Polishing Aluminum [Archive]

WESTERNAERO

03-23-2014, 03:58 PM

I HATE polishing aluminum. So I've tried to find ways of doing it faster and easier over the years. This is the best way I've come up with, and I've tried a lot of products.
I use a mini low RPM buffer/polisher with a 3M hookit waffle foam pad with a Velcro backer. Put a liberal amount of Mothers metal polish in the squeeze bottle (the runny type) on the pad, dob it around the area and start polishing. Shouldn't take more than 20-30 seconds on that area and wipe it off with a microfiber towel. Done, that's it. Just don't let the Mothers dry or it's a bitch to get off completely.
If you've got a better way I like to hear it because I HATE this shit.
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This was about 30 seconds worth of polishing and these covers looked really bad.
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Unforgiven

03-23-2014, 04:06 PM

Can you do Dustin's outdrive? and if it turns out good..clean mine up!

WESTERNAERO

03-23-2014, 04:17 PM

Can you do Dustin's outdrive? and if it turns out good..clean mine up!

How did I know you'd chime in.....

mrs.daytona

03-23-2014, 04:23 PM

If you've got a better way I like to hear it because I HATE this shit.

Pay someone else to do it? 😄

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Unforgiven

03-23-2014, 04:25 PM

Pay someone else to do it? ��

Sent from my iPhone

Thats a great idea...Whats Grads doing right now?

Unforgiven

03-23-2014, 04:26 PM

How did I know you'd chime in.....

Anytime I can help brother..I'm there for you..BTW..did you figure out if your coming to the BBQ in Havi, you know, right before Desert Storm?

WESTERNAERO

03-23-2014, 04:27 PM

Pay someone else to do it? ��

Sent from my iPhone

Nope, that just gives me a reason to bitch about someone's work.

mrs.daytona

03-23-2014, 04:27 PM

Thats a great idea...Whats Grads doing right now?

Washing my car ;)

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Unforgiven

03-23-2014, 04:30 PM

Washing my car ;)

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you making sure he's doing it correctly? Grads could fuck up a wet dream remember?

mrs.daytona

03-23-2014, 04:33 PM

you making sure he's doing it correctly? Grads could fuck up a wet dream remember?

I'm busy drinking a cocktail by the pool. If it doesn't look good, I'll make him wash it again ;)

Sent from my iPhone

Sharp shooter

03-23-2014, 04:38 PM

My favorite polishes are Xtreme, Mothers Billet and the pink Metal Wax. I've used pro's that weren't very good and some that are great. Currently, if I feel like spending the cash I use Benson Metal Polishing. I first tried them because of a Billy B referral. The owner used to work at IMCO and I can't match his quality with my off the shelf products.

Benson Metal Polishing
934 Monte Vista Ave, Upland, CA 91786
(909) 946-2113

WESTERNAERO

03-23-2014, 04:47 PM

Sharp shooter

03-23-2014, 04:53 PM

Is it a paste or a liquid? I like the liquid stuff because I can use it with that little polisher.

Xtreme is that cloth like stuff and the others are liquid. I had a bar of green rouge once and it was the shit!

http://img.rakuten.com/PIC/43938317/0/1/500/43938317.jpg

WESTERNAERO

03-23-2014, 04:59 PM

Xtreme is that cloth like stuff and the others are liquid. I had a bar of green rouge once and it was the shit!

http://img.rakuten.com/PIC/43938317/0/1/500/43938317.jpg

Dude...Green rouge stick, you're killing me....:biggrin:

gn7

03-23-2014, 05:18 PM

There use to be a guy that sold liquid green rouge in 1 quart bottles at the Long Beach swap meet, but I haven't seen him there is years. Stuff had a strong smell of ammonia, but it was the shit. If I had known he going to stop coming to the swap meet I would bought a few more bottles.

The Doctor

03-23-2014, 05:28 PM

No matter what products you choose, when you do a good job of polishing, it shows. This kid can polish like no other!!!

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Sharp shooter

03-23-2014, 07:29 PM

[COLOR="#FF0000"]No matter what products you choose, when you do a good job of polishing, it shows. This kid can polish like no other.

I don't think there's anything your kids "Can't" do Bobby. :bowdown:

2manymustangs

03-23-2014, 07:55 PM

I wanna see pics of WESTERNAERO after polishing for several hours... :)

Hey, I forgot the name of the product but it looks like of like fluffy pinkish color fiber glass insulation or pink cotton candy... I have used that stuff to renew previously polished aluminum and it works like magic... FOr real... I think my friend buys it from suppliers on Ebay...

WESTERNAERO, I will try to get the name/link to this stuff...

Sharp shooter

03-23-2014, 07:58 PM

I wanna see pics of WESTERNAERO after polishing for several hours... :)

Hey, I forgot the name of the product but it looks like of like fluffy pinkish color fiber glass insulation or pink cotton candy... I have used that stuff to renew previously polished aluminum and it works like magic... FOr real... I think my friend buys it off of suppliers on Ebay...

Not sure if this is what you're referring to, but that's a fitting description. I called it cloth above.

http://www.xtreemusa.com/Images/xtreemmetalpolish.jpg

2manymustangs

03-23-2014, 08:01 PM

Not sure if this is what you're referring to, but that's a fitting description. I called it cloth above.

http://www.xtreemusa.com/Images/xtreemmetalpolish.jpg

Could be, it has been a while since I used it but as I recall I buffed with it just lightly, then wait, then buff it to a shine after the compound in the stuff dries a bit??? Can't recall the process for sure but it worked fantastico... BUT it's kind of expensive as I recall...

IF this is the stuff I did use it on previously polished aluminum to bring it back, not old chrome as shown on the site below...

http://www.truespoke.net/XTreem.html (http://www.truespoke.net/XTreem.html)

WESTERNAERO

03-23-2014, 08:04 PM

I'm just repolishing the engine stuff. My days of polishing from cast or machined are over, that stuff gets sent out.

Sharp shooter

03-23-2014, 08:05 PM

Could be, it has been a while since I used it but as I recall I buffed with it just lightly, then wait, then buff it to a shine after the compound in the stuff dries a bit??? Can't recall the process for sure but it worked fantastico... BUT it's kind of expensive as I recall...

Yep! I did a side by side comparison of mothers billet, X-treem and the pink Metal wax. Metal wax looked the best imo.

Sharp shooter

03-23-2014, 08:06 PM

I'm just repolishing the engine stuff. My days of polishing from cast or machined are over, that stuff gets sent out.

Yeah I figured as much. That's all I do is touch up.

2manymustangs

03-24-2014, 05:49 AM

THis is the pink cotton candy/insulation looking stuff that I have used. It looks the same as X-treem:

http://www.wizardsproducts.com/store/catalog/Metal-Polish-30-oz-p-13.html (http://www.wizardsproducts.com/store/catalog/Metal-Polish-30-oz-p-13.html)

HB Vic

03-24-2014, 06:31 AM

Back in the day Blue Magic was the shit.

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Paul65K

03-24-2014, 06:34 AM

Back in the day Blue Magic was the shit.

Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkThat and Flitz

2manymustangs

03-24-2014, 06:42 AM

Back in the day Blue Magic was the shit.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That and Flitz

I used all of the different products on my harleys "back in the day" but I never used ANYTHING that worked like this pink cotton candy stuff. I was amazed... :)

HB Vic

03-24-2014, 06:53 AM

The truckers used to have a trick that involved diesel when cleaning their fuel tanks. I don't remember what it was, but it was a quick polish deal. I'll have to search my memory banks lol

Paul65K

03-24-2014, 07:19 AM

THis is the pink cotton candy/insulation looking stuff that I have used. It looks the same as X-treem:

(http://www.wizardsproducts.com/store/catalog/Metal-Polish-30-oz-p-13.html)http://www.wizardsproducts.com/store/catalog/Metal-Polish-30-oz-p-13.htmlBruce,

Would you recommend this or their "Metal Renew" for a larger area of oxidized aluminum.......12" X 18" overall surface area??

2manymustangs

03-24-2014, 07:43 AM

Bruce,

Would you recommend this or their "Metal Renew" for a larger area of oxidized aluminum.......12" X 18" overall surface area??

Yeeep, having only used the cotton candy stuff from Wizard, I would absolutely consider using it on something that large :) I cant comment on the "metal renew"...

Assuming that this stuff from Wizard (the pink cotton candy stuff) is essentially the same as x-treem I would go with what SharpShooter is suggesting... He has miles of aluminum to polish and his stuff looks great... :) See his post #22

I liked the wizard stuff because it seemed to work so easy (less elbow grease and not so messy)...

S.S. has way more experience in this area...

Paul65K

03-24-2014, 07:47 AM

Yeeep, having only used the cotton candy stuff from Wizard, I would absolutely consider using it on something that large :) I cant comment on the "metal renew"...

Assuming that this stuff from Wizard (the pink cotton candy stuff) is essentially the same as x-treem I would go with what SharpShooter is suggesting... He has miles of aluminum to polish and his stuff looks great... :) See his post #22

I liked the wizard stuff because it seemed to work so easy (less elbow grease and not messy)...

S.S. has way more experience...I wanted to polish up the spinner on the airplane which can not be modified legally (eg. chromed) but can certainly be polished. It stays in the hangar so not a lot of exposure to the elements but over a 20 year period of not being polished it is in need of a serious restoration.

I'm just wondering if the first time I should just take it off and bring it to a polisher and then just maintain monthly with something like one of the products above.....what do you guys think?

2manymustangs

03-24-2014, 08:04 AM

I wanted to polish up the spinner on the airplane which can not be modified legally (eg. chromed) but can certainly be polished. It stays in the hangar so not a lot of exposure to the elements but over a 20 year period of not being polished it is in need of a serious restoration.

I'm just wondering if the first time I should just take it off and bring it to a polisher and then just maintain monthly with something like one of the products above.....what do you guys think?

nothing ventured nothing gained... try the pink cotton candy stuff and see what u think, that is if you can afford the $15 price tag... ;) You wont end up looking like The Doctors son if you go this route, I can't even tell if that was Buzz or Paul in the picture... :LMAOsmiley:

my 2cents...

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