parts

No really for aluminum according to the experts.first use some emery cloth 150 grit works well,then black buffing compound (emery)then use brown bar called tripoli,then a white final polish(mothers et). This is only for aluminum additional information along with compounds Caswell plating in Rochester NY they have a good web site with forums and instructions

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