Topic: Polishing Aluminum

[douglascoolgrey]

Two questions for the price of one:
I'm all worked up to polish some aluminum on my '76 550f to a brite, brilliant shine. I don't want to over-do it. Any suggestions on what to polish? I was thinking of starting with the clutch cover and the lower front forks.

Any suggestions on mending the aluminum for the parts I don't shine? I want to de-oxidize, but it regular aluminum polish doesn't seem to do the trick.

[Chris Liston]

http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/alpolkit.htm

[Gordon]

When I have the engine out, I polish the left and right side engine covers, and the valve cover.  I start by wet-sanding with progressively finer grit and then finish with Mother's aluminum polish and a buffing wheel.  I do the forks, too, if they're pitted and oxidized.  Makes everything shine like chrome. 

[grumburg]

My cases were almost black, and was scraped around the shifter with boot marks. I started with 400 (sparingly) and went to 1000, then 2000 with lots of soapy water. Needed to get the old factory coating off. A friend loaned me some Mothers Billet Polish. I did one side with that and the other with regular Mothers Polish. The Billet side was much brighter and I took off a lot more oxidation when I did the other side. It costs twice as much, but seems to last longer and one container will last for years.

[douglascoolgrey]

Thanks for the tips, fellas.

Is there any way to get back to the factory dull-metal aluminum color, only without the "oxidation" and the other road/weather marks?

I'm planning shining some parts up, leaving some dull, and painting the rest glossy black.

[grumburg]

Stop after sanding with 400 and polish

[DRam]

I've had good luck polishing almost anything with machine glazing polish.  It's used in paint shops and auto detailing shops to take swirl marks out of clear coat and is available in auto supply stores.  Got it originally to put the final polish on my plane irons and chisels but found it works to renew scratched cd's, polish most plastic, metals, etc.  Great stuff and not too expensive.