Polishing Aluminum

[Chris Kulbaba]

Hey all, I bought the rear step pads from 23ballistic from his show ST... they are very nice, although not in show car condition, minor scratches, etc...



How do I polish these up to look like new? I almost think they need to be power polished to take off a mm to hide all imperfections....



Suggestions?



I was just going to take it somewhere, but I like doing things myself.

 

[JK II]

I have this stuff called Wynol (spelling?) and it works great on things like that. Of course I would throw out the rag after cause it smells pretty bad and stunk up the washing machine.

 

[A1cntrler]

I hear that the Mothers Power Ball works pretty good on polishing metal. Chip Foose uses it on his wheels, but then again if the money is right, anyone probably would.

 

[Chris Kulbaba]

Will it rid the metal of scratches? This is my main concern at this point.

 

[Chops]

If you have scratches, no polish will take that out. If they are not too deep, a cotton high speed buffing wheel and aluminum buffing compound (cake) will do it. If the scratches are really in there, 100 grit sandpaper , then wet sand 400g, then wet sand 1000g, then the buffing wheel.



I've used a buffing wheel on a 10,000 rpm sidegrinder quite extensively.

 

[23Ballistic randyvanaken]

I'm not sure what scratches were on them. But they should buff out pretty easily. I had them in the backseat of my truck maybe they bumped around a lil. If any I am sure they are minor and I really doubt once their on the bumper you even notice. I would just go over them with some Mothers polish.

 

[Chris Kulbaba]

23, Ive polished them 3x with the mothers polish. There is also some kind of hard substance on them, almost like a fiberglass resin or bondo.... Ive got that off now... and there are probably like 100 scratches on the set...?



If I didnt know they were off a show car, id wonder which junk pile they were pulled from.



Im not saying this to put you down or anything, but when you show people pictures of step plates on a show car, id assume thats what i'd be getting. They are far from it.



Once I get the paint and double sided tape off the back and have the metal re-polished im sure they will look great... I just didnt imagine id have to put any more money or time into them than I already have to have them sent here.



Im slightly pissed... on an ebay auction it would have been a negative feedback for sure.

 

[23Ballistic randyvanaken]

I did discount them some for you and even shipped them to Canada. If there was any foreign substance on them it had to be masking tape from the body shop. Sorry your un happy with them. Your complaining about removing double sided tape which seems petty. And anyone knows that polishing aluminum pieces is a given. It wasnt a part that came from a show room store I had told you they came directly off my vehicle from the body shop. If they were chrome then you would have a problem, with them being aluminum any minor scratches that are on them just wet sand them with real fine sand paper and then repolish. It's really not a big deal..

 

[Chris Kulbaba]

As I said, I am not trying to put you down what-so-ever. I am also to blame as I never asked any questions, this is the main reason why I did not say anything to you. But in my defence when you show pics of them on the truck, they looks sparkling and new, thats what I had expected. Its a once in a lifetime offer that you presented selling the pads, thats why I did not say anything to you.



It was not tape on them, I had to get whatever it was off with acetone. Lacquer thinner, paint thinner, goof off didnt do a thing.