Diy: Polished Aluminum
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 34,642
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From: Los Lunas, New Mexico, USA.
Vehicle: 2001 Hyundai Tiburon, 2004 Kia Sorento, 2010 Kia Soul
Well, after having plenty of parts that are aluminum, and not being able to get scratches out or make them shiny enough, I asked the pros at the local SUpernationals car show, how to get my stuff that shiny. I had my metal shifter ring, and decided to try it on that, and the new catch can I had.
This procedure should be used to get rid of scratches you can't get rid of by using polish alone, or to restore dull/scratched/nicked metal.
As was explained to me, you need wet/dry sandpaper, so you can use a lubricant to keep the particles removed through sanding from packing the sandpaper. You use water for lubricant on paint or wood, and OIL for lubricant on metal.
Materials Needed
1000 Grit Wet/Dry Automotive sandpaper (3M)
1500 Grit Wet/Dry Automotive sandpaper (3M)
2000 Grit Wet/Dry Automotive sandpaper (3M)
3 in 1 Machine Oil
Rubbing Compound (3M)
QUALITY Metal Polish (Hot Flash Haze to Amaze Metal Cleaner and Polish & Chrome Look Billet Polish)
Buffing wheel/random orbit buffer (You can get a nice one for cheap at Sears)
Towels and old socks
Talk about easy.
Step one. Clear a space to work, set down a towel (dark color preferred), to catch any oil and keep your workspace clean.
Step two. Rinse or wipe cleanly the item to be worked on.
Step three. Get a piece of the 2000 Grit sandpaper, and apply a coat of 3 in 1 oil to it. You can also just apply oil to the item to be sanded too, I have done it both ways. No worries about going dry, if you do, you'll feel it, just add a few more drops, and keep working.
Step four. Sand. In small circles, top to bottom, all over the item, until it is evenly dulled out and scuffed up by the sandpaper. If you are in doubt, just do it more, and watch the circles develop from your rubbing. You can always wipe the item clean, inspect it, re add oil as needed, and re sand.
Step five. Clean. Wipe the item clean, until there is no oil or residue left on it.
Step six. Rubbing compound. This is where most everyone messes up. METAL POLISH is for POLISHING METAL, not for removal of scratches. A good quality rubbing compound should be used, in most cases, it'll say on the bottle somewhere that it is "used to remove 1500 grit or finer scratches". Hmm... How do you use it? Simple. With an old CLEAN sock, apply rubbing compound liberally to your sanded item, rubbing in circles with steady firm pressure until you go from one end to the other. Go back to the first end, start again, and overlap by about 1/2 of the width of the first rub down. The compound should turn black as you are doing this. It doesn't take a lot of pressure, and with a buffer, it should only take a minute or 2. All of this can be done by hand, but it's time consuming, and can hurt your fingers after a bit.
Step seven. Wipe clean. Yeah, you'll be amazed, everything is now rubbed out and very shiny.
^^^^
NOTE! If the scratches you were trying to remove are still there, restart at step # 3 with the next step down in sandpaper, 1500. Continue to 7. If the scratches are still there, continue to grit 1000. Note, if you make it down to 1000, you will want to go back to at least 1500 afterwards to make step 6 easier and faster.
Step eight. Once your scratches are gone and the metal is smooth enough, use a HIGH QUALITY metal polish to finish the job. Keep a clean sock handy to wipe fingerprints off, and enjoy the looks on people's faces as you show them your handiwork.
Pictures to show you progress...
^^^
New Catch Can setup, before.
^^^
New Catch Can setup, during. Left side has been hit with rubbing compound, right side is still untouched.
Same in these 2 pictures, more detail.
^^^
Before, note the welds.
^^^
Note the welds, all of the white from the aluminum welding is completely gone after a few minutes with a sock and some rubbing compound.
^^^
Shift ring complete.
I currently do NOT have any final pics, as it's not installed yet (catch can), but I will when it is.
I'd like to thank David, from Hot Flash, for taking the time to show me how to do all of this (should see how y titanium wedding ring looked when he was done).
To order Hot Flash products, call 1-888-427-4463
This procedure should be used to get rid of scratches you can't get rid of by using polish alone, or to restore dull/scratched/nicked metal.
As was explained to me, you need wet/dry sandpaper, so you can use a lubricant to keep the particles removed through sanding from packing the sandpaper. You use water for lubricant on paint or wood, and OIL for lubricant on metal.
Materials Needed
1000 Grit Wet/Dry Automotive sandpaper (3M)
1500 Grit Wet/Dry Automotive sandpaper (3M)
2000 Grit Wet/Dry Automotive sandpaper (3M)
3 in 1 Machine Oil
Rubbing Compound (3M)
QUALITY Metal Polish (Hot Flash Haze to Amaze Metal Cleaner and Polish & Chrome Look Billet Polish)
Buffing wheel/random orbit buffer (You can get a nice one for cheap at Sears)
Towels and old socks
Talk about easy.
Step one. Clear a space to work, set down a towel (dark color preferred), to catch any oil and keep your workspace clean.
Step two. Rinse or wipe cleanly the item to be worked on.
Step three. Get a piece of the 2000 Grit sandpaper, and apply a coat of 3 in 1 oil to it. You can also just apply oil to the item to be sanded too, I have done it both ways. No worries about going dry, if you do, you'll feel it, just add a few more drops, and keep working.
Step four. Sand. In small circles, top to bottom, all over the item, until it is evenly dulled out and scuffed up by the sandpaper. If you are in doubt, just do it more, and watch the circles develop from your rubbing. You can always wipe the item clean, inspect it, re add oil as needed, and re sand.
Step five. Clean. Wipe the item clean, until there is no oil or residue left on it.
Step six. Rubbing compound. This is where most everyone messes up. METAL POLISH is for POLISHING METAL, not for removal of scratches. A good quality rubbing compound should be used, in most cases, it'll say on the bottle somewhere that it is "used to remove 1500 grit or finer scratches". Hmm... How do you use it? Simple. With an old CLEAN sock, apply rubbing compound liberally to your sanded item, rubbing in circles with steady firm pressure until you go from one end to the other. Go back to the first end, start again, and overlap by about 1/2 of the width of the first rub down. The compound should turn black as you are doing this. It doesn't take a lot of pressure, and with a buffer, it should only take a minute or 2. All of this can be done by hand, but it's time consuming, and can hurt your fingers after a bit.
Step seven. Wipe clean. Yeah, you'll be amazed, everything is now rubbed out and very shiny.
^^^^
NOTE! If the scratches you were trying to remove are still there, restart at step # 3 with the next step down in sandpaper, 1500. Continue to 7. If the scratches are still there, continue to grit 1000. Note, if you make it down to 1000, you will want to go back to at least 1500 afterwards to make step 6 easier and faster.
Step eight. Once your scratches are gone and the metal is smooth enough, use a HIGH QUALITY metal polish to finish the job. Keep a clean sock handy to wipe fingerprints off, and enjoy the looks on people's faces as you show them your handiwork.
Pictures to show you progress...
^^^
New Catch Can setup, before.
^^^
New Catch Can setup, during. Left side has been hit with rubbing compound, right side is still untouched.
Same in these 2 pictures, more detail.
^^^
Before, note the welds.
^^^
Note the welds, all of the white from the aluminum welding is completely gone after a few minutes with a sock and some rubbing compound.
^^^
Shift ring complete.
I currently do NOT have any final pics, as it's not installed yet (catch can), but I will when it is.
I'd like to thank David, from Hot Flash, for taking the time to show me how to do all of this (should see how y titanium wedding ring looked when he was done).
To order Hot Flash products, call 1-888-427-4463
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Joined: Feb 2009
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From: Leesville, Louisiana
Vehicle: 2001 Hyundai Tiburon
That is not a complete polish. that's how to get it ready for polishing. Rubbing compound removes oxidation and scratches the surface lightly. You should use some metal polish afterwards to make it like a mirror. Something like NevrDull or the like will bring that to a shine like you've never seen before. A good metal polish works to smooth out the surface even further by evenly acellerating the oxidizing process on the surface and removing some of the metal.
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Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Mississauga, ON and Long Island, NY
That's pretty much how I polished my IM, I started out with a very rough sandpaper and then worked my way up to a very high grit, like 2000 grit at the end. Then I finished up with the compound and some polish. Came out really good!
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 34,642
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From: Los Lunas, New Mexico, USA.
Vehicle: 2001 Hyundai Tiburon, 2004 Kia Sorento, 2010 Kia Soul
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (DrivingTibNaked @ Feb 27 2008, 05:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>That is not a complete polish. that's how to get it ready for polishing. Rubbing compound removes oxidation and scratches the surface lightly. You should use some metal polish afterwards to make it like a mirror. Something like NevrDull or the like will bring that to a shine like you've never seen before. A good metal polish works to smooth out the surface even further by evenly acellerating the oxidizing process on the surface and removing some of the metal.</div>
Do you even read or just post before you open your stupid mouth DTN? STEP 8, USE A HIGH QUALITY METAL POLISH.
Goddamnit that pisses me off.
Do you even read or just post before you open your stupid mouth DTN? STEP 8, USE A HIGH QUALITY METAL POLISH.
Goddamnit that pisses me off.
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 2,615
Likes: 11
From: Denver Co
Vehicle: 1999 Hyundai Tiburon
Well done man! Looks VERY good!!!
You know, next, you should probably use some kind-of-sort-of-type-of metal polishing and or shinning compund type stuff on that as well. Make SURE its HIGH quality as well.
lmao.gif nana.gif laugh.gif
You know, next, you should probably use some kind-of-sort-of-type-of metal polishing and or shinning compund type stuff on that as well. Make SURE its HIGH quality as well.
lmao.gif nana.gif laugh.gif
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 5,280
Likes: 0
From: wamego, kansas
Vehicle: 2001 hyundai tiburon
the white oxidation on your welds Jer is commonly known as "sugar" . it's from the weld procedure (usually Tig welding) where the impurities leave this whitish film. just FYI, no biggie, but i know you like to know little tidbits like that.
on another note, one thing to remember when polishing something especially on a vehicle is not to polish something that generates heat. taking something that generates heat that is made either out of stainles steel or aluminum and polishing the outside of it closes the pours of the metal making it harder for that part to get rid of heat.
on another note, one thing to remember when polishing something especially on a vehicle is not to polish something that generates heat. taking something that generates heat that is made either out of stainles steel or aluminum and polishing the outside of it closes the pours of the metal making it harder for that part to get rid of heat.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 34,642
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From: Los Lunas, New Mexico, USA.
Vehicle: 2001 Hyundai Tiburon, 2004 Kia Sorento, 2010 Kia Soul
^^^
Thanks for the info man, I was wondering what to call it.
Full writeup on this new catch can in a few days.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (tibbytib @ Feb 28 2008, 12:33 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Well done man! Looks VERY good!!!
You know, next, you should probably use some kind-of-sort-of-type-of metal polishing and or shinning compund type stuff on that as well. Make SURE its HIGH quality as well.
lmao.gif nana.gif laugh.gif</div>
GET OUT.
fing02.gif drillsergeant.gif
Thanks for the info man, I was wondering what to call it.
Full writeup on this new catch can in a few days.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (tibbytib @ Feb 28 2008, 12:33 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Well done man! Looks VERY good!!!
You know, next, you should probably use some kind-of-sort-of-type-of metal polishing and or shinning compund type stuff on that as well. Make SURE its HIGH quality as well.
lmao.gif nana.gif laugh.gif</div>
GET OUT.
fing02.gif drillsergeant.gif