Buffing out Aluminum Parts???
6th Gear
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
RE: Buffing out Aluminum Parts???
I agree with with speed8988. A highspeed buffer and white jewerler's rouge works best. However Mother's metal polish works good with a lot of elbo grease. California Custom purple polish is better,if you can find it.
Club Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 14,564
Likes: 9,225
From: the 50s & the 60s
RE: Buffing out Aluminum Parts???
ORIGINAL: anubisss
Ok, I have found the post. You gotta scroll down a little to find the step by step, byt check out those sliders. They look great. You're welcome...https://www.hdforums.com/m_625460/tm.htm
Ok, I have found the post. You gotta scroll down a little to find the step by step, byt check out those sliders. They look great. You're welcome...https://www.hdforums.com/m_625460/tm.htm
Club Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 14,564
Likes: 9,225
From: the 50s & the 60s
RE: Buffing out Aluminum Parts???
ORIGINAL: anubisss
Thanks mud, I couldn't get it to work...
Thanks mud, I couldn't get it to work...
Clicked on the link. I remember when Tom May posted this.
Need to give it a shot my own self.
I like polished much better than chrome, pain in the *** upkeep though.
mud
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 867
Likes: 1
From: Texas
RE: Buffing out Aluminum Parts???
Road Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,124
Likes: 1
From: FootBaLL FieLD
RE: Buffing out Aluminum Parts???
I normally just go with Mother's Mag and the small Mothers Powerball with the extension. I did the wheels, trees, and derby today actually. Shines up real nice to me .... but I'm not lookin' for a chrome finish either.
PsTaN
PsTaN
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,035
Likes: 17
From: Houston Texas
RE: Buffing out Aluminum Parts???
Don't use sandpaper! You will make it so rough it will take ten times as long to smooth it down to a polish.
You would only use sandpaper if you have an aluminum casting that was popped out of the mold and not smoothed down....like an intake manifold or some such thing. Most M/C stuff is polished though. Silicone carbide (the black wet/dry paper) is the only type to use if you think you need paper. You can get a grade as fine as 2000 grit that will polish a baby's butt to a gleem, but I recommend you stay away from paper unless your surface is very rough.
I know others have said use a buffing wheel with rouge, and that will work. However, I happen to find the best way for me to polish out aluminum is using an electric or air grinder motor that has a quarter inch chuck. Sears sells the electric grinder. You can polish the covers and parts on the machine without having to remove them and carry them over to a floor buffer. You could use a drill motor too, but a higher speed grinder works best.
Next get yourself some felt wheels. These are sold as medium felt and hard felt. An industrial supply house sells these. Anyone who sells machine tool stuff will stock the felt and they are cheap. Get them online at Rex Supply or McMaster-Carr.
They come in different diameters and shapes (I use the 1 1/2 inch round) and have a 1/4 inch spindle. Use the white color hard stick compound for aluminum to begin with and finish with another clean felt wheel with Semi-chrome polish on it.
If you have stainless to polish then use the green color hard stick compound.
This felt really heats up! You will burn your fingers if you touch it after it comes off the aluminum and the creation of heat warms the metal and melts the stick compound at the same time. Black coming off....this is good!
All that black you see coming off is the oxidation you are wanting to remove to get a chrome look.
For info on polishing any kind of metal go to 'Carswell'. They are the experts.......pg
[IMG]local://upfiles/8331/8138DC89C2C74B7E8E4279710BF0C00E.jpg[/IMG]
You would only use sandpaper if you have an aluminum casting that was popped out of the mold and not smoothed down....like an intake manifold or some such thing. Most M/C stuff is polished though. Silicone carbide (the black wet/dry paper) is the only type to use if you think you need paper. You can get a grade as fine as 2000 grit that will polish a baby's butt to a gleem, but I recommend you stay away from paper unless your surface is very rough.
I know others have said use a buffing wheel with rouge, and that will work. However, I happen to find the best way for me to polish out aluminum is using an electric or air grinder motor that has a quarter inch chuck. Sears sells the electric grinder. You can polish the covers and parts on the machine without having to remove them and carry them over to a floor buffer. You could use a drill motor too, but a higher speed grinder works best.
Next get yourself some felt wheels. These are sold as medium felt and hard felt. An industrial supply house sells these. Anyone who sells machine tool stuff will stock the felt and they are cheap. Get them online at Rex Supply or McMaster-Carr.
They come in different diameters and shapes (I use the 1 1/2 inch round) and have a 1/4 inch spindle. Use the white color hard stick compound for aluminum to begin with and finish with another clean felt wheel with Semi-chrome polish on it.
If you have stainless to polish then use the green color hard stick compound.
This felt really heats up! You will burn your fingers if you touch it after it comes off the aluminum and the creation of heat warms the metal and melts the stick compound at the same time. Black coming off....this is good!
All that black you see coming off is the oxidation you are wanting to remove to get a chrome look.
For info on polishing any kind of metal go to 'Carswell'. They are the experts.......pg
[IMG]local://upfiles/8331/8138DC89C2C74B7E8E4279710BF0C00E.jpg[/IMG]
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,033
Likes: 29
RE: Buffing out Aluminum Parts???
I have a bench top buffer, a pile of 8 inch wheels, and all the compounds needed for polishing. It's the only way to go if you are serious about polishing out aluminum. You can get everything you need to get started for about 200 bucks or so.