If you are looking for a way to protect your newly polished aluminum, check out *SharkHide Metal Protectant.* I have been coating all of my newly polished parts with sharkhide for over a year now, and have had much better results with SharkHide than using clear-coat spray paint or other similar products. I plan to make a video showing how to best use it on polished parts, but in the meantime I wanted to let you all know what I use, since there have been many comments asking how to protect the mirror finish. Here's a like to where you can pick some up. sharkhidestore.com/products/sharkhide-metal-and-aluminum-protectant
A couple of tips; Strong cotton like some denim is better than microfibre soft cloth, it will polish quicker. Mix the polish 50/50 with vaseline, it wont dry out and you use much less polish. Also, the metal surface will be more water resistant and ths polished effect will last longer without needing repolishing.
@@Loosetweezers .. if you mix paste polish with vaseline it will last to do the whole job. Eventually the fabric will clog up with black metal particles.
You might make a good head start that way, but what you're trying to do is eliminate steps. Polishing is never a one-step process. It takes multiple passes with reducing grades of abrassive quality to get the shine and the mirror reflectiveness.
Thank you for this, I have been trying to sand from 220-3000 and have had nothing but issues. This is going to save me weeks of work! This is one of the best things I have seen on TH-cam, ever.
Sanding like that only removes scratches and pitting in aluminium. It prepares it to then be polished just like in the video. Give it a good Sand with 240, then 400. Polish it with 800, 1500 then 3000. Use WD 40 with the higher grits to clean as you go. Then use the polish 👌
You mean you don't want to see a video with their back story, and updates, personal life, relationships, emotional struggles, mistakes and future plans? What kind of a egotistic person are you? Joking.
I've cleaned aluminium tubing on hang gliders - just with buffing compund. What I've found is that you need to cover it with wax polish to stop it corroding.
Good job! WD-40 was designed to clean aluminum. You used it exactly as it is designed. It's a solvent not a lube. Short to the point video with no stinkin' music. A formula for success.
Mr.Green knows his history. WD-40 was designed to clean. Clean aluminum missile fuselages. The missiles would have dew on them in the morning. The dew would dry and the missile bodies would have a white flaky residue. It was the 40th try at finding something that would clean and protect the raw aluminum. Now you know Sir.
MY MAN!! I love people who take the time out to educate how to do things that may seem complicated to most, but keep is simple so anyone can do it. Cheers to you brother
Awesome! I just tried this on an old motorcycle that we restored and in the final stage before selling it. This worked awesome to get the dull faded engine covers clean and shiny again! Thank you!!
watched tons of videos to help me with my horton hauler trailer.....you, a very young man, created the best, most comprehensive video. You went right to the point and just wanted to tell you THANK YOU!!!!!
For this type of method you can use Never Dull because it works better than Mothers and its already in a cloth you tear apart out of the can. Also after your done like you were, use baby powder on o clean rag and it will remove all the black from it for even more shine and clarity. Ive been polishing my semi trucks for 35 years so ive learned a lot about what works and so on. If you have pitted or rough aluminum you can also sand it back to smooth. Great job....
I like using Never Dull too and not just on aluminum. Since you have been using this so long... do you have a way of making the lid on the can not stick on so tight?
This video should be higher on tbe ranks. Been looking for a good by hand video. Thank you! All the other videos I've found use power tools. Good work!
If you want this to be a 'one time' polish event, these are not the right chemicals to use. What you are doing is two things. 1: You are removing aluminum oxide (aluminum 'rust') with the WD40, 2: You are temporarily sealing the aluminum from getting oxygen and re-oxidizing. Now, if you want to strip ALL aluminum oxide from the frame, you want to use Phosphoric Acid, not WD40. It's not a terrible acid to work with, but for large areas, you will want to use good ventilation and rubber gloves (Nitrile). Do the same process with the Scotchbrite pad, but use the Phosphoric Acid (uncut...often sold as an 'etchant'...and some 'stump removers' sold at the hardware store have it in them, as well). Scrub the frame down...doesn't take much, just a few passes. The aluminum will 'gray up more'...this is chemical conversion of Aluminum Oxide to Aluminum Phosphate...which acts almost like a 'primer'! Now, wipe it down GOOD...any traces left, help block oxygen from getting to the frame again. 2: You DO have to polish that aluminum frame! If you apply Mother's aluminum polish, it has wax, and will prevent your final step from working...OR...you can wax it with Mother's, but you'll have to re-apply...just not as often as with the WD40 process. Either use a buffer and some jeweler's rouge or other aluminum 'buffing compound'...bring it to a mirror sheen...and lastly, you now have pure, stripped-and-polished aluminum...either ANODIZE the frame (colors...red, blue, green, etc.), or CLEAR COAT THE FRAME (this is the process that commercial wheel manufacturers use, once desired polish is reached)...simple automotive clear coat will FOREVER stop future oxidation (unless the clear coat is scratched or chipped)...it's your choice, but for a 'bike builder' professional grade finish...this is how it's done. By the way, Phosphoric Acid will also remove all kanker rust from iron as well, and turn what is left into 'Iron Phosphate', the base pigment in gray auto primer...works well on old hard-to-find parts, as a way to prevent them from 'melting away from rust'. On iron, an excellent 'cheap anodizing' can be found with Casey COLD-BLUING (like you would use on firearms)...while it doesn't give a 'hot phosphate coating', it WILL prevent rust and result in a beautiful 'blue-gray' finish on what would otherwise be 'raw iron/steel'.
I gotta say this video was a gem.... I was using Power Green and sandpaper, for my NInja 600 and to no avail. Love the details and precise steps. Awesome!
Thanks for watching the video! Feel free to leave a comment. The abrasive I'm using is the *"Type A Very Fine"* grade pad. Which is also known as the *07447 pad.*
The WD-40 worked great. I used a grey Scotch-Brite then mothers with vaseline. I rubbed with micro fiber and used a swatch of thin Suede swatch. It's like a magic eraser. I bet you could use a magic eraser too. It didnt get out big scratches but really smoothed it out and made it shine. Not as good as yours but I was using 1 inch square aluminum tubing for a shop jig. Thanks!
Excellent find! I'll use this to get a mirror finish on an aluminum starburst and several cast aluminum lamps. They have an unfinished matte look to them and this refinement will greatly improve their appearance. Thank you, young man!
You wont get a mirror finish like that. There are scratches all over that frame still. Best way is to use a die grinder with the right rouge wheels and rouge.
I just picked up a 12ft aluminum boat and I've been trying to figure out the best approach to clean it up. I'm thinking this might be it. I'll try to update with how it goes and the effort needed. Hopefully it will help others as this video helped me!
@@chasemckenna4361 okay, so.... It required a bit more effort than I anticipated since it had probably 30 years of boating buildup on it. Tried many different things just to see what worked best. For me, what worked best was wd 40 and blue scotch pad to get the top layer of stuff off and then a 'gator' brand 'fine sanding sponge' with wd 40. I'm still not done but next I'll use wd 40 and 400 grit wet paper and then maybe 600 after that. A quick hit with some red jewelers rouge I had with a buff wheel turned the matte look to almost mirror shine with only the gator pad and no 400 or 600grit pad. Hope this helps someone! Thank you for the video, also for the reply!
Great video, my friend, very friendly, courteous, and knowledgeable. I've used Mothers on aluminium before, but never had these results. Thank you very much!
Thanks for the great video! I just repacked a Jardine RT-4 canister for an '09 KLR-650 that I picked up this summer and while I had it off the bike and apart, I thought I'd try your method of making it look "new" again. I stopped short of the "mirror finish", but I have to say...it actually looks like a brand new brushed aluminum can again! Keep up the good work and ride safe!
Thanks man, the pontoons on my boat after a month in salt water had barnicals and after cleaning that off The toons still look terrible and they used to shine, so I'm going to try this.
Off the main subject a little, but may help with the barnacles. before making our 3000 mile trip every year I spray my car bumper, part of hood & back side of mirrors with WD-40. Bugs wash right off & no harm to paint.
I've been using WD-40 with 0000 steel wool on the garbage aluminum windows in my house. It doesn't leave any scratches, but the disintegrating wool does make a bit of a mess. That bike looked better without the mirror finish.
WD-40 is a miracle invention. It took 40 tries to perfect it. I swear you can even brush your teeth with this stuff. It’s uses are endless. Try it on your plastics on your bike after a hard ride/race after you wash it. Takes those scratches right out.
Glad to help. I’ve gotten good results with just the polish too, but the wd40 really helps when the aluminum has any oxidation on it. The wd40 and scotch brite removes the oxidation/corrosion so when you go to polish, you are polishing pure aluminum and not the oxidation on top of the aluminum.
Right on man! I got a hell of a deal on some awful looking aluminum rims the other day, I was just gonna wire wheel the oxide off and call it a day, but this looks so easy that I may have to shine em up👌🏼 great video
What grit Scotch Brite are you using ? Great secret dude. I love polished aluminum and polish it a lot. Will be using your method and telling others. Nice job !
Thanks man! I'm using the "Type A Very Fine" grade pad. Its grit is from the 320 to the 400 range. You can find it the easiest by searching 07447 pad in your browser. Thanks for the comment!
Thank you. Was looking for something like this. I appreciate that a lot of TH-camrs have professional setups but this is more "average Joe" I'll give this a try. Cheers.
Wow! I kept going back through the video trying to find the other 5 steps between the WD40 and the Mothers polish I must have missed! Incredible!.Thanks buddy..
I have to admit, I was skeptical when I saw this, but what did I have to lose. I tried this on my Honda Aero Forks and to say the least, it worked exactly as you displayed! I couldn't believe it, because I had all I needed in the garage. Thanks for sharing such an inexpensive way to restore to restore aluminum/chrome.
Well impressed at that I recently bought a pre loved alloy mountain bike which is a bit tarnished. I'm looking forward to giving it a go. Thanks for the upload
Works well indeed! I have done this many times with Blue Coral brand polish & a small buffer. ALWAYS turns out great. However, If this is not sealed after polishing you'll have to do it EVERY TIME. It really gets old.
As a Streetbike guy who likes polished mag wheels I have experience with this. I generally prefer a power drill with a buffing wheel attached, saves a LOT of arm work. But the concern with this is that the mirror shine you have there won't LAST; bare aluminum will oxidize quickly. So I will often put a coat of good paste wax over it. You might lose a little "mirror", but you won't have to keep after it so much.
Right you are...as an Airstream Guy, that is why all Airstreams come with a clear sealer coat over the aluminum. But still they all require polishing periodically depending upon on how much shine you lose or how much you want to keep. Where you live and what you do will also dictate how long you keep the finish. Eliments play and big part in the oxidation. Any metal polish will work to get you started, but most Airstream owners who want that mirror quality look like NU-VITE Nu-Shine. There is also a good product called Star Brite that I found at Lowe's Home Center next to the Aluminum diamond plate tool boxes and it was quite a bit cheaper. For a finish I like McGuires Mirror Shine. It's pricey at about 26 bucks a quart when I bought it in 2016 but it lasts a long time (still have the same bottle almost 3/4 full) because at that stage of polishing you don't need near the amount of product. Like the old Brill Creme Commercial: "A Little Dab 'll Do Ya".
@@Rowels_Darling I've tried a number of paste polishes for my streetbike's wheels... the one I use most often is "Blue Magic" polishing cream. You spread a light film over the surface, wait a few minutes, then the oxidation comes right up on a rag or better, a buffing wheel.
I stripped my bike and wanted a nice mirror finish but everyone said to use sand paper. yesterday i blight some scotch brite and wd40 and it’s been working wonders. thank you sir
I want to thank you for making this video I am 64 years old and have never heard of this...I polished my ass off for hours on my bikes forks and couldnt get a good shine.... Then I tried your method,,,, I was amazed at the result a lot less work and a lot quicker too...HATS OFF TO YOU BRO
Nice! I am restoring a Moto Guzzi keep trying to get the rocker covers to shine like chrome as i have seen examples of. I see a little debate in the comments and i am banking on the "WD40 is a solvent not a lube" and the claim it was designed for stuff like this because i work my ass off with different abrasives and have yet to achieve the desired results yet you achieve it in 5 minutes.
I just learned something so simple that blew my mind. Screw all these bs expensive aluminum cleaners. Thank you for not only showing me how to conplete the job but to do it cheap. 👍👍👍
Greetings sir! This is such a great video tutorial in terms of polishing! I have a question though, does this also work with bike frames that are alloy? Thank you for any response kind sir 🤝
Thanks for the nice comment! When you say alloy are you asking about steel? I haven’t tried this method on steel, but I do not think it will work since steel is so much harder than aluminum.
Thanks! Unfortunately I don’t have any experience with oxidized paint, but Junkyard Digs here on TH-cam does. He has several videos of buffing and polishing paint that have some very good information.
Mother's is a great product . L used it on my dull aluminum mag wheels ( with an electric variable speed buffer ) and they looked almost brand new again ' it's great stuff ! 👍🇺🇸🙏
I just bought a old GT Performer that is black, I stripped off the paint and got it down to the aluminum which looked hazy, I’m going to try this method and pray it works to make it shine like this!
I haven’t tried it with any other scotch brites, but I imagine it’ll still work. I use 0000 grade steel wool sometimes and that works good. Just takes a little longer.
Awesome! I just got a new CNC Aluminum grill for my car and I wanted to get it chrome plated to get it to shine but I’m going to do this instead and save some money! Great results and really easy to do! Thanks a lot!!!
You're going to need to put some protectant on that grill such as a ceramic coating of decent quality or you wish you never did it cuz it will come back and haunt you real quick. It's a great trick and it's been known for years and this kid just brought it to light for a lot of people who didn't know, the only problem is it will not stay that way unless you put some type of protectant on it and I don't mean just wax.
You are absolutely right. Skin absorption of chemicals is a very real thing. Take a look the chemicals in these products individually and then look them up. WHMIS is a good place to start and see what the precautions for each of them is.
Specifically the aluminum in the Human body causes Alzheimer - the Petro-Chemicals can be broken down by the Liver. Throw away ALL your aluminum pots and pans - buy Stainless, cast iron or glass.
The secret is what media to start with . I would have started with 220 or 280 grit wet sandpaper I would start on a deep scratches first then a once over with 320 to 400 . I'd finish with 600 to 800 grit then polish with whatever you think's best. I think that red pad is equivalent to 400 sandpaper they have a white pad and I think it's 800 to 1,000 grit . If you have a drill , you can buy like 15 to 20 different polishing pads with 4 different types of firmness plus attachments for your drill for under $20 on eBay . The last thing I would do is coated it with something like shark skin or I think it's crc. I will tell you this I had some polished rims I coated them with WD-40 . I let them sit for over 10 years pulled them out, cleaned with my power washer and it looked like I just pulled them out the box . I know it's just a dirt bike but I can see at least four or five vertical scratches after you polished it . But at least you're trying and that's more than most kids are doing your age . Never stop learning because as soon as you do, that's when you start getting old .
Thank you sir for all of the great advice! The next time I polish aluminum I’ll try the sand paper method that you’ve described here. Thanks again for the advice and the great comment!
Mark Morris, guess what? I’m 76+ y/o and have never stopped learning, but, old age keeps coming, no matter if a person is a dunce or genius. Old age happens, but, I understand what your meaning is. The worst things about old age is, trying to remember people’s names and finding places to pee! And a few other things, but I can’t remember what! Lol! Lol!
Thanks! I’d say the pad I used (7447) is the max for surfaces that are already smooth to begin with. If you have something with more bumps and scratches, then a rougher pad would be good. But for this project with some light to medium scratches the 7447 pad did the trick👍
![PASULOL รามเกียรติ์ ตอนที่ 4 นนทกพบรัก [Ramakien Ep.4: Nonthok in love]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/tMUQgmZzf_A/mqdefault.jpg)
If you are looking for a way to protect your newly polished aluminum, check out *SharkHide Metal Protectant.* I have been coating all of my newly polished parts with sharkhide for over a year now, and have had much better results with SharkHide than using clear-coat spray paint or other similar products. I plan to make a video showing how to best use it on polished parts, but in the meantime I wanted to let you all know what I use, since there have been many comments asking how to protect the mirror finish. Here's a like to where you can pick some up.
sharkhidestore.com/products/sharkhide-metal-and-aluminum-protectant
I'll be damned. In my 20+ years of detailing cars and boats, I never even thought about this. Awesome video young man, thanks for the tips!
Yea, drugs are bad…
Thanks! Glad to help👍
I love it when young people make how to videos like this! Good job man! I’m going to try this on my aluminum trailer fenders!
Thanks, and good luck on your fenders!
Hes actually 60 he has the Benjamin button thing
Better to stay in school and become a doctor or lawyer....
@@marceloandahai7159 🤣
@@jimj2683 sarcasm? or
A couple of tips;
Strong cotton like some denim is better than microfibre soft cloth, it will polish quicker.
Mix the polish 50/50 with vaseline, it wont dry out and you use much less polish. Also, the metal surface will be more water resistant and ths polished effect will last longer without needing repolishing.
I’ll have to try that out. Thanks for the tips!
How long does the polish last?
I'd love to see your brief video but this was a good start.
@@Loosetweezers .. if you mix paste polish with vaseline it will last to do the whole job. Eventually the fabric will clog up with black metal particles.
You might make a good head start that way, but what you're trying to do is eliminate steps. Polishing is never a one-step process. It takes multiple passes with reducing grades of abrassive quality to get the shine and the mirror reflectiveness.
in 4 minutes I went from clueless to competent. solid work on this great video. I'm impressed.
Glad I could help! Thanks for the comment!
Thank you for this, I have been trying to sand from 220-3000 and have had nothing but issues. This is going to save me weeks of work! This is one of the best things I have seen on TH-cam, ever.
Glad I could help! Thanks for leaving a great comment!
Sanding like that only removes scratches and pitting in aluminium. It prepares it to then be polished just like in the video.
Give it a good Sand with 240, then 400. Polish it with 800, 1500 then 3000.
Use WD 40 with the higher grits to clean as you go. Then use the polish 👌
same, except i have grits all the way to 7000 grit starting at 80 grit. then all polishing compounds by hand. shit took forever
Short and sweet and to the point. What any youtube tutorial should be
Thanks!
You mean you don't want to see a video with their back story, and updates, personal life, relationships, emotional struggles, mistakes and future plans? What kind of a egotistic person are you? Joking.
I've been polishing from painted to bare for years, an gotta say I'm impressed young man.
I never knew you could have a mirror finish without power tools. The more you know. Good job.
Yeah neither did I until I was experimenting with WD-40 and scotch bright. Thanks for your comment!
@@projectdirtbikes you're welcome!! I was a bit surprised that it worked!!
The ARM is the original power tool 👍
Shortest and simplest aluminum polishing video and yet the best one out there!
Thanks! This means a lot!
I've cleaned aluminium tubing on hang gliders - just with buffing compund. What I've found is that you need to cover it with wax polish to stop it corroding.
Good job! WD-40 was designed to clean aluminum. You used it exactly as it is designed. It's a solvent not a lube. Short to the point video with no stinkin' music. A formula for success.
WD-40 was designed as a “WATER DISPERSANT,” hence the name. It was originally intended to protect munitions.
Wd-40 is for to prevent rust.
@@michaelgreen7028 correct-a-moon-do.
Mr.Green knows his history. WD-40 was designed to clean. Clean aluminum missile fuselages. The missiles would have dew on them in the morning. The dew would dry and the missile bodies would have a white flaky residue. It was the 40th try at finding something that would clean and protect the raw aluminum. Now you know Sir.
@@davidsawyer1599 it was to prevent the morning dew as a water dispersant.
He makes this look easy no lie last hour ive been fighting this bike crank arm like crazyyyyyy
MY MAN!! I love people who take the time out to educate how to do things that may seem complicated to most, but keep is simple so anyone can do it. Cheers to you brother
Awesome! I just tried this on an old motorcycle that we restored and in the final stage before selling it. This worked awesome to get the dull faded engine covers clean and shiny again! Thank you!!
Oh, nice! I was just asking about this. I'm trying to polish the valve cover on my engine.
Great to hear! And thanks for sharing!
watched tons of videos to help me with my horton hauler trailer.....you, a very young man, created the best, most comprehensive video. You went right to the point and just wanted to tell you THANK YOU!!!!!
You’re welcome! And thank YOU! It’s comments like yours that make my day!
For this type of method you can use Never Dull because it works better than Mothers and its already in a cloth you tear apart out of the can. Also after your done like you were, use baby powder on o clean rag and it will remove all the black from it for even more shine and clarity. Ive been polishing my semi trucks for 35 years so ive learned a lot about what works and so on. If you have pitted or rough aluminum you can also sand it back to smooth. Great job....
Thanks for the tip! I’ll be sure to grab some never dull and try it out
I like using Never Dull too and not just on aluminum. Since you have been using this so long... do you have a way of making the lid on the can not stick on so tight?
What about steel wool instead of scotch brite?
This video should be higher on tbe ranks. Been looking for a good by hand video. Thank you! All the other videos I've found use power tools. Good work!
Thank you! I appreciate the great feedback!
If you want this to be a 'one time' polish event, these are not the right chemicals to use. What you are doing is two things. 1: You are removing aluminum oxide (aluminum 'rust') with the WD40, 2: You are temporarily sealing the aluminum from getting oxygen and re-oxidizing. Now, if you want to strip ALL aluminum oxide from the frame, you want to use Phosphoric Acid, not WD40. It's not a terrible acid to work with, but for large areas, you will want to use good ventilation and rubber gloves (Nitrile). Do the same process with the Scotchbrite pad, but use the Phosphoric Acid (uncut...often sold as an 'etchant'...and some 'stump removers' sold at the hardware store have it in them, as well). Scrub the frame down...doesn't take much, just a few passes. The aluminum will 'gray up more'...this is chemical conversion of Aluminum Oxide to Aluminum Phosphate...which acts almost like a 'primer'! Now, wipe it down GOOD...any traces left, help block oxygen from getting to the frame again. 2: You DO have to polish that aluminum frame! If you apply Mother's aluminum polish, it has wax, and will prevent your final step from working...OR...you can wax it with Mother's, but you'll have to re-apply...just not as often as with the WD40 process.
Either use a buffer and some jeweler's rouge or other aluminum 'buffing compound'...bring it to a mirror sheen...and lastly, you now have pure, stripped-and-polished aluminum...either ANODIZE the frame (colors...red, blue, green, etc.), or CLEAR COAT THE FRAME (this is the process that commercial wheel manufacturers use, once desired polish is reached)...simple automotive clear coat will FOREVER stop future oxidation (unless the clear coat is scratched or chipped)...it's your choice, but for a 'bike builder' professional grade finish...this is how it's done. By the way, Phosphoric Acid will also remove all kanker rust from iron as well, and turn what is left into 'Iron Phosphate', the base pigment in gray auto primer...works well on old hard-to-find parts, as a way to prevent them from 'melting away from rust'. On iron, an excellent 'cheap anodizing' can be found with Casey COLD-BLUING (like you would use on firearms)...while it doesn't give a 'hot phosphate coating', it WILL prevent rust and result in a beautiful 'blue-gray' finish on what would otherwise be 'raw iron/steel'.
THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT RIGHT !!!
How does one paint an anodized gold door sweep (bottom weatherstrip) to paint it black ?
Great! I watched a lot of videos today on polishing aluminum, but I'm stopping here! This is by far the best! I will use this formula!
Thanks! I hope you get great results! Let me know if you have any questions
I gotta say this video was a gem.... I was using Power Green and sandpaper, for my NInja 600 and to no avail. Love the details and precise steps. Awesome!
Thanks! Glad I could help!
Thanks man! Iv been polishing this grill for hours and no results until I tried this! Thank you
Mother is pissed you’re using her polish AND her kitchen towel!👍🏼☮️
😂
Thanks for watching the video! Feel free to leave a comment. The abrasive I'm using is the *"Type A Very Fine"* grade pad. Which is also known as the *07447 pad.*
Hey what was the cloth/brush you used first I couldn’t understand what you said I heard Scotch something, thanks
@@korben8336 7447 scotch brite
@@korben8336 Scotch-Brite™ Hand Pad 7447
The WD-40 worked great. I used a grey Scotch-Brite then mothers with vaseline. I rubbed with micro fiber and used a swatch of thin Suede swatch. It's like a magic eraser. I bet you could use a magic eraser too. It didnt get out big scratches but really smoothed it out and made it shine. Not as good as yours but I was using 1 inch square aluminum tubing for a shop jig. Thanks!
Excellent find! I'll use this to get a mirror finish on an aluminum starburst and several cast aluminum lamps. They have an unfinished matte look to them and this refinement will greatly improve their appearance. Thank you, young man!
You wont get a mirror finish like that. There are scratches all over that frame still. Best way is to use a die grinder with the right rouge wheels and rouge.
Great job bud, just tried it out for myself and worked well! You have saved me many hours of polishing. Legend!
That’s great! Thanks!
Exactly how I like to see videos. Simple, to the point and it works!! Thanks a lot
Wd 40
Scotch brite is your friend (used on transmission repairs too)
Polish
BRASS brush! This can clean aluminum very easily!
I've been using soft brass brush and this method is better imo
I just picked up a 12ft aluminum boat and I've been trying to figure out the best approach to clean it up. I'm thinking this might be it. I'll try to update with how it goes and the effort needed. Hopefully it will help others as this video helped me!
So what happened
@@chasemckenna4361 okay, so.... It required a bit more effort than I anticipated since it had probably 30 years of boating buildup on it. Tried many different things just to see what worked best. For me, what worked best was wd 40 and blue scotch pad to get the top layer of stuff off and then a 'gator' brand 'fine sanding sponge' with wd 40. I'm still not done but next I'll use wd 40 and 400 grit wet paper and then maybe 600 after that. A quick hit with some red jewelers rouge I had with a buff wheel turned the matte look to almost mirror shine with only the gator pad and no 400 or 600grit pad. Hope this helps someone!
Thank you for the video, also for the reply!
@@andrewmikell6837 I will look into that, thank you!
The time lapse effect works really well to show progress, nice!
Thanks!
Very good young man. A nice reminder that just a little bit of time and a bit of "elbow grease" still works wonders. :)
Great video, my friend, very friendly, courteous, and knowledgeable. I've used Mothers on aluminium before, but never had these results. Thank you very much!
Thanks for the great video! I just repacked a Jardine RT-4 canister for an '09 KLR-650 that I picked up this summer and while I had it off the bike and apart, I thought I'd try your method of making it look "new" again. I stopped short of the "mirror finish", but I have to say...it actually looks like a brand new brushed aluminum can again! Keep up the good work and ride safe!
This really works. Restoring an old MTB and it’s coming up a treat. Thanks
Great video! Just getting to the point of polishing the aluminum on a restoration I am doing, so this timing is great! Thank you!
Thanks and good luck with your project!
Great job kid.
I'm gonna try this on some of the aluminum parts on my motorcycle.
Thanks a bunch for sharing your tip.
Awesome! I hope it works really well for you. Thanks for the comment!
Thanks man, the pontoons on my boat after a month in salt water had barnicals and after cleaning that off The toons still look terrible and they used to shine, so I'm going to try this.
Awesome! I hope it works well for you! Would you be able to send me some pictures after you shine them up?
@@projectdirtbikes I'd like to see the result as well Richard Jones.
Polishing +- 50 feet by hand will wear out your arms from shoulder to finger tip I bet. But it will look great.
It should work great. With about $275 worth of the stuff ... ... ( Rough calculation) :-)
Off the main subject a little, but may help with the barnacles. before making our 3000 mile trip every year I spray my car bumper, part of hood & back side of mirrors with WD-40. Bugs
wash right off & no harm to paint.
Great stuff bro!! I’m definitely using that method as soon as tomorrow morning!! Thanks for video! Great work!!
My collection of old school bicycles is about to look bling bling fresh. Thanks for the tip!
Sweet!
I've been using WD-40 with 0000 steel wool on the garbage aluminum windows in my house. It doesn't leave any scratches, but the disintegrating wool does make a bit of a mess.
That bike looked better without the mirror finish.
Thank you, tried this on my 98 cr250. She shines now.
That's awesome! I'd love to see it... if you get the time would you be able to send me a picture on Instagram or my email?
What's it look like after a while tho?
WD-40 is a miracle invention. It took 40 tries to perfect it. I swear you can even brush your teeth with this stuff. It’s uses are endless. Try it on your plastics on your bike after a hard ride/race after you wash it. Takes those scratches right out.
I haven't tried it on my teeth yet but it's an excellent ear wax remover
not only was the video exactly as long as it needed to be, but the process was properly explained and the results look insane, well done mate
Thanks! Glad you liked it👍
I got the same results with just the polish and about half the work. I’m gonna try the WD-40 and see if that enhances it. Thanks for the tip.
Glad to help. I’ve gotten good results with just the polish too, but the wd40 really helps when the aluminum has any oxidation on it. The wd40 and scotch brite removes the oxidation/corrosion so when you go to polish, you are polishing pure aluminum and not the oxidation on top of the aluminum.
I have an old cragar aluminum mug and I couldn’t figure out how to polish the inside. Can’t wait to try this and bring that old mug back to life!
Cool, good luck!
Right on man! I got a hell of a deal on some awful looking aluminum rims the other day, I was just gonna wire wheel the oxide off and call it a day, but this looks so easy that I may have to shine em up👌🏼 great video
Thanks and good luck!!
What grit Scotch Brite are you using ? Great secret dude. I love polished aluminum and polish it a lot. Will be using your method and telling others. Nice job !
Thanks man! I'm using the "Type A Very Fine" grade pad. Its grit is from the 320 to the 400 range. You can find it the easiest by searching 07447 pad in your browser. Thanks for the comment!
Thank you. Was looking for something like this.
I appreciate that a lot of TH-camrs have professional setups but this is more "average Joe"
I'll give this a try.
Cheers.
Thanks for the great feedback! Cheers to you as well!
Best advice on
aluminum polishing i’ve seen! Amazing on our boat parts! Who knew!
Thanks! Glad I could help!
I just did this and it works!!!!!!😮 The only thing I did differently was I used a drill. Good job dude! Thanks!!!
Sweet! Thanks
This video was straight to the point. No bs👍
This was AMAZING! I'm going to try this on my upper plenum.
This is exactly what I was looking for to do to the rocker covers on my Harley. Thank you, sir!
As do I!
Awesome! I hope you get great results, and you’re very welcome!
Wow! I kept going back through the video trying to find the other 5 steps between the WD40 and the Mothers polish I must have missed! Incredible!.Thanks buddy..
Haha thanks for the comment! Sweet bikes in your profile picture!
I have to admit, I was skeptical when I saw this, but what did I have to lose. I tried this on my Honda Aero Forks and to say the least, it worked exactly as you displayed! I couldn't believe it, because I had all I needed in the garage.
Thanks for sharing such an inexpensive way to restore to restore aluminum/chrome.
Awesome! I’m glad that you tried it and got good results. Thanks for the great comment!
Does it also work for oxidated parts?
@@brub5174 My forks had been sitting in the garage for about 3 years and had some oxidize sections and it worked. I was surprised.
@@tonyjackson4797 i am well surprised on the result. Might do my forks and wheels perhaps lol
The Mothers polish is hands down the best aluminum polish I've used and I have tried numerous brands over the years. Excellent product.
Have you tried blue magic polish cream. I have been getting great results
Well impressed at that I recently bought a pre loved alloy mountain bike which is a bit tarnished. I'm looking forward to giving it a go. Thanks for the upload
How did it turn out?
@@rbrt2130 pretty good, not as gleaming as the example shown I have to say, but a very satisfactory finish and worth the effort
You sir are a genius thank you for sharing with everyone you deserve more views man keep up the videos like this man
Thank you, man! That means a lot!
Works well indeed! I have done this many times with Blue Coral brand polish & a small buffer. ALWAYS turns out great. However, If this is not sealed after polishing you'll have to do it EVERY TIME. It really gets old.
Great video. Short, the process seems to work, and no elevator music.
Will definitely try on a small sample pice of aluminum and if all is well I will take full scale and polish the pontoons on my 24 foot pontoon boat
Hey thanks for the knowledge bud. Its amazing how some things take little effort to achieve what usually costs the most. Awesome video!
Your welcome, and thanks for the great comment!
They want to charge me $250. To vapor blast my xr75 motor..im gonna try this
As a Streetbike guy who likes polished mag wheels I have experience with this. I generally prefer a power drill with a buffing wheel attached, saves a LOT of arm work. But the concern with this is that the mirror shine you have there won't LAST; bare aluminum will oxidize quickly. So I will often put a coat of good paste wax over it. You might lose a little "mirror", but you won't have to keep after it so much.
Thanks, I wondered about that.
Thank you for the wax tip😊
Right you are...as an Airstream Guy, that is why all Airstreams come with a clear sealer coat over the aluminum. But still they all require polishing periodically depending upon on how much shine you lose or how much you want to keep. Where you live and what you do will also dictate how long you keep the finish. Eliments play and big part in the oxidation. Any metal polish will work to get you started, but most Airstream owners who want that mirror quality look like NU-VITE Nu-Shine. There is also a good product called Star Brite that I found at Lowe's Home Center next to the Aluminum diamond plate tool boxes and it was quite a bit cheaper. For a finish I like McGuires Mirror Shine. It's pricey at about 26 bucks a quart when I bought it in 2016 but it lasts a long time (still have the same bottle almost 3/4 full) because at that stage of polishing you don't need near the amount of product. Like the old Brill Creme Commercial: "A Little Dab 'll Do Ya".
@@Rowels_Darling I've tried a number of paste polishes for my streetbike's wheels... the one I use most often is "Blue Magic" polishing cream. You spread a light film over the surface, wait a few minutes, then the oxidation comes right up on a rag or better, a buffing wheel.
@@888jackflash I've heard of that from another Airstream owner but have never been able to find it.
I stripped my bike and wanted a nice mirror finish but everyone said to use sand paper. yesterday i blight some scotch brite and wd40 and it’s been working wonders. thank you sir
That's great! I'm glad it worked well for you, thanks for sharing!
I want to thank you for making this video I am 64 years old and have never heard of this...I polished my ass off for hours on my bikes forks and couldnt get a good shine.... Then I tried your method,,,, I was amazed at the result a lot less work and a lot quicker too...HATS OFF TO YOU BRO
Thanks and you’re welcome! I’m glad I could help you out!
Thanks for the tip. I'm going to polish the frame on my 02 Honda CR 250 now.
Yeah man my Honda frame is very similar to your Suzuki
Thank you. I needed a easy way to get a mirror finish on my charge pipes. Going to try this
Good luck!
Well, that’s my Saturday afternoon sorted. Good job 👍🏻 👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks for all the detailed info on which product to use AND how to use them. Thanks for posting this!
Finally a video that's helpful and gets to the point. Good job.
Thanks! I appreciate the nice comment
Are you freaking kidding me!!! You r a genius!!!
Nice! I am restoring a Moto Guzzi keep trying to get the rocker covers to shine like chrome as i have seen examples of. I see a little debate in the comments and i am banking on the "WD40 is a solvent not a lube" and the claim it was designed for stuff like this because i work my ass off with different abrasives and have yet to achieve the desired results yet you achieve it in 5 minutes.
I had a Guzzi Le Mans - the aluminium on the heads is (I think) a different composition. It may be harder, so tricky to polish.
I just learned something so simple that blew my mind. Screw all these bs expensive aluminum cleaners. Thank you for not only showing me how to conplete the job but to do it cheap. 👍👍👍
You're welcome and thank you for the great comment!
Greetings sir! This is such a great video tutorial in terms of polishing! I have a question though, does this also work with bike frames that are alloy? Thank you for any response kind sir 🤝
Thanks for the nice comment! When you say alloy are you asking about steel? I haven’t tried this method on steel, but I do not think it will work since steel is so much harder than aluminum.
Wow! Amazing! Thanks for sharing! I don't suppose you have any tips for fixing oxidized paint on a car, do you?
Thanks! Unfortunately I don’t have any experience with oxidized paint, but Junkyard Digs here on TH-cam does. He has several videos of buffing and polishing paint that have some very good information.
Gonna try this out on my new aluminum pulleys I got for my 350 small block, thanks!
Awesome! I hope it works well for you!
Boy you are a genius! I’ll try this on mi H-D front fork! Thank you.
Great job, will this work on my Alloys as mine definitely need doing
If you do that in germany you loos direct your registration.
You are such a happy guy to life where you life.
Mother's is a great product . L used it on my dull aluminum mag wheels ( with an electric variable speed buffer )
and they looked almost brand new again ' it's great stuff ! 👍🇺🇸🙏
Hey, thanks for that, I am refurbishing my old bike and this information is most useful. Thank you :)
Advice is to wear some nitrile gloves or similar. The black residue is tremendous and hard to get off bare hands.
And the finger nails 🥴 .
Vinegar hands suck too... i use it for derusting
Thanks karen
I just bought a old GT Performer that is black, I stripped off the paint and got it down to the aluminum which looked hazy, I’m going to try this method and pray it works to make it shine like this!
Nice! Good luck with your project!
Does it have to be the maroon Scotch bright? Or can I use the dark green to accomplish the same thing?
I haven’t tried it with any other scotch brites, but I imagine it’ll still work. I use 0000 grade steel wool sometimes and that works good. Just takes a little longer.
Great video! I have two old vintage rims that I am going to try this with! Thanks for the effort to show this!
Awesome! I have a couple of rims that I'm eventually going to polish as well. Good luck!
Awesome! I just got a new CNC Aluminum grill for my car and I wanted to get it chrome plated to get it to shine but I’m going to do this instead and save some money! Great results and really easy to do! Thanks a lot!!!
You’re welcome and good luck!
How did your grill turn out?
You're going to need to put some protectant on that grill such as a ceramic coating of decent quality or you wish you never did it cuz it will come back and haunt you real quick. It's a great trick and it's been known for years and this kid just brought it to light for a lot of people who didn't know, the only problem is it will not stay that way unless you put some type of protectant on it and I don't mean just wax.
Frankly after seeing several similar videos I learned that the results depends a 10% on the products used to polish and a 90% on the elbow grease.
Actually, it's 80% Mother's, 20% elbow grease and nearly 0% WD-40. Mother's really is wonderful for polishing aluminum.
I bought a 1991 Honda Nighthawk cb750 with severe oxidation, and this technique is working fantastically well! Getting results much faster this way!
Awesome! So glad you’re getting good results!
Thats Gold, thanks for sharing, I will be employing that tomorrow.
You’re welcome! How did it go?
Used this method on my old aluminum wheels today and it did pretty darn good....thanks for the video. Keep up the good work.
Awesome!
Does it keep the shiny look after a while ?
@@Bagged.e38 id like to know as well I’m about to go try it on mine
Great video. Personally, I would never let any of those chemicals (2) touch my skin. Might not seem to be an issue but, over time it might be.
You are absolutely right. Skin absorption of chemicals is a very real thing. Take a look the chemicals in these products individually and then look them up. WHMIS is a good place to start and see what the precautions for each of them is.
Specifically the aluminum in the Human body causes Alzheimer - the Petro-Chemicals can be broken down by the Liver.
Throw away ALL your aluminum pots and pans - buy Stainless, cast iron or glass.
Yeah well you ain’t gonna get out alive anyway
Excellent video mate thanks from London England 👍
The rear wheel on my Softail custom has become foggy over the years, didn’t know it was possible to make it pretty again. Thank you 🤟
I just tried Wd40 and a white rag and that alone really worked! Polished up to near mirror with just that
Thanks for that demo! Going to have to try that!
Great, I'm going to do my airplane propeller with your method. Thanks!
Sweet good luck!
The secret is what media to start with . I would have started with 220 or 280 grit wet sandpaper I would start on a deep scratches first then a once over with 320 to 400 . I'd finish with 600 to 800 grit then polish with whatever you think's best. I think that red pad is equivalent to 400 sandpaper they have a white pad and I think it's 800 to 1,000 grit . If you have a drill , you can buy like 15 to 20 different polishing pads with 4 different types of firmness plus attachments for your drill for under $20 on eBay . The last thing I would do is coated it with something like shark skin or I think it's crc. I will tell you this I had some polished rims I coated them with WD-40 . I let them sit for over 10 years pulled them out, cleaned with my power washer and it looked like I just pulled them out the box . I know it's just a dirt bike but I can see at least four or five vertical scratches after you polished it . But at least you're trying and that's more than most kids are doing your age . Never stop learning because as soon as you do, that's when you start getting old .
Thank you sir for all of the great advice! The next time I polish aluminum I’ll try the sand paper method that you’ve described here. Thanks again for the advice and the great comment!
Mark Morris, guess what? I’m 76+ y/o and have never stopped learning, but, old age keeps coming, no matter if a person is a dunce or genius. Old age happens, but, I understand what your meaning is. The worst things about old age is, trying to remember people’s names and finding places to pee! And a few other things, but I can’t remember what! Lol! Lol!
Dude I’m gonna try this on my wheels!!!
Sweet! Good luck bro
What max Scotch Brite can I use without scratching the aluminum? Thanks. Great video too!
Thanks! I’d say the pad I used (7447) is the max for surfaces that are already smooth to begin with. If you have something with more bumps and scratches, then a rougher pad would be good. But for this project with some light to medium scratches the 7447 pad did the trick👍