Polishing and Sanding Aluminum

**cwcad** · 11-07-2007, 11:18 PM

I washed the Black truck the other day with Optimum No Rinse and noticed that the canopy was looking rather bad

Anyway, since I had the truck all cleaned up and the aluminum on my canopy was looking horrible on top of the shiny black truck I took out some Poorboy`s PP using a PC with an assortment of pads.

PP was doing it`s job but I was not satisfied so I used 300, 1000, and 1500 grit sand paper with my PC and went over it six times using two pads of each grade of sand paper.

Then I hit it with PP polish again. Still not perfect but I think you can see the difference.

the thing that makes me laugh is the fact that the work was only about an hour but I spent six hours sitting and standing looking at my work. Wife was gone and the LD was in school. So left to my own means I did what I know is fun. Boy it was fun to be outside for a whole day working on the truck.

This is how it looked the next morning.

I am back to detailing and it feels good!!

**Poorboy** · 11-08-2007, 08:01 AM

hey Kirk the truck looks good

but you probably need a rotary to really heat up the aluminum if you want a mirror

**BLUELINE 1** · 11-08-2007, 08:12 AM

The truck looks great!

**cwcad** · 11-08-2007, 08:33 AM

Thanks Guys!!

Steve, I tried with the rotary for about three minutes. I am just not strong enough to control a rotary .....YET!! As time passes this will remain a work in progress. I was actually surprised at the change. I am going to get some dedicated polish for it sometime in the future.

**Stephan** · 11-08-2007, 10:09 AM

Looks great, glad to see you back to detailing.

**Beemerboy** · 11-08-2007, 10:12 AM

Truck looks great and talk about some chrome highlights....that`s got to be some work keeping up

**Poorboy** · 11-08-2007, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by cwcad

Thanks Guys!!

Steve, I tried with the rotary for about three minutes. I am just not strong enough to control a rotary .....YET!! As time passes this will remain a work in progress. I was actually surprised at the change. I am going to get some dedicated polish for it sometime in the future.

I understand

you can also try some SSR2.5 for the first pass and then the PP both with the PC

**cwcad** · 11-08-2007, 01:48 PM

As it happens I am working on the opposite side this morning. I am off to the store to get some dedicated metal polish to try.

Would SSR3 work as well Steve? I have both was just wondering....?

**Poorboy** · 11-08-2007, 02:08 PM

Originally Posted by cwcad

As it happens I am working on the opposite side this morning. I am off to the store to get some dedicated metal polish to try.

Would SSR3 work as well Steve? I have both was just wondering....?

SSR3 would be a bit too abrasive for that kind of aluminum

**cwcad** · 11-08-2007, 02:30 PM

Thanks Steve,....again!! I am off to try SSR2.5 and see how that works.

**BlueZero** · 11-08-2007, 03:20 PM

cwcad, I sent you a PM.

If it`s okay with the rules you can post the link if you want to.

**Beercan31** · 11-08-2007, 08:34 PM

CW

Loong time no see, hope all is well with all.

Be very carful using a "Rotary" on Aluminum, here heat is your enemy, your working with a thin temperamental metal that "could" distort from heat.

In the past I have used a rotary on Aluminum oxygen bottles and Aluminum Diamond plate I have found the product i was using dried or worked past its limit extremely fast with in seconds at low speeds I did not have very good results, sling was a huge issue also.all in all I found nothing works better than your hand. I have in the past used with a DA with a slightly better than good results.
This is a trade secret for ours, a 5 year run with First place. SHHHHHHHH Image of check - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
"Heavy Metal®"
RED: Coarse Abrasive Polish,
GREEN: Medium Abrasive Polish,
BLUE: Ultra Fine Abrasive Polish
in everything I have come a crossed I NEVER have used red.... I call it liquid steel wool.
if you`d like to review this produce here is a link. Impressive Reflections - Heavy Metal Polish
take a some time to view the "See the Results" and "Hints and Tips"
looking at what you have at best you will need only blue, green as a back up for hard to polish spots... we have backed up this regime with Poorboys pro-p with some nice results on chrome, Aluminum showed a slight hue... (I did not use the Pro-p on aluminum a fellow member did i can not speak for his process)

Good Luck My Friend
Post B4`s and After`s

**cwcad** · 11-08-2007, 08:49 PM

Thanks for the information BC. It has been a long time. Glad you posted with the info and the link. Steve advised to use SSR2.5 and I went out and did it. Will post pictures tomorrow.

Will look into this metal polish link as well for I know that I will be back at it again all to soon.

**norahcrv** · 11-08-2007, 10:23 PM

Originally Posted by cwcad

. . . I am back to detailing and it feels good!!

Unlike Beercan, Steve & BlueZero, I don`t have any good advice to share, but I just have to tell you that it made my heart smile to read the above!

And if you haven`t done so yet, you really should check out the trucks that Beercan has done . . . they are really first class!!

**cwcad** · 11-09-2007, 06:39 AM

Originally Posted by norahcrv

And if you haven`t done so yet, you really should check out the trucks that Beercan has done . . . they are really first class!!

Yes Norah, I did check out the link of shiny trucks. They were beautiful.

I am glad to be back detailing. I do not know which feeling made me want to get better. the feeling of being hungry to eat something or the guilt that I felt each day for nine months that I had not done any detailing that day. Doing anything is better than doing nothing. I am back to doing something everyday.

Thanks Norah!!!!!