Official Polishing Thread. How to's and tips!

[MustangLX-5.0]

Here's an intake I did completely by hand several years ago. Took me awhile to do this. Sold the car to a friend and this photo here is just after I finished. Hence why the TB is not polished either. And BTW, if you can't find Tripoli ( which I have NEVER heard of ., till now) , then you can also use MAAS metal polish. GREAT stuff and I have been using it for 13 years. It's a polishing compound like Tripoli. Makes cake work out of ANY dull metal.

I alwasy work my way up to 2000 grit. That is my preference. When you work the metal up to a smooth 2000 grit, you have gotten all of the scratches and other blemishes out. Stopping at 22 is not a good idea. Then you have to work hard with a polishing/buffing wheel to get all those 220 Grit sandpaper scratches out. It's a pain in the ass. This is why you work the metal in steps. I can see cutting it short at maybe 1000 Grit. Anything lower and it just takes more work to get the scuff marks out.

I had done the water pump and tensioner assembly , as well as the alternator several times. It's a lot of work by hand but you need to use your hand to get those crevices and funky curves. ALso, make sure you where gloves, otherwise your fingers will be turning gray and you'll be tasting aluminum oxide for lunch. Tears the chit out of your hands by the way.

 

[Kdubslugga]

Alright after 7 hrs of polishing my master cylinder is covered in 180 grit. I just had to see what this thing was gonna look like, so i did one spot up to 600 grit and then used tripoli compound. Im out of white rouge and need to get some finer sand paper. But here's roughly how it will look,im sure it will look a little better with white rouge and going up to maybe 1000 grit paper!

 

[Kdubslugga]

Welp nevermind file was to large.. SOB

 

[Kdubslugga]

Hope this works!

 

[MustangLX-5.0]

that pic is soo tiny! Kdubs, it was probably too large because it is a BMP. Convert the normal pic to a . lpg.

If anyone needs any metal polishing advice, i'll be glad to help. I have worked with a lot of metal in the last 10 years. Practicing and just testing things mostly. Hmm, you all want ot know the funny thing about this? Exactly 10 years ago I brought THIS very same topic up about polishing. I went into detail an even tossed in a few pics. It seems people back then either didn't understand it, or it wasn't a BIG thing back then. That was when I had done the water pump, alternator, tensioner and PS bracket + thermostat housing (water neck. One thing tho, I am so friggin proud of that intake I done. . That was my BEST work, aside of the valve covers. Only problem was that I constantly had to keep re-polishing the stuff. Fingerprints, grease marks, engine heat, water spots... it all screwed up the finish , and fast. Thought about using clear coat paint, but clear urethane does NOT stick well to super smooth aluminum. It chips too easy and the clear finish makes the metal look all hazy.

 

[ALMOST STOCK]

I’ve been telling people for years that a dremel just doesn’t have the power and power is what you need not speed to polish a part. I found that a Dremel is great for areas that you can’t get a buffing wheel in and that is all I use it for.

The reason I stop at 220 grit is because the Emery Compound on a Ventilated Flap Buffing wheel takes the place of 240, 300, 320,360,400,500 ,600 and probably 800 grit sandpaper. So why would I want to go through all that work and time when you can just let a compound do all that work for you in 1/20 of the time of all that sanding?
EW Buff Compound Emery 17 oz Tube


I’ve been using Tripoli for 12 + yrs and Tripoli is a cutting compound not a polishing paste. I will say that Tripoli is like using 800, 1000,1200 and 2000 grit sandpaper and again I’d rather let a compound do the work rather than hand sanding and be done in 1/10 the time.
Buff Compound Tripoli 13 oz Tube


White Rouge is a finishing compound which is close to a polishing paste with less mess and where you get that brilliant shine and chrome appearance.
EW Buff Compound White Rouge 14 oz Tube


You could also buy all those compounds at a bulk rate.
EW Compound Set Emery Stainless Tripoli Wht Rouge



As far as compounds believe me not all compounds are created equal. The compounds you find at Home Depot, Lowe’s and Sears are of lesser quality and don’t seem to cut buff or polish anything like the Compound from Eastwood, Caswell, or Southwest

Introduction To Buffing and Polishing - Caswell Inc.

Polishing Compounds : Jewelers rouge white : yellow : Chrome rouge - Southwest Metal Finishing Supply

The same can be said about buffing wheels, seems a lesser priced buffing wheel doesn’t do the work that a buffing wheel for anyone of the site above does. It’s that old saying you get what you pay for.
Buffing Wheel Rake - Buffing wheels for Drill

This is a write-up I did for the owner of the site over 11 yrs ago and for a few years use this method until I found out I didn’t need to do all that sanding and then revise that to what I posted above. Polishing 101

 

[ALMOST STOCK]

do you spray any kind of clear on it to keep the aluminum parts from getting that white scale/chalky looking stuff on it?

I don't!
I've tried just about every clear coat know to mankind and I've not found one yet that doesn't slightly yellow a freshly polished piece.

FWIW:
For a few years I great some great reviews on Zoops Seal, but that changed to negative comments for a few years so I have no personal knowledge if Zoops will slightly yellow or not.

 

[ALMOST STOCK]

this may be a stupid question but, what is the tripoli you guys are talking about? I tried to polish my intake elbow but it doesn't have that chrome look either. could you guys maybe post pics of what polishing tools you use.(except sand paper of course)

I was a vice and a electric drill. I use the vice to hold the piece in place while I move the drill with the buffing wheel and compounds around the piece I'm working on.

You need an electric drill.

Mandrel to attach the buffing wheel to the drill.
Mandrel 1/4 Inch Shank Wheel Arbor

Compound the I mention above.

And buffing wheels.

For Tripoli and White Rouge compounds
BUFF WHEEL 6"X 1/2" SPIRAL SEWN

For Emery Compound
Ventilated Buff Wheel

do you use a different wheel for each compound?

Yes you need to use different wheels for the different compounds.

 

[Kdubslugga]

Awesome advice almost stock!

 

[Kdubslugga]

master cylinder so far. I'll post final pics, im happy with how it looks so far.

 

[90stang5speed]

thanks for the advice & pics of the tools

 

[1993SSP]

I started on my pipe and supercharger yesterday, the pipe was not bad, but damn this supercharger is gonna be a PITA. I absolutely hate the sanding

I gotta gets some discs for my angle grinder asap

 

[Kdubslugga]

Well here's the finished master cylinder, not quite as good as almost stock, but ive learned a few tricks for next time and im getting better guess i cant complain!

 

[90stang5speed]

Im doing my T stat housing right now. Any tips on getting into the real tight spots?

 

[Kdubslugga]

Gonna have to use a dremel if you have it with a wire wheel attachment

 

[90stang5speed]

Ok thanks. I will look for a wire wheel for my dremel the next time Im at Home Depot

 

[ALMOST STOCK]

Well here's the finished master cylinder, not quite as good as almost stock, but ive learned a few tricks for next time and im getting better guess i cant complain!

Your Master Cylinder looks very nice.

And you're right every time you do another piece you'll get better and learn something different and new. And the best part is that it does get a little easier the more you do.

 

[ALMOST STOCK]

Im doing my T stat housing right now. Any tips on getting into the real tight spots?

If your talking around the bolts I would go with something like a tapered sanding rolls? The wire wheel is going to leave scratches almost as deep as the casting marks.

View attachment 195257

 

[1993SSP]

If your talking around the bolts I would go with something like a tapered sanding rolls? The wire wheel is going to leave scratches almost as deep as the casting marks.

View attachment 195255

Damn, those would be the bomb!! I just did what I could get to on my supercharger by hand and it was a pain in the arse!!!

 

[Kdubslugga]

Thanks Almost Stock! Appreciate all ur input, learned a lot!