Shining Aluminum

[sphelps]

Hi everyone ! I started this tread hoping to get all the idea,s from who ever has any on shining aluminum trim . The subject has been discussed here and there on several threads but I thought it would be nice to put it on one thread for future crew members . I am in no way an expert on the subject . All I know is it can be a real pain .LOL ! Please feel free to post any helpful tips , video,s , links ,or whatever . Here is a small video I made . Sorry I am not the best at making vids . Just click the pic ..

Thanks everyone !

 

[GT1000000]

Re: Shining Aluminum

Thanks Sam...excellent how to video...
I'll be back with the powered version in the near future...

 

[Decker83]

Re: Shining Aluminum

Great vid SP..
Was the rub rail anodized or just bare aluminum before you started sanding?

 

[sphelps]

Re: Shining Aluminum

.
I'll be back with the powered version in the near future...

Awesome ! Anything to take the elbow grease out of it .

Great vid SP..
Was the rub rail anodized or just bare aluminum before you started sanding?

Not sure but the Mothers turned black so I think that is a sign of non-anodized . Plus it's getting close to 50 yrs old ..

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Shining Aluminum

Yep it's non anodized. That's pretty much exactly what I did on the BF except I wet sanded and only applied the mothers with a damp rag not the sand paper or 3M pad. Either way will work Great. The Mother's is unbelievable how it works on Un-anodized aluminum. Just rub till it turns black then wipe off with a damp rag and then buff. It'll shine like Chrome. Nice job Sam!!!

 

[Bondo]

Re: Shining Aluminum

Ayuh,.... I Play with aluminum Alot, besides on my barges,...

It really don't matter how hard ya try, as soon as yer done Polishin', aluminum starts to oxidize,...

Back when I built my semi-ridged bimini, I SSteel wire brushed that thing, 'bout a Million times, with all the weldin' I did, puttin' it together,...
'n then I wire brushed it All 1 last time, All at the same time...
The followin' morn, I shot the whole thing in clear rustoleum lacquer, with a rattlecan...

It's aged well, 'n the clear hasn't peeled, at All...
But it's still more greyish, than the night I wire brushed it Shiny....:blue:

 

[Decker83]

Re: Shining Aluminum

All my aluminum is anodized.. Guess the sanding would be bad for mine..:nono:

 

[sphelps]

Re: Shining Aluminum

Bond-o , clear coat sound interesting but I think I will just rub a good coat of wax on to protect the shine somewhat .

Decker , You would have to take the anodize off if you want it to shine . Some really good drain cleaner will work if you want to go that route ..

 

[gm280]

Re: Shining Aluminum

I like your video as well but wonder why you would start with such an aggressive grit paper? 80 grit paper will take off a lot of aluminum when you could have started with a less aggressive grit. But I wasn't there and don't know the true condition of your rail to start with. Also, once you get close to the finish you want, try using polishing compounds and a buffer wheel on a drill or even an angle grinder and watch the magic happen. It takes the elbow grease out of the effort and does it so quickly that it really does look like magic. Give it a try... Then either wax it good OR clear coat it with a good clear finish...

 

[sphelps]

Re: Shining Aluminum

gm , there was good bit of deep pits and scrapes . The 80 seemed to cut it faster than the 100 or 120 . I have tried the buffer on a drill and I have a bench grinder set up with a buffing wheel . From my experience just the buffer does not get it down far enough without sanding. Like you said get it close then put the buffer to it .
Btw my bench grinder is set up outside on a post with a plastic garbage can covering it . A bird has built a nest with eggs under it and the Admiral has informed me that I am not to disturb it ! :facepalm:

 

[Decker83]

Re: Shining Aluminum

Thanks for the tip SP.. I don't think I want to remove the anodizing.. Just need to clean it up and make it look better..

Don't mess with the eggs dude..:drama:

 

[Patfromny]

Re: Shining Aluminum

Hey Sp I used to do alot of polishing way back when on automotive trim and The grinding wheel is the way to go if available. There was a green very gritty compound bar that got out most scratches for us. It took parting lines off our new eblems on white metal prior to chroming From what I can remember just redressing the wheel alot and plenty of the green heavy grit compound did the trick. As you step down in grit size you will have to redress the wheel more. I will say that it is plenty dangerous especially on the edges and shouldn't be done without using extreme caution. You could get some nasty cuts and ruin the piece if the wheel catches an edge and pulls the piece through the wheel (alot easier to do then you would think). I also remember plenty of burns on my hands from the heat produced. That was mainly while polishing car emblems though and not stainless. One more piece of advice if anyone wants to use a grinding wheel is to leave all covers on the machine if possible. it will cut down on compund and pieces of the polishing wheel fabric from getting all over you. We built a plastic cover over the top and used a small exhaust box for small project painting to catch as much as possible. Hope this helped

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Shining Aluminum

Thanks for putting that up there phelps! Yah, I hear ya, that job is a ton of work, no doubt.

One thing I don't think I've seen mentioned here yet is once you finish, and everything is all purdy you can...

Sharkhide

...to protect that raw alum.

Rock on man:rockon:

 

[sphelps]

Re: Shining Aluminum

Thanks guys for all the response !
Patfromny , do you mean like a grinding wheel type grinding wheel ? Or a buffing wheel on a grinder ? Yep and your right you have to be careful it will sure snatch things out of your hands ..
jasoutside, The Sharkhide looks like some pretty good stuff . I wonder why they temporarily stopped making it in the spray can .

 

[Patfromny]

Re: Shining Aluminum

Thanks guys for all the response !
Patfromny , do you mean like a grinding wheel type grinding wheel ? Or a buffing wheel on a grinder ? Yep and your right you have to be careful it will sure snatch things out of your hands .

Sorry SP I meant a buffing wheel on a fixed bench grinder using a conicle arbor. Using blocks of compound that look like ingots. Push the compound into the polishing wheel to load it up and go to town. We used it to polish parting lines and imperfections on new emblems before sending to chrome but we also polished drip rail moldings; pinch weld moldings; and other stainless pieces on old firebirds camaros and gtos. Still alot of work but when done right the pieces looked brand new. We took off the saftey covers but built a plexi box around it like a sneeze guard on a salad bar so you could still see the work and work the piece through the bottom and out the back while keeping all the gook off yourself. Hope I explained that a bit better. My typing is usually ahead of my mind and I usually just confuse more than clairify. sorry about that.

 

[Decker83]

Re: Shining Aluminum

The sharkhide looks to be great stuff.. I wonder if it will work on the anodized alumimun..

 

[GT1000000]

Re: Shining Aluminum

By request from "sphelps"

Here is a video on polishing aluminum with an air powered D/A...