How To Sand and Polish Aluminum To Mirror Finish
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
- In this video, we sand and polish an aluminum sheet from 220 grit all the way to 5000 grit sandpaper then polish using Gord's Aluminum polish.
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![How To Sand and Polish Aluminum To Mirror Finish [Version 2.0]](/img/n.gif)
Fantastic I'm going to use this procedure on my next rib boat restoration
This is the most detailed step by step method to polish aluminum any where on the nets ... It's almost as of the pros dont want secrets out and you will NEVER see some one who owns a polishing shop post up how to's all though there is no secrets in this video, there isnt a single video out that shows a step by step method to get a mirror like shine... Thank you for posting this
Evans Detailing has over 100 how to polish vids on here, and he's a guy who polishes half million dollar show trucks
Good video, excellent results. I do have a couple suggestions. It's a good idea to rinse off the grit from previous sanding before you start with a finer grit. If you think about it, leaving the old residue on the surface means you are rubbing it around under your finer grit pad, which lengthens sanding time. Rinsing is preferable to wiping because it lessens the chance of causing linear scratches. Also, it is a bad idea to use steel wool on aluminum. Small pieces of the steel can become embedded in the aluminum, and will eventually rust if exposed to any moisture. Then your nice shiny aluminum piece will be red and rusty(which can be super confusing. Like, "Why and how is my aluminum rusting?!!!"). That also goes for sand paper or grinding wheels, files, etc. Never mix materials. Have a specific grinder wheel for steel, and another for aluminum. Etc. BTW, gotta love DeWalt
Thank you for the suggestion, what I do is the hold the drill sideways and use the airflow to blow off all the aluminum dust before I move on to the next grit. I will keep your suggestion in mind about the steel wool, luckily I don't use much pressure, I just used it as a base to add the polish.
Pretty much you can do a flat surface how do you polished aintahe or gloved valve covers
This definitely belongs in one of those satisfying video compilations.
By far one of the best and easiest Aluminum plishing vids out there.
I just want to tell you how grateful I am for this video. I did what you said and got the panels that I made for my 57 chevy sanded to almost a mirror shine I just don't have a buffer, but I do got a friend that's going to buff them for me. I just want to tell you thank you for your help.
*it is amazing how you can turn something dull into a mirror look with just sandpaper....Honestly this is one of the best tuto videos ever....so genuine,,thanks for that*
Worked as a metal polisher,mainly stainless,some aluminium bull bars. We would sand with 400# then buff with tripoli compound. There are many different grades of aluminium. Some are more receptive to buffing than others. The fine grades of abrasive paper were not available until relatively recently. Thank you for the video.
Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I also appreciate the polishing tips thanks
Amazing results. Never thought you could "sand" aluminum to a shiny finish. But then again, that WAS a lot 'o paper! Thanks for the info.
No problem. Glad you liked the video. Hope you have a wonderful day.
Everything is chrome in the future!
This was one of the most satisfying videos I've ever watched; thank you 😻
Thank you very much.
I had no idea how simple it could be. Just like polishing headlamps... Almost.
You saved me countless hours polishing all of this aluminum on the 1934 Mercedes Centaur(replica)I'm working on.
I have a 1956 boat I'm trying to polish. That looks phenomenal. I may try that on that boat.
I did the fuel tanks and wheels on my tri axle a d now I got a side gig doing others drivers trucks for them $$$$$$$$$ thanks for the step by step instructions
That's how it always starts!
wow dude , that was awesome! ! ! I've lookin for a way to start to sand and polished my boat and never thought it's was posible till I seen your video from start and finish , thank you for posting this video. my project will start thanks to your knowledge.
Thank you! I'm really glad I could help. Best of luck on your boat!
Fantastic, Great job. You did a magic, turned aluminium sheet to a mirror.👍🏻
Looks great. I love polishing things or sanding them. It is very stress relieving for me. Thank you
Your welcome. Glad I could help.
It helps alot to wipe the surface clean between grit changes to remove any loose grit that can leave scratches
Jon Rothenbusch It also helps to change direction with each grit to even things out.
And yet look at the results, so it's safe to say he's doing it just fine
I have been looking for a vidoe of how to get my aluminum horse trailer back to its shine. Thanks so much for this vidoe! Ive used so many products with little results. Sandpaper is clearly tbe way to go.
truly outstanding. I honestly didn't think it would turn out nearly as well as it did.
Thank you for taking the time to make this video. I have some old aluminium speaker cabinets I want to polish and now I know how do fo it. Thank you
About to do this to my Supercharger on my car. $995 vs some time and elbow grease sounds good to me. Thanks for the steps!
Good presentation and easy for anyone to absorb. I would tell you that you should have made mention of how to finish the 2 spots where the vice grips were positioned.
Im doing the aluminum rims on my TrailBlazer and this information is really fantastic on stages and materials...thank you!
you're doing those rims, I've been trying to restore aluminum rims on my moms '74 duster....gonna take some heavy work though
WOW, GREAT JOB, SOME OF YOU GUYS ARE OFF THE HOOK!!.
Same thing we did while building bikes saved alot off money compared to chrome great job .
Good result = to any zephyr or white diamond polish finish. Good technique it just proves more than one way to get metal mirrors.
That was educational. I have an old aluminium boot (trunk) lid that I may have a go at and this has given me some pointers. All the best.
Planning a project using aluminum sheeting ....this is an awesome helpful video......and will minimize getting the black aluminum dirt on my hands.....thank you VM bud!!!
You're welcome! I'm happy to help. I have a link in my description showing where I ordered my aluminum if you're interested.
Try using Truck Wash to rinse off with water. It removes all the polish residue.
I just started using that trizac 3000 and it's amazing. I haven't found the 5000 locally but I'll order some soon. On paint it's amazing how good it does.
A little secret for you...in woodworking circles, a company called Micromesh makes sanding cloths for woodworkers that goes all the way to 12,000 grit. They're a heavy cloth with an extreme fine layer of a soft spongy rubber coating with the grit on top of that. These are fantastic for polishing metals too. They are available in rectangular pieces (3" x 4") and they also make them in 5" discs for sanders. They are available on Amazon: www.amazon.com/Micro-Mesh-No-Hole-Sanding-Disc-Combo/dp/B00HJCBC5O/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_469_tr_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=APMS4JEGW4GZM9FH7YM7
Insane I forgot how great it looks when u spend the time polishing like stainless. 👍
Wow! I thot I was good but that is amazing, I am going to try that! I do it by hand without sanding and I thot I got it to a mirror finish. I kinda do but that is like an actual mirror finish lol. Good job n great content keep up the good work and thank you I have just started to watch your other vids too
Thank you very much, I appreciate that you are wanting to watch my other videos as well . Good luck on your project
Absolutely fantastic, I’ll be following this method on a heavy aluminum Dell XPS 710 series desktop from 2007. It wasn’t shining like that when it was new even when it’s cost was a little shy of $6000.00 , I However hope it will not affect it’s authenticity and value for a possible future sale for it’s rarity. I would like to do it for me however it’s like a 60 lbs. case, Also I live in Alberta, Canada. It would be a hefty price to ship out. But I could just imagine that it would look like a real piece of art indeed. Thanks for your video I really enjoyed it.
I'm about to do this, but you did an awesome job, and thanks for the knowledge!
Nooooooooo! Never use paper towel, even wype-alls leave scratches. Pure cotton it always the last material to use. You do amazing work! 😊👍🏻
can you say can i do wit this parrabolic mirror? how long it will be mirrors efect outside ?
The piece looks awesome!!! years back I polished aluminum motorcycle parts, I did the steel wool with polish too, used #0000 steel wool, but found it would embed those steel fibers into the aluminum. You could not see it until later down the road when the moisture would take over and you see rust pits on aluminum. It confused me at first, aluminum doesn't rust, then I thought about it for a bit (this was way before the internet stuff), and realized the steel wool was embedded and rusting. The other thing I learned was after the polishing was done, take some household white flour, sprinkle it onto the surface on your final rag buff, it pulls out more black polish and leaves an even better shine. If you try it, let me know if it still works with the newer chemicals on the market, it may just be an "old school" trick that worked with out old white rouge.
Also, If you search for what #0000 steel wool is in grit compared to sand paper, you'll find that it's only something like 600 grit. So it's like moving backwards after the 5,000 grit sandpaper. I'll suggest the 3M scuff pad scotch brites. Get them on amazon. With some digging, you can find the grit equivalents (there are different colors coded to coarseness). I found white is equivalent to 1200-1500 grit. That's still not 5,000 but it's much better than 600. The fact that steel wool worked for him tells there is more going on here than trying to stay really high on grit with the polish. Still, the scuff pads just seem to me to be a much better tool for the job. I'm not speaking from direct experience, just analogical reasoning with other things I've done. They're better than still wool for everything I've used them on. I don't even use steel wool any longer.
Dennis Neale I had not investigated how abrasive steel wool is, thats an interesting find that 0000 steel wool is equivelant to 600 grit. I use it on chrome and glass with no issues or concerns. I will have to some digging to verify and then question whether or not I want to continue using it. Thanks for the info
I use bronze wool on my sailboat for that same reason, when doing teak it would rust, bronze doesn't
I have old sportster rim to polish. I'll try now. Unbelievable shine. Thanks
I have watched alot of videos on polishing and this is by far the best results i have seen! Nice work.. hope you left links for the materials, have never seen 5k paper. Thanks
Thank you very much for the kind words. I have left some links to the products I used in the description.
I was mostly surprised that the drill didn't overheat. The two drills I've used overheated and had to cool down. Good to know about the DeWalt
thumbs up if you thought he was gonna bring out the 10,000 grit and then 20,000 grit paper?
Didn't he say 9000 for polish?
Best ever
Thank you very much!!!!! Greatly appreciated!! I hope you have a wonderful day
Man I’m impressed. Done a bit of polishing myself over the years and I really liked the way you did that. I have only done motor cycle parts nothing that flat or big. Could you do another video of some aluminium motorcycle parts? Thanks. Tim from Australia.
Thanks for the praise Tim. I will keep your video idea in mind for the future.
Great video. I wasn't quite sure about the grit range. I was in the balpark, though. You really should wipe it down between each step to prevent cross contamination. Thanks for sharing
You're absolutely right, wiping down between steps is very important. Thanks for watching!
And yet it turned out flawless. It's amazing how people enjoy criticizing these vids yet they have ZERO vids showcasing their so called expertise.
Great video, I’m going to do this on my snowmobile tunnel once I take it apart in the off season
That type of sander will leave waves in the finish. Best to use straight-line sander or sanding block for a mirror finish. The polish used will shine, but it also brings oxidation. Oxidation happens fast. If you work a piece and walk away for a few hours and then start sanding again, you will need to cut through the oxidation layer again. A spray bottle with soap and water works good for floating the aluminum fines away while wet sanding.
The second i saw you use a drill as a power source, i knew you are a beginner at this. Noble attempt !
He didn't attempt it. He did it!
And where's your polishing vids, expert? Oh that's right in your imagination
Honestly amazed by your proccess, you didnt use any stick type compounds or a an angle grinder/buffer. im suprised you had to switch out to a new trizac pad, usually you can clean trizac media with an oil based cleaner (trizac belts anyway) never use water on the belts. havent tried the trizac disc/ pads yet.
Awesome Process What do you suggest for mirror polishing around small aluminum objects with anodizing areas on it I was thinking of getting a smaller hand held One like yours but smaller I want to clean up my Sabers
Thanks for the video. Now I have more of a clue how to clean this mess!!
Great video. I want to remove treadplate / diamond flooring on a boat floor. Is this the way i would do it? Obviously i'd be spending more time sanding with the 220 grit. Thanks
Awesome! Do you have to do anything special to protect the finish long term? Would you clear coat it? Or polish it again in the future? Thanks, great job!!
I’ve never seen aluminum polished like this I do the old school method in witch you do less sanding and use an angle grinder rouge and a airway wheel. But it looks amazing keep up the good work!
I've been trying to polish some aluminum trim for a motorcycle using the buffing wheel and compounds but its very slow and tedious. This method appears to speed up the process but need to find smaller quantities of the pads etc. for a small project.
your videos are very informative and proves your passion for work. Wish you all the very best and success
We gave an old 1957 Alumacraft boat will this work on it ? Thanks great video.
Is this finish stable? Do you have to protect it from oxidation?
Hi mate thanks for the great video!
I have a question about my Aluminium Canopy if I could please.
The finish from the workshop is quite bad and I would like to do this to remove the scratches and get it looking nicer.
Do I need to treat it afterwards with anything as it will be out in the weather etc.
Thanks in advance 👍
Awsome video! I was looking for ways for refinishing my glas door that my dog has scratched up over the years! Do you think this exact process would do it? Would love to see it done but cant find videos for it?
This saved me time and money!!
I really want to see how you work on trailer with diamont aluminum plate with all this sand papers.
Very cool! Thank you for sharing! I have a platter I’d like to get some scratches out of & this gives me a great idea on how to accomplish it!
Excellent work.
You are the man !
Awesome job!!!!
Thank you!! I really appreciate it!
wow dude that was awesome! !!!! I've lookin for a way to start to sand and polished my boat and never thought that I was posible , till I seen your video from the start and finish. truly thank you for your video and knowledge.
How do you keep the oxide layer from reforming and redulling the mirror?
Nice job and thanks for all the tips. Keep up the good work.
Magic job mate , well done .
Great video. You made it look easy.
Thank you.
Also, the Zephyr Pro-40 is suppose to be the bomb and it's a sealer as well.
my immediate thought was an aluminium aircraft! How long does the surface last? Thank you - very clear to follow.
I paint aircraft for a living. What a royal PITA keeping a polished a/c looking good....
Nice. I had no idea that sanding discs were available in such fine grits.
Yeah. When they are at the that high of a grit. The pads seem to be more like foam than paper.
Awesome work. That's a beautiful finish
What tool would be best to use on say a motorbike engine casing. Lovely job 👍
Hi there ,
What is recommended speed on the polishing machine ?
Thanks
Wow that was clean! What will happen if I didn't polished?
Great finish. Question, I polish pontoons, tried sanding with a rotary but get lots of sanding marks (swirls) didn't see those in your video. Any advice please?
Is this rust again by the time and if it is why you don't give it protection transparent coat
Wohw amazing. I wonder if this stays shiny. I would like to do this with a bike what do you recommend?!
WOW! So what to use to protect the finish from degrading?
Love the finished result....one question...will this work with an oxidised finish on an aluminium saw table?? Are there any other processes required for the oxidation??
Great job. I've never used Gord's before but looks like it does a nice job. I've always used Zepher 40 on my semi's but it's hard to find that around where I live now. You can get a "watered down" version of it but it's just not the same.
Zepher 40 sounds nice. I do like Gords, easy to use and looks good
Wow thats satisfying
Nice! I'm gonna do that to my aluminum intercooler pipes!
Yea good for at least 30 hp.
Brilliant video.. I've just purchased a stainless steel polished chrome bull bar for my van which upon fitting I've noticed some scratches. Can I use this method for taking out the scatches🤞
Yep, you definitely can. Thank you for watching.
@@SkillsAndTrade Thankyou so much. 👍
Amazing guide, i wonder how this is done with way smaller aluminum parts. I own a aluminum case for my mechanical keyboard and want to mirror polish it but it has some really small spots and i think i'd need to do this by hand...
Absolutely amazing freaking awesome video, I cant wait to try this now. Subscribed !!!
Thank you very much. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Also thanks for subscribing, I appreciate it
No problem keep up the awesome videos!
Instead of Gords I found you can mix mineral spirits or kerosene, with some comon household cleanser and it does the same thing. You could use WD40 for the fluid too.
wrong
@TheRoadhammer379 well it sure works when I use it.
What do you suggest oh wise one with zero content..
@@TheRoadhammer379 I guess I will get zero response. The guy who says "wrong" has zero to offer. Zero content on his ghost soc channel. (Hope I didn't misgender) you ... 🤔
Great job man, Seen nothing like it... Well done
Thank you. I appreciate the kind words
Thanks so much for the awesome video. Very detailed and informative. I'm ready to do some polishing of my own now.
Great vid! You make it look easy. I've been trying this with a DA orbital and all I get are layers of cobwebs. I need to get a variable speed polisher so I guess I will need a 5/8-11 not a 5/16-24 set up or drill adapter as I think is being used here.
I'm using a drill adapter like he's using here. Following instructions as close as I can....still not getting the same results. Still getting scratches, leaving behind circles etc.
@@BDUBZ49 His newer video uses stainless and Alumicut and he wipes off previous residue with a blue shop towel. I got an orbital sander and went through a bunch of grits. Came out ok but still a lot more work than it looks like. I tried using no lubricant, light oil and still can't get the awesome finish he does. Smoke and mirrors??
@@freedomkeeper8003 Who knows. I started using WD40 on each grit and wiping it off too. One problem is the video is sped up, so it's hard to gauge how fast he's moving, how much time he's spending on each pass. If the drill disc is angled or flat, how much (if any) pressure he's applying. I may be going too fast, but so far my aluminum is all smoke, no mirror. It's getting shinier, but still has scratches. I watched a video of a guy removing scratches from auto glass using a 1:4 mixture of gritty liquid hand cleaner and Griots 3 in 1 car wax. I may try that for the scratches.
@@BDUBZ49 Wish I could post some pics here. I agree. Can't tell details cause it's sped up. My steel comes from a junk yard/recycler so it's pretty ditry and scratchy. I started with 180 grit, then 220, 320,400,600,800,1000,1200,1500,2000,2500 then 3000. Nuts huh?! I'm trying to reduce the multiple steps. I also tried olive oil cause one guy said it worked better than Alumicut. Also tried cocnut oil. Also tried Mother's mag/aluminum polish with fully stitched cotton wheel. Works pretty good and only one direction of wheel so less variables. Your pumice hand cleaner and Griots sounds interesting.
One video the guy said you shouldn't go over 800 grit with Aluminum. Then go to cotton sisal wheel with buffing stick. I used black then green (for steel) stick with buffing wheel and worked pretty descent. Now I'm having trouble getting rid of the hazy appearance.
I also tried a PVA disc (dry) which suprisingly got a mirror polish but had divots. Tricky to use and must be careful with technique cause easy to mess up. Had to hold it pretty tight and keep as flat as I could. Also messed up the PVA disc first time through not keeping it flat enough.
I would go a lot slower during the sanding stages if you're having issues with the finish.
Brill! Now what would you coat that with for outdoors?
That! was! Satisfying! Loved it.
I desire to polish a aluminum carburetor. What power tool should i use? Also the varied grits of sandpaper to use?
Does the polish keep the aluminum from oxidizing over time?
Would this process affect the aluminium's conductivity?
Great JOB . Now how do you protect it against oxidation ?
That WD-40 is like magic for so many things.
so how do you PROTECT it from oxidation now? clear coat? epoxy???
At what speed were you running the drill?
wow did you wipe it down after each pass? how many times did you spray each peice of sand paper
Will this hold a mirror outside or will it start to oxidize? I was curious how this would work on my boat outdrive in a fresh water lake. I'm tired of painting it every year lol
Great and informative video. Fun to watch. Say, What do you think about using this technique on an old Aluminum Airstream that has been clear coated and the clear coat is 25 years old and weathered? All of the vids show using only paint removal chemicals and then various buffing rouges. Many thanks for your thoughts and recommendations!
Paint thinner to remove the clear coat, then sand and polish using the steps in the video. I have links to all the materials in my description. Best of luck on your project