Anyone polish aluminum?

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If so what product and tool are you using? A while ago, I bought one of the Craftsman starter kits and it comes with various "rouge" in it and several wheels. It works okay but doesn't get the absolutely clear mirror finish I'm looking to get. I finished a Supercharger hat and it's "mirror like" but not almost clear. Any hints, tips or recommendations are appreciated. Oh, I put this topic here because when you're polishing, you're actually cutting the material. BTW - the English Custom Polish looks to be a good product and fairly reasonable in price. Comments>John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:Flitz it!!!...zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:My father worked for a Flitz distributor for a while. Awesome stuff. I use alot of it around my shop.It won't polish raw metal though of course. You need buffs and compounds for that.We have our own powder coating setup so I just use that instead.Patriot Performance AutoLincoln Power Mig 255CLincoln AC-225 StickVictor Journeyman O/AQuincy QT-5 Compressor
Reply:Rouge will give you the best shine.  Red is the finest, white is generally used for aluminum.
Reply:I've polished my fair share of the stuff so far. It really depends on the piece your working on which method you choose. Is the peice flat or irregular shape with alot of nooks and crannys? If the peice is mostly flat,  I just start with 200 grit then 400, then 800, then 1000, then 1500. Then I buff it by hand with Mothers alu. polish. The stuff works wonders. I've never been able to get the same finish with a buffing wheel and rouge compound. It is possible, but it just takes getting used to. Basically the first polish with the roughest compound is the most critical. You need to be sure to get all the heavy scratches out first. If you want that mirror like shine you need to have a mirror like surface.
Reply:Mostly flat sheet aluminum in 18 and 16 gauge. It seems odd to cut that thin with 200 grit. Would it be wise to start with 400 or 600? I also read that when you cut with the sandpaper, the direction of the following grit should be 90 degrees to the first cut...back and forth? Thanks again for the comments and suggestions.John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:try and find a chrome shop for big trucks,they have some great stuff to make aluminum shine.also a little trick try a little corn starch on a rag for the final wipe you'll be surprised how the corn starch gets all the black off and out of all the little corners and grooves.not my idea,but was at a truck show and saw the salesman in the back prep'n a rag to show how easy his product was to remove.that was BS ,it was the corn starch taking all the moisture out of the surface,lolhope it helps
Reply:I've done my share of polishing.  I use a 10" wheel on my lathe for big stuff, and smaller buffs in a die grinder for nooks and crannies.  As far as compounds go, it depends on the metal.  Don't use sandpaper if you want it to shine! The idea is to get the scratches OUT of the material.  Black emery is what you should start with.  It's for cutting and getting the scratches out.  Brown tripoli is good for aluminum and white rouge is better for harder metals, nickel chrome, stainless.  There are other compounds for soft metals used for jewlery.You don't want to use a high surface speed or you will cut a groove in the piece.  The actual rpm depends on the wheel size. A moderate surface speed is better with medium to light pressure.  Let the compounds do the work and work the compounds in stages like grits of sandpaper.  Finish with Mother's or something to keep the shine because it will tarnish.  Also, some aluminum castings are pretty porous and won't take to a mirror finish no matter how hard you work on it.  Be patient and wear eye protection w/ a dust mask and long sleeves.  Minimize the work area if possible because it's a messy job.Hobart 140 Handler w/ gasHyperTherm Powermax 380 Plasmaoxy/acetylene
Reply:Buehler makes a polishing compound called Metadi.  It's diamond dust suspended in a solution, it's very agressive and turn steel sanded with 1000 grit paper in to a near mirror finish in a very short time.  I don't know what it costs, though.
Reply:Eastwood company has plenty of polishing supplies to get you started also.www.eastwood.comPatriot Performance AutoLincoln Power Mig 255CLincoln AC-225 StickVictor Journeyman O/AQuincy QT-5 Compressor
Reply:Originally Posted by MicroZoneMostly flat sheet aluminum in 18 and 16 gauge. It seems odd to cut that thin with 200 grit. Would it be wise to start with 400 or 600? I also read that when you cut with the sandpaper, the direction of the following grit should be 90 degrees to the first cut...back and forth? Thanks again for the comments and suggestions.
Reply:another important part of the final polish is the wheel you are using...u can work around it with paste style polishes or metal magic but if not careful u can rub swirl marks right into your peice. also remember heat is your enemy!! as a final step drop to a loose section canton flannel buff.white rouge will bring out that perfect mirror just use very light pressure(ya want the buff to just barely feather the part)never use a buff to finish thats been used on steel or with any other buffing compound!!continously rake the buff to remove excess dried compound...it can also be handy to keep a peice of scrap aluminum around thats at that stage of polishjust use that peice on your freshly compounded wheel for a few seconds before ya swith to your actual peice..that will help avoid getting a buildup on your part-not crucial but helps to eliminate the extra time invovled with working the excess off.as a final wipe use a spray of good window cleaner and a very soft cottton cloth(new or freshly washed and dried seperately)do not rub part dry..gather the cloth into a loose ball and lightly buff the part drysome of the liguid spray and shine detaling sprays can be used as a final touch or to remove finger prints later!!
Reply:JRC, great information, thanks for sharing. Is the mini-cnc machine available still? I'd be interested in having a machine like that. How long did the converted wax prototyper last in total?John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:Simichrome is a soft, paste polish and cleaner for chrome, silver, aluminum, brass, and virtually any metal.  Meets Military Spec MIL P 6888 A (ASG).  I've used this on SS and chromed exhaust systems with good results.  No experience with aluminum.TeddCoHTP Microcut 400 & Invertig 160DC  Smith Dual Guard MD-510 OA Rig  Lincoln SP135+  Hobart Stickmate LX 235/160
Reply:Simichrome works great on everything, but it's expensive.
Reply:QUOTE=MicroZone]JRC, great information, thanks for sharing. Is the mini-cnc machine available still? I'd be interested in having a machine like that. How long did the converted wax prototyper last in total?[/QUOTE]My particular machine is not sold anymore. But the same company,  "Minitech"  still builds desktop cnc machines. They are a tad pricey though. Check ebay for deals on other machines. I've used the machine for almost a year of cutting al. It has been the coolest tool I've ever used. I just need to make some new leadscrew antibacklash nuts and I will be back in buisiness for another long while.
Reply:Thanks for the info. Yes, I've priced the 4x4 and 4x8 CNC plasma tables and they are expensive, at least in my book. So, i'm looking for other options.John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:Gotta agree with Matts Dad.I hadn't thought of it in forever but we used to use Corn startch on the DC-3 they had were I used to work, many moons ago.The plane was unpainted raw aluminum, when we finished polishing it, it  would always look kind of hazy like there was a film on the metal. The solution was to hand buff it a little with a clean soft rag and Corn startch.. .. ... (well a lot actually, have you ever seen how big a DC-3 is?) Attached Images
Reply:Great looking DC-3 there washman. That just reminded me of my up coming project. My mother owns a small 4 person Piper Cherokee that she wants me to strip and polish out. Then paint some red, white and blue stripes on. I love he look of a polished aircraft!Patriot Performance AutoLincoln Power Mig 255CLincoln AC-225 StickVictor Journeyman O/AQuincy QT-5 Compressor
Reply:Looks great washman, I'll give it a shot. Thanks.John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com