How To Polish Metal

[Compstall]

Several people recently have asked me how I polish my parts. Well here's how I make it happen. Others may do it a tad differently, with a bit of variation in between, but we'll end up with similar/same results in the end.

This is a down-and-dirty how-to. This goes beyond what a rag and a can of Mother's Mag wheel polish will do, or whatever you use.

1. What kind of metal are you polishing? Aluminum or steel? Aluminum by far is easier to polish than steel. Figure out if you've got the patience to polish that steel part. Even though it will look nice in the end, it WON'T look nice if you give up half way through and put it back on the car that way.

2. What kind of shape is the part? Are there lots of nooks and crannies? This is also a factor to consider, because you can't obviously get a large polishing wheel in those nooks and crannies. This takes additional time. The best way I've found to get in the nooks and crannies is with a Dremel and the polishing attachments.

3. How is the surface? If it's a rough surface you're gonna have to sand it down. I usually start with an 80-100 grit sandpaper. I'll use the ribs on top of the LT1 intake as an example. This will take a minimum of 100 grit to get started. Get yourself a palm sander and lay into it until those machine marks are out of it. Sanding metal is just like sanding wood, it just takes longer. Once you're done there, go to 120-150 grit, then 220, then 400, then 600 grit. After you've sanded everything down with 600, then you can start with the polishing phase.

Depending on how the surface looks at this point I might use a gritty rubbing compound and a polishing wheel. After that get some white or red rouge bars and put the compound on the buffing wheel and lay into the metal you're polishing. Heat is your friend here. Continue buffing/polishing until the shine is to your liking. Once complete, I usually finish it with a good rub down consisting of aluminum polish (your choice) and a rag.

4. BASIC setup - This is how I started buffing parts, just to see if this was something I was going to enjoy, and it was very cheap. Go to Harborfreight or someplace similar and get yourself a buffing/polishing kit that has the shaft that will fit inside a common 3/8" electric drill. This kit also comes with 4" buffing wheels and a red and white rouge bar.

Use a CORDED drill, not CORD-LESS, the batteries on a cordless won't last long enough. I had an old Skill 3/8" drill laying around that I used. Then I strapped that drill down in a bench vise. Not too tight because you don't want to crush the drill.

Chuck the buffing wheel in the drill, then you can pull the trigger and set the lock on it, WFO. Buff till your heart's content, frequently coating the wheel with rouge in-between. After a little practice, you'll figure out when it needs more rouge. I have found little difference in results between red and white rouge, so take your pick. Technically, they say to use white, then red.

5. BETTER setup - Go down to Harborfreight (again) and spend $70 on the 8" benchtop buffer. MUCH faster. This one spins 3,600 rpm, compared to the 1,800 rpm you get out of a typical drill. Gets the job done a lot quicker, and there's plenty of torque in the motor for really laying into metal. If you've got a benchtop with plenty of room around it, that will work, but mounting the buffer on a stand is better (nothing gets in the way).

6. BEST setup - OK, so if you've got money to burn, order yourself an Eastwood catalog and spring for one of the $300+ buffing motors....

7. Notes - Buffing wheels put off a lot of fabric dust. Rouge, metal dust, etc. also flies everywhere. Make sure the area you're buffing in is a place you don't mind dust being in, or can easily be cleaned up afterwards. It gets EVERYWHERE; hair (if you've got it ), eyes, face, walls, etc... Most Importantly, it's best to wear a mask of some sort; the cheap paper ones you can get at a hardware store will do. You never know, it might not effect you now, but someday it could. Wear safety glasses, or some type of eye protection as well.

Remember this is never 'done'. Upkeep is necessary or, by the definition of rust (the ability of a metal to return to it's natural state) the metal will corrode from the elements. The metal needs to be maintained with a regular rub-down of polish and a towel, or you can clean it well with some acetone and hit it with some clear coat engine paint if you desire.

[digi7al ph0enix]

Ryatt may have just be ousted as our resident car care expert lol. Nice write up, I am sure many people will get use out of it.