Good job man, as a painter for 30 years all I can say is prep is the most important part and the finish goes faster. So many people want to jump right to the finish and wonder why it doesn’t look as good as others. Because they didn’t take time for the prep. Thanks for showing importance of it.
Thank you very much for showing me a few things not to do. Not to say that you're doing it wrong, but just realizing how much easier and faster I'm able to accomplish polishing aluminum
Great video! I can add just one important step. I would wash the piece with hot soap and water between the first "cutting" polish with your "black polish" and the next/last polishing step. If you should carry some of the first step into the last you'll not achieve the brightest possible finish. Thanks again!
I found using a 3M style abrasive wheel by Pryme MX worked great for a brushed aluminum finish instead of the high shine. Either way yours still looks excellent!
Fabulous video! Simple process explained in simple detail! Prior to this video, I was thinking, "I wonder how to clean up and polish a vintage aluminum shock body?" And, voila! Now I know the secret, too, and I subscribed to Keep On Wrenching. Thanks so much!
Wish i saw this about 2yrs ago. Im building a Smyth Ute conversion feom a jetta ,andni polished the aluminum pickup bed. Took me about 5mo of a few evenings a week,but it did come out great. I had some deep manufacturers scratches so i started with around 600 grit and worked up ro 1500-2000 before polishing it out. One interesting thing i found out: If you get done polishing a panel, and notice a scratch you missed and start to sand it out ,keep sanding the whole panel. youll never get it to blend in,the sanded area will always look different. When i thought i was done with a particular grit, id go over it with a eagle eye before moving on.
I agree with you with the Dawn and cleaning the part first then WD-40 and green scrub pad will scrub and clean that piece to polish it. These are the only steps needed then for a high polish then go with white diamond and a buffer pad.
Clean the part with degreaser and rag (5 minutes), Rub down with scotch brite mop wheel on drill, (10 minutes), Light wet sanding by hand (10-15 minutes), Use bench polisher to bring up shine, (15 minutes), I have similar types of cleaning to do at work which involves aluminium items that have been exposed to salt environments.
Hey! Im getting ready to add a ton of armor to a supertruck jeep gladiator project (bumpers fenders rockers all aluminum) plus polished wheels. The parts dont weigh much but they are larger than this. Would you suggest a handheld to polish them (im going to powdercoat them with a tinted clear afterward) Great video!
Interesting. I’ll have to test it out. Definitely not for prolonged exposure I would assume. Again, that’s pretty fume-full stuff. Working in my basement I lean towards stuff like the stuff in the video. Good ventilation, go for it with the nasty stuff!
I literally just did one of mine the other day to see how it would come out, and boy you made this way more difficult than it needed too be with all the washing in water and oaint remover. Lol .... I started with 80grit-120-220 to 600 then folllowed up with mothers on a pollishing pad that attached to my drill and it was done.
I found some stuff that is great at protecting these, and other metal finishes. It is pricey (about $43.50 for 1 rattle can last time I bought), but it goes a pretty long way and works good. I refinished my Harley aluminum wheels about a year apart. The most recent was about 2 years ago. As far as I can tell, they both look as good as day 1. You wouldn't know which one was year older. If you aren't going for the high polished "mirror" look (I did a brushed finish), I suggest doing a light surface conversion before coating for an extra layer of protection. It puts a microscopic layer of protection on the metal. A similar method is commonly used on aircraft parts. For a DIY/home version you can use lemon or lime juice, or even vinegar. You just wet it down with the juice and keep it wetted for a couple of minutes, then rinse. If you have tight nooks and crannies, I would suggest a bath with something to neutralize the acidity, then a good wash with something like Dawn Dish Soap. I did multiple light coats on my 2 wheels and still have quite a bit left that I have used on other stuff. I'd suggest 2 cans for a set of 4 car wheels. Good Luck! ✌😎
@@klubstompers Oops, LOL. It is called Sharkhide Metal Protectant. Good news! It looks like the price has improved. I see it online for $29.99! Time to stock back up I guess. Slightly higher on AMZ., but free shipping @$39.97. The manufacturers store shows it at $32.33 with tax, but that is before shipping. To me, shipping adds $7.60. save 4.04... LOL
@@KeepOnWrenching Then you're back to clear coat. In this case an expensive clear coat, but still a clear coat. I prefer to just use wax or ceramic and reapply yearly, because like you I hate clear coats because eventually you get leaks, then corrosion, then you are back to stripping and starting over.
Once finished you can protect the polished alloy by sealing it in with engineered alloy coating products like "Cerakote Clear MC-500" which is simple to apply and rated to 300*F so perfect for use on all alloy parts on bikes and engine bays & wheel rims etc
There's something most individuals miss or don't know about aluminum, ...yes, .. You can polish it up but there's also a limit to the shine you're trying to achieve… aircraft grade 6061 aluminum will polish up pretty nice... 7075 aluminum will polish up like Mercury because of the 7075 aluminum’s density... Things to take into consideration when polishing aluminum depending on desired results… just sayin…. There is a product called “Flitz” does wonders polishing aluminum…! 👍😎👌
Would this process work well for a factory painted quality aluminum mountain bike frame? I've watched some vids of guys thinking their method was going to work well but usually ends up being a lot more work than expected. All I'm looking for is getting it down to the aluminum with maybe a polished or semi polished look. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
The hard part will be stripping it, because it is likely powder coated. Powder coat resists most strippers because it is plastic. I haven't found an easy way to get that stuff off.
Just a thought if you polish aluminium then remove all traces of wax compound with vienna lime twice & then apply to a micro cloth ACF 50 which was designed to protect aluminium aircraft so its perfect & can be reapplied often to keep it nice 👍👍👍
I love how this is titled done in minutes. Step 2 leave it all night. Step 3 sand with multiple grits. Quite literally I can't think of a longer way to do this. This is indeed the long way. Not the wrong way to do it. Just very long and labeled as "minutes".
The clear coat is the challenge…what a PITA. everything else can be done in minutes. I didn’t specify how many minutes…minutes will vary. :) never really found a shortcut for this work.
Looks a lot better but I think that finer grit will get you better results. I can still see some scratches from previous grits . Perhaps going up to 1000 grit and then polishing ? Maybe the polished results will last longer if used finer grits . I myself am not a pro at this and I’m just thinking out loud . Pls correct me if I’m wrong . Do u think a clear coat on to of the finished results will help with keeping it looking polished ?
Citrus Strip is all sold out on Amazon. Brain what else would you use. Brain can I buy buffers for my mini grinder and use it for polishing ? Thanks for posting this.
Mini grinder/dremel would work for polishing if you can find heads. It’d take a lot more time. CS is at most hardware stores. You could always go the old school method with wet sanding in increments up to like 1200.
That’s probably about right minus waiting on stripping the clearcoat. Been hesitant to go the wire wheel route. Heard steel can get embedded and cause rust. Should that be a concern?
@@KeepOnWrenching no waiting time. No wire wheel. 120 grit then 240 then 500 on random orbital, then can 2 stage polish straight away, in the tighter area's near the caliper lugs had a modified pneumatic cut off wheel,
And avoid steel near aluminum, If I needed to strip anything first I used glass bead blaster, or just sand it straight away, never used chemical stripper,
@@jimprojectgoldwing5536 thanks for the reply! Appreciate that. My shop is in my basement so I like to keep dust down but may be worth a trip outside to expedite things. Really appreciate the follow up.
@@jimprojectgoldwing5536 excellent. Glad I didn’t cave to the wire wheel. I have a basement shop so the stripper works well for me avoid dust, etc. I guess I could always go outside! Thanks for the follow up.
If anyone does decide to go the distance on mirror polishing their aluminum. You might want to consider Sharkhide instead of clear coat. I think it might stand up to the elements a little better.
@@KeepOnWrenching They'll both take a polish, but the sharkhide is meant to be more uv resistant and will bond to the aluminum easier than the clear coat.
Nah, do what we do for show semi trucks, use sharkhide after polishing. It keeps wheels and tanks shiney through the winter road salt, but we also stay on top of the truck washes every week.
I will tell you what takes clear coat off aluminum is PVC PURPLE PRIMER, I used it on my chevy tailgate name plate, then polish it with mothers aluminum polish, it looked like chrome
De grease with brake cleaner, use a wire brush carefully on the bench grinder, then use polishing compound, much quicker no overnight stuff. You just have to be careful not to go deep with the wire brush as it will take out the aluminium if not careful. Oh and to keep that nice shine use clear coat, it may work or not, it may peel.
Yeah I’ve been tempted. Gotta be extremely careful, especially around any mating surfaces, etc. it could go wrong over fast. I’ve also read that the steel from the wheel can get embedded into the aluminum and cause rust. Tricky business. Not gonna lie, on my first bike I definitely used the wire wheel…albeit very carefully. :)
Quickest way to a mirror bright, brand new shine on aluminum: Spray on muriatic acid with a spray bottle, just like windex. Let the acid work for a minute but don't leave it on for more than a minute or it will "stain" making polishing more difficult. With a bit of practice you'll see how it works. Rinse the acid off with water. Last step is too polish the piece with a metal polish, not a wax, but a metal polish. It won't take more than a few minutes depending on the size of the piece of course.. I make transports look like rolling mirrors over a couple days 👍
Thank you for the detailed video, I'm currently doing the same process using a $20 bench grinder to do the buffing. Noticed in your video the rust on the studs, have you looked into restoring the studs on the bottom of the housing?
@@KeepOnWrenching I was curious if there's a way to re-plate the lost zinc layer. Do you know if the studs could be removed or if they are a permanent installation?
@@KeepOnWrenching I mention it only because you don't in the video. There is a fair amount of work getting AL presentable, but the job isn't really finished until you apply some sort of top coat. A lot of people don't understand how quickly AL oxidizes. You do a good job showing what a pain in the ass clear coat can be to remove, but don't talk about why it's there in the first place.
I watched a video that showed the guy polishing out aluminum using a dish scrubbing pad and water and then using Mother’s Aluminum polish and a microfibre cloth. It took him literally minutes and he had this kind of outcome
Good video and great commenters😊 FYI: The Citrus Strip works great but is Hyped up as safe due to it not having the smell like some of the other brands; it is just as harmful as those other brands. I think all the YT videos of people using it inside is insane and misleading as this is a chemical with the same hazards! It only takes a few minutes to look this up on the safety data sheet.
Anything is better than nothing. I have a big jar of turtle wax that I apply. Seems to work good enough. Some people clear coat, but that just means some poor soul will need to remove it again one day.
I worked at a shop that made those chrome dealership emblems that proceeded cheap plastic. Dirty, nasty job polishing that aluminum. 110 degree F, in that foundry. Summer off college job. Pretty good video. But you need to apply polishing compound more to your wheel. My efforts always looked like expensive chrome when finished.
Some were for sure. They look so clean polished tho. So, I’m going with that, plus…some bloke in the future won’t have to deal with that miserable clear coat. I have a personal vendetta with clear coat. Lol. Love me some clean polished aluminum! A purist can always paint them!
Dangerous stuff from what I hear. Contains Isocyanates. Respirator at all times with that stuff. I’ve used it to paint my rims 5 years ago. It expires after like 48 hours too
Good job man, as a painter for 30 years all I can say is prep is the most important part and the finish goes faster. So many people want to jump right to the finish and wonder why it doesn’t look as good as others. Because they didn’t take time for the prep. Thanks for showing importance of it.
Thanks for the comment. Prep is key for sure. It can make a huge difference
Lot of hours for something that takes minutes. That being said, very informative.
Thank you very much for showing me a few things not to do. Not to say that you're doing it wrong, but just realizing how much easier and faster I'm able to accomplish polishing aluminum
Great video! I can add just one important step. I would wash the piece with hot soap and water between the first "cutting" polish with your "black polish" and the next/last polishing step. If you should carry some of the first step into the last you'll not achieve the brightest possible finish. Thanks again!
Valid. Great point.
Not to mention cross contaminating the buffing wheels
Thanks for the lesson. Good video good work. I like when people are short and to the point with their videos.
Thank you!
didnt take minutes lol
I polished my forks with a polishing pad and a angle grinder. With harbor freight polish sticks. They came out great
Good idea!
I found using a 3M style abrasive wheel by Pryme MX worked great for a brushed aluminum finish instead of the high shine. Either way yours still looks excellent!
Nice! 3M pads are so useful.
Fabulous video! Simple process explained in simple detail! Prior to this video, I was thinking, "I wonder how to clean up and polish a vintage aluminum shock body?" And, voila! Now I know the secret, too, and I subscribed to Keep On Wrenching. Thanks so much!
That’s great to hear. It definitely takes some effort but the results are fantastic!
I never realized that Polish Dirty Aluminum was such a great substance! Go Poland!!
Lmao
Good to see others catch it.
Wish i saw this about 2yrs ago.
Im building a Smyth Ute conversion feom a jetta ,andni polished the aluminum pickup bed.
Took me about 5mo of a few evenings a week,but it did come out great.
I had some deep manufacturers scratches so i started with around 600 grit and worked up ro 1500-2000 before polishing it out.
One interesting thing i found out:
If you get done polishing a panel, and notice a scratch you missed and start to sand it out ,keep sanding the whole panel. youll never get it to blend in,the sanded area will always look different.
When i thought i was done with a particular grit, id go over it with a eagle eye before moving on.
I did a bunch of stuff by hand for awhile too…it can be done! Takes immense patience and dedication.
I agree with you with the Dawn and cleaning the part first then WD-40 and green scrub pad will scrub and clean that piece to polish it. These are the only steps needed then for a high polish then go with white diamond and a buffer pad.
That clear coat is like a tank’s armor. Can’t Polish through clear coat. That’s really the only difference. WD40 is very useful tho!
Nice job , learned something new , chrome finish , wow .
Glad you liked it!
Polish in minutes. Leave over night 🤔
it's minutes with a nap in the middle...but only if you have to deal with the dreaded clear coat. I hate that stuff!
@@KeepOnWrenching most have a clear anodized coating.
😂😂😂😂
😂😂
Hahahahah
Clean the part with degreaser and rag (5 minutes),
Rub down with scotch brite mop wheel on drill, (10 minutes),
Light wet sanding by hand (10-15 minutes),
Use bench polisher to bring up shine, (15 minutes),
I have similar types of cleaning to do at work which involves aluminium items that have been exposed to salt environments.
That’s about right. The clear really slows things down. But yeah…this took about 45 mins with the nap in between while the citristrip did it’s thing.
Hey!
Im getting ready to add a ton of armor to a supertruck jeep gladiator project (bumpers fenders rockers all aluminum) plus polished wheels. The parts dont weigh much but they are larger than this. Would you suggest a handheld to polish them (im going to powdercoat them with a tinted clear afterward)
Great video!
Well that was a nice surprise at the end , 68 cb 350 ,I`m working on a 71 and 72 but i looked this up to finish some stuff on my ZX12R THANK YOU !
You’re welcome!
I’ve always used oven cleaner to remove the clearcoat on aluminum I’ve been working on cars motorcycles and everything else for over 35 years.
I’m trying that! Thank you for the idea.
Oven cleaner will corrode aluminium!
@@sakriver5268 only if it’s left on. We used to strip the clear coating off of our Suzuki 1100s all the time.
The "clear coat" on the aluminum is clear anodizing and yes, oven cleaner is commonly used to remove anodizing, be it colored or clear.
Interesting. I’ll have to test it out. Definitely not for prolonged exposure I would assume. Again, that’s pretty fume-full stuff. Working in my basement I lean towards stuff like the stuff in the video. Good ventilation, go for it with the nasty stuff!
Well done young man, great video! I find so much valuable knowledge on TH-cam thank you
I appreciate that. Thanks!
I literally just did one of mine the other day to see how it would come out, and boy you made this way more difficult than it needed too be with all the washing in water and oaint remover. Lol .... I started with 80grit-120-220 to 600 then folllowed up with mothers on a pollishing pad that attached to my drill and it was done.
I guess I prefer the gentler approach. Lol
I found some stuff that is great at protecting these, and other metal finishes. It is pricey (about $43.50 for 1 rattle can last time I bought), but it goes a pretty long way and works good. I refinished my Harley aluminum wheels about a year apart. The most recent was about 2 years ago. As far as I can tell, they both look as good as day 1. You wouldn't know which one was year older. If you aren't going for the high polished "mirror" look (I did a brushed finish), I suggest doing a light surface conversion before coating for an extra layer of protection. It puts a microscopic layer of protection on the metal. A similar method is commonly used on aircraft parts. For a DIY/home version you can use lemon or lime juice, or even vinegar. You just wet it down with the juice and keep it wetted for a couple of minutes, then rinse. If you have tight nooks and crannies, I would suggest a bath with something to neutralize the acidity, then a good wash with something like Dawn Dish Soap. I did multiple light coats on my 2 wheels and still have quite a bit left that I have used on other stuff. I'd suggest 2 cans for a set of 4 car wheels. Good Luck! ✌😎
Thanks for the info!
Awesome, whats the name of it?
@@klubstompers Oops, LOL. It is called Sharkhide Metal Protectant. Good news! It looks like the price has improved. I see it online for $29.99! Time to stock back up I guess. Slightly higher on AMZ., but free shipping @$39.97. The manufacturers store shows it at $32.33 with tax, but that is before shipping. To me, shipping adds $7.60. save 4.04... LOL
@@KeepOnWrenching Then you're back to clear coat. In this case an expensive clear coat, but still a clear coat. I prefer to just use wax or ceramic and reapply yearly, because like you I hate clear coats because eventually you get leaks, then corrosion, then you are back to stripping and starting over.
100% agree. It doesn’t take too long to apply some wax each year. It’s actually kind of relaxing.
Wonderful work and result. Thank you for the video.
You’re welcome. Definitely an improvement!
Once finished you can protect the polished alloy by sealing it in with engineered alloy coating products like "Cerakote Clear MC-500" which is simple to apply and rated to 300*F so perfect for use on all alloy parts on bikes and engine bays & wheel rims etc
I’m definitely going to get some! Love it. Thanks for the tip.
Or you can go old skool and just use a wax polished like Turtle Wax.
Interesting methods...im a Professional Shine Guy also...its Very Rewarding
Very rewarding.
Congratulations on a very nice job
Thanks, man! Worth the effort for sure.
There's something most individuals miss or don't know about aluminum, ...yes, .. You can polish it up but there's also a limit to the shine you're trying to achieve… aircraft grade 6061 aluminum will polish up pretty nice... 7075 aluminum will polish up like Mercury because of the 7075 aluminum’s density...
Things to take into consideration when polishing aluminum depending on desired results… just sayin….
There is a product called “Flitz” does wonders polishing aluminum…!
👍😎👌
Thanks for the additional info!
Would this process work well for a factory painted quality aluminum mountain bike frame? I've watched some vids of guys thinking their method was going to work well but usually ends up being a lot more work than expected. All I'm looking for is getting it down to the aluminum with maybe a polished or semi polished look. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
If you strip it, you can polish it!
The hard part will be stripping it, because it is likely powder coated. Powder coat resists most strippers because it is plastic. I haven't found an easy way to get that stuff off.
Just a thought if you polish aluminium then remove all traces of wax compound with vienna lime twice & then apply to a micro cloth ACF 50 which was designed to protect aluminium aircraft so its perfect & can be reapplied often to keep it nice 👍👍👍
Definitely! Great point. I should do a follow up on how you can protect the hard work after. Love it. Thanks for the insight.
I love how this is titled done in minutes. Step 2 leave it all night. Step 3 sand with multiple grits. Quite literally I can't think of a longer way to do this. This is indeed the long way. Not the wrong way to do it. Just very long and labeled as "minutes".
The clear coat is the challenge…what a PITA. everything else can be done in minutes. I didn’t specify how many minutes…minutes will vary. :) never really found a shortcut for this work.
@@KeepOnWrenching,yes exactly.
I guess time flies when you are having fun!
Who cares about how long it took , as long as it's done right .
he was referring to the length of the video
Thanks for showing me the long way
You’re welcome. In all honesty…this is the most efficient way I’ve found to get great results. It takes time no matter what.
It’s actually like watching grass grow or paint drying! At least it was all done when I woke up, eventually
Good things come to those that wait! Lol
@@KeepOnWrenching I have lots to do, so might be waiting a long time, to even start lol
Looks a lot better but I think that finer grit will get you better results. I can still see some scratches from previous grits . Perhaps going up to 1000 grit and then polishing ? Maybe the polished results will last longer if used finer grits . I myself am not a pro at this and I’m just thinking out loud . Pls correct me if I’m wrong . Do u think a clear coat on to of the finished results will help with keeping it looking polished ?
stunning video super helpful thank you so much
This is the longest method ever
What's a shorter method? I mean, he could use some real stripper so the old clearcoat comes off without sanding, but you still need to sand it.
Nice video man! appreciate the help!
Thanks!! Good luck.
nice work, really in minutes done ; )
Technically
Sharkhide makes that shine last a few years easy. Ceramic coat makes it good 3-5 years.
I’ve heard good things about that stuff
This is exactly what i wanted to do on my Zündapp front fork also that aluminium
It took me a couple of seconds.
I read Polish aluminium, as in aluminium from Poland. Then the penny dropped 😄😄
LMAO
Citrus Strip is all sold out on Amazon. Brain what else would you use. Brain can I buy buffers for my mini grinder and use it for polishing ? Thanks for posting this.
Mini grinder/dremel would work for polishing if you can find heads. It’d take a lot more time. CS is at most hardware stores. You could always go the old school method with wet sanding in increments up to like 1200.
I used to do this for a living 20 years ago, Aluminum polishing. I could do a pair of bike forks start to finish in less than 90 minutes,
That’s probably about right minus waiting on stripping the clearcoat. Been hesitant to go the wire wheel route. Heard steel can get embedded and cause rust. Should that be a concern?
@@KeepOnWrenching no waiting time. No wire wheel. 120 grit then 240 then 500 on random orbital, then can 2 stage polish straight away, in the tighter area's near the caliper lugs had a modified pneumatic cut off wheel,
And avoid steel near aluminum, If I needed to strip anything first I used glass bead blaster, or just sand it straight away, never used chemical stripper,
@@jimprojectgoldwing5536 thanks for the reply! Appreciate that. My shop is in my basement so I like to keep dust down but may be worth a trip outside to expedite things. Really appreciate the follow up.
@@jimprojectgoldwing5536 excellent. Glad I didn’t cave to the wire wheel. I have a basement shop so the stripper works well for me avoid dust, etc. I guess I could always go outside! Thanks for the follow up.
Great tips. Thank you!
You are so welcome!
Thanks for posting Brian
My pleasure!!
Excellent job. Well done👍🏼
Thanks…at the end of the day it just takes time.
awesome work!! thanks for the great video
I am happy to share the process. It's been a lot of trial an error, but finally feel like I got it down. Thanks so much for the kind comment.
Amazing video👌
Great tutorial thanks!
You’re welcome! Pretty simple if you know the tricks.
If anyone does decide to go the distance on mirror polishing their aluminum. You might want to consider Sharkhide instead of clear coat. I think it might stand up to the elements a little better.
I’ve had that mentioned many times. Anything is better than nothing…especially putting more clearcoat into the mix.
@@KeepOnWrenching They'll both take a polish, but the sharkhide is meant to be more uv resistant and will bond to the aluminum easier than the clear coat.
Sharkhide is what we use on polished aluminum on our semi trucks. Holds up to salt and calcium chloride all winter
You can keep it "Mirrored" but it requires constant maintenance using metal polishes. It all depends how much effort you wish to do on appearance.
Totally. Keyword is constant.
Nah, do what we do for show semi trucks, use sharkhide after polishing. It keeps wheels and tanks shiney through the winter road salt, but we also stay on top of the truck washes every week.
I will tell you what takes clear coat off aluminum is PVC PURPLE PRIMER, I used it on my chevy tailgate name plate, then polish it with mothers aluminum polish, it looked like chrome
Wow I'm convinced, buying a new pair of forks now :)
De grease with brake cleaner, use a wire brush carefully on the bench grinder, then use polishing compound, much quicker no overnight stuff.
You just have to be careful not to go deep with the wire brush as it will take out the aluminium if not careful.
Oh and to keep that nice shine use clear coat, it may work or not, it may peel.
Yeah I’ve been tempted. Gotta be extremely careful, especially around any mating surfaces, etc. it could go wrong over fast. I’ve also read that the steel from the wheel can get embedded into the aluminum and cause rust. Tricky business. Not gonna lie, on my first bike I definitely used the wire wheel…albeit very carefully. :)
You can also burn the metal with a wire wheel, making any type of polishing, completely impossible, so don't let your piece get too hot.
Thank you for your content
You’re welcome!
great tutorial. thank you.
You’re welcome!
Thank you … great video and very clear
Thank you!!
Quickest way to a mirror bright, brand new shine on aluminum:
Spray on muriatic acid with a spray bottle, just like windex. Let the acid work for a minute but don't leave it on for more than a minute or it will "stain" making polishing more difficult. With a bit of practice you'll see how it works.
Rinse the acid off with water.
Last step is too polish the piece with a metal polish, not a wax, but a metal polish.
It won't take more than a few minutes depending on the size of the piece of course..
I make transports look like rolling mirrors over a couple days 👍
Will need to give that a try. Never messed with acids. Thanks for the tip.
Thank you for the detailed video, I'm currently doing the same process using a $20 bench grinder to do the buffing. Noticed in your video the rust on the studs, have you looked into restoring the studs on the bottom of the housing?
I’ll get to those studs later. Nothing a little run through the wire wheel can’t handle. Glad you enjoyed the video!
@@KeepOnWrenching I was curious if there's a way to re-plate the lost zinc layer. Do you know if the studs could be removed or if they are a permanent installation?
They can be removed. Nothing wrong with them functionally though.
Also, you can’t see them. New nuts and washers and you’re set.
@@jkucukov Eastwood makes some various plating kits that might be worth looking into.
Instead of CitrusStrip, I used tomato catsup which seems to have worked just as well!
I’ll need to try that.
Good video, thanks 👍
You’re welcome.
if you clear coat the mirrored finish aluminium, would the coat stick to the surface of the aluminium?
I would think you’d wanna scuff it with something. I don’t know. I never apply clear to these parts. Just keep them clean.
As a finish I would use wax or ceramic coat. Bare AL will corrode and leave pit marks if you leave it bare.
Regular maintenance without a clear coat is a must.
@@KeepOnWrenching I mention it only because you don't in the video. There is a fair amount of work getting AL presentable, but the job isn't really finished until you apply some sort of top coat. A lot of people don't understand how quickly AL oxidizes. You do a good job showing what a pain in the ass clear coat can be to remove, but don't talk about why it's there in the first place.
have you tried OVEN OFF not sented old style ( if and it is power coat ) the best I've ever used
I watched a video that showed the guy polishing out aluminum using a dish scrubbing pad and water and then using Mother’s Aluminum polish and a microfibre cloth. It took him literally minutes and he had this kind of outcome
When I saw the title, I initially thought that it was going to be about aluminum from Poland. 🙂
Lol
Can't you apply a coat of clear-coat to protect it, so that then all you have to do is maintain it?
You definitely can. Be sure to clean and degrease your part first tho!
Da look prappa prappa nice bai
Thank you, kind sir.
Great video and guidance as well. Thanks
Thanks so much!!
Good video and great commenters😊
FYI: The Citrus Strip works great but is Hyped up as safe due to it not having the smell like some of the other brands; it is just as harmful as those other brands. I think all the YT videos of people using it inside is insane and misleading as this is a chemical with the same hazards! It only takes a few minutes to look this up on the safety data sheet.
Good to know. Thanks for the info!
Citrus 🍋/ lemon turpentine smells kinda nice, but it's actually quite aggressive
Thank you
Is it essential to grab all these cleaning products or can I just pick them up?
There are lots of options, but dawn dish soap and sand paper IMO are kind of essential.
Nice job!Does this work on brake calipers?
Don’t see why not.
what wheels do you use for your bench polisher ? they look to no fray apart .
I believe these were just off the shelf at Ace.
I go to at least 600 before I start the polishing it make it go a little faster
I have an aluminum boat, how do you suggest I buff my boat? It is very dirty.
I’d just enjoy the boat.
Very cool 😎
Thanks!
thank you so much...
What polish/wax do you recommend after all this work?😊
Anything is better than nothing. I have a big jar of turtle wax that I apply. Seems to work good enough. Some people clear coat, but that just means some poor soul will need to remove it again one day.
Autosol is good
I worked at a shop that made those chrome dealership emblems that proceeded cheap plastic.
Dirty, nasty job polishing that aluminum. 110 degree F,
in that foundry. Summer off college job.
Pretty good video. But you need to apply polishing compound more to your wheel. My efforts always looked like expensive chrome when finished.
Thanks for the tip. I’ll start using it more.
I bet you had blackface at the end of each shift. I used a professional polisher, and I couldn't recognise him when he had washed his face
Advert for cleaning products !
Honestly, just the stuff I use.
So what's the difference between Polish aluminum and aluminum from anywhere else?
nice video. thank you jack black!
You’re welcome!
Wish you would have shown applying the compound before buffing
I put it on the wheel itself
I did this in 1 day, on the Sportster.
Very rewarding!
I prefer to sand the clearcoat off! 220 on a DA then steel wool then polish and buff
A DA would speed things up for sure. I just soften with the gel and then 220 by hand. Same concept. Need to get a da.
Does it work on Czech aluminium too?
I would assume do?
I feel like my weekend went fast… it only lasted minutes then I’m back to work 😂
Lol
No mention of how you protect the finish you achieved? Clearcoat?
You can…but someone will have to strip it off. Just use regular wax to protect. I really hate clear coat but I get it.
@@KeepOnWrenching Our temperate UK climate would no doubt hammer that lovely finish in no time!
Dude you could seriously do voice acting...Disney animated films, etc. ☺
I shall consider it!
NICE!
Better than it was!
You can also just sand it off n use a grinder and cut wheel
I’d be afraid that would be too aggressive on the soft metal
SCOTCH BRITE and Steel wool soaked in WD40 does a great job on aluminum. Crack a can of Nevr Dull Polish and "Rub One Out".
Will give it a try!
The only thing better than this is mowing the lawn in minutes over 2 days! 😂
Pretty much.
Would love to make the inside of my AR15 upper receiver look like a mirror!!
Lol
I only use dry sanding 100,320 and 800.just sand it hard u ll get mirror already then use some chrome pasta and polish it.
Scotchbrite is fantastic.
That can definitely make a dent in things!
That lower leg was originally painted, not polished, I believe.
Some were for sure. They look so clean polished tho. So, I’m going with that, plus…some bloke in the future won’t have to deal with that miserable clear coat. I have a personal vendetta with clear coat. Lol. Love me some clean polished aluminum! A purist can always paint them!
If you give it a high polish coat it when your done with bees wax. shine will out last any product you can buy.
I need to try that. Thanks!
He forgot to mention he ment a whole day worth of minutes 😂
Lol. The whole piece took about 45 mins with a nap in the middle. :) still the fastest way I’ve found to do it.
how will it stay shiny against the elements?
I usually just keep it clean and waxed. You can clear coat it with 2k though if you want.
Yeah I’d like to get it done and move on with my life. I heard of stuff called sharkhide and everbrite too
What is 2k?
@maryannkerr1433 great question. It’s SprayMax 2k clear. A fantastic rattle can clear coat. Google it. It’s like putting a bow on a wrapped package.
Dangerous stuff from what I hear. Contains Isocyanates. Respirator at all times with that stuff. I’ve used it to paint my rims 5 years ago. It expires after like 48 hours too
Sorry, they look great by the way
All good. We got there at the end of the day.
Nice
Thanks, Frank.