alum polishing

[AdminGuy]

So....I'm out in the garage on fathers day bolting in a completed engine. Did a cut/polish on some aluminium cases. I'm curious what process other folks have used to polish aluminium? I'm no pro but this works pretty good for me.

My process: Put on my sporty new eye protection glasses, wife bought me. Look like sport sunglasses but clear. I no longer look like "Lester the science teacher" in the garage with my old glasses.

• 1. a light hand sand to any particularly nasty gouges.
  2. first mop on the wheel. (the red compound)
  -- rub down w/ clean soft cloth
  3. second -new mop. (the white compound), moving multidirectionally from different angles to give good reflectance from final surface.
  4. third -new mop. light machine oil and fine pumace mixed into a paste. Applied to surface then buffed off, Same rotation.
  5. finish beer -admire handwork, maybe spray with WD40 to seal/protect from exposure to air.

What's your process????

[T. Cotten]

Mine is much the same, but usually on the bench before ***embly:
First, I bead it if weathered to remove the carbonate skin,
Then sanding with finer and finer grades of "wet-or-dry" and Simple Green to prevent loading up;
Then a sisal wheel with rouge,
Then a hard cotton wheel with Dico stainless compound with bluing in it.
Then a mineral spirits bath,
Then a hand buff with simichrome,
Then Red Dog to ease my carpal tunnels.

[AdminGuy]

alum polish

Yes- I should have specked that. Covers off. My back aches even at the thought of hunching over the bike to work on it, any more than necessary. Which gives me an idea for a new thread -in custom tools.

Thanks for reply.

[B. Rodencal]

All about the same except 4-5 hand rubbed "Mothers" at the end before just as many Stevens Point Pale Ale's....FatDog