How to Polish Aluminum

I wanted to show you the process that I use to polish aluminum to a mirror finish. Links to the polishing pads I use on the grinder are below. I also put a link to the buffing compound that is used on the wheel. Specifically to polish the parts in the video I use the White and the Red compound.
Finishing Pad
amzn.to/3sc6spm
Backing Plate for Grinder
amzn.to/3lrMnch
Buffing Compound
amzn.to/30XDjCq

[@brettfrancis1527]

Thank you for actually being honest. There are several videos where they claim this is the fast easy way. Theres no such thing polishing anything.

[@triplecranks]

Great video. A suggestion is to sand in one direction. Then change direction with the next finer grit etc. This way you can easily see the previous scratch marks removed. I hope that makes sense 😀

[@OtherDalfite]

Thats a good trick, thanks for sharing

[@ahole5407]

The technique is called cross polishing, and you do not switch between grits halfway. Simple explanation is that a 100 grit will go to X depth in Y amount of time. Switch 90 degrees and you will cut to the same depth in a much shorter amount of time leaving a scratch pattern that is twice as fine (200 grit) so if done right you save time and can progress faster from say 100 to then 320 to 800 to 1200 and finish at 2500 or 3000. A quick Buff with a micro polish and you have a world class finish. Something unlike what you see in this video. A reflectivity meter can be used to quantity this but in reality it is obviously cloudy. 🙄 some people just see shiny and don't understand how shiny it could be. Best apology would be a sharpened knife. How sharp is sharp. There is a difference between shiny and scary shiny

[@Soldier1287]

Can the same be done with sanding attachments? Like a orbital sander or grinder sanding pad attachment

[@OtherDalfite]

@@Soldier1287 orbital sanders are designed to sand in many directions as they work. This technique doesn't work with them because of the rotating orbiting action

[@hakimbot359]

Just awesome! Top notch skill and tips just what I needed 💯 I have watched it over and over several times 🔥

[@rslcotter8598]

Awesome Video. Followed the steps outlined for some aluminum kitchen counter edging. Worked like a charm!!

[@yungmaestro]

Bro, u killed it! Dope work. Thanx for sharing the process👌🏾

[@billthompson9595]

that is the no bs proper way to buff aluminum. thank you for your time well done

[@user-hn3js9io8m]

i will give you a thumb up to make this into 1K! This is exactly what I have looking forward, thank you for sharing it!

[@AndyTSLMachinist]

Wow! That looks so good, like mirror

[@RobertoPerez-lr6hm]

Amazing results! Loved this video. I wasn't even using the red rouge, just the white. I guess I'm gonna try it. Gonna make some really unusual mirrors with some steel tool restorations!

[@JSUTI1995]

Very good results ... great video ... looks great!

[@BernieM2819]

Thanks for the video, really helped me out !

[@liampatterson9396]

I don’t have all those tools but this actually helped allot mainly the sanding part

[@tonyperez7152]

Awesome! Thank u for posting.

[@itawad]

Great Video, made it look so easy. Will follow to polish my new Aircraft spinners

[@orvillets8818]

What a quality video. Nice. 👍🏻

[@mjremy2605]

Fantastic job, thank you!

[@drewcagno]

Can you please do all your videos like this? The bad synch with the audio dub is amazing!

[@Cpt-ARMA]

Very good vid thumbs up time is the only factor in making it look good 👍

[@Supreem6969]

Freaking awesome video bro respect..they look great

[@Arizona9001]

Wish you could make a video starting with a cast aluminum part. But I did find this video helpful for other parts of mine, thank you!

[@hillbillybassfisherman8181]

thats awesome i am 18 wheeler driver i did my allium rims like this i worked on them all the time when i was sitting waiting get loads or unloaded with air high speed tool an i had them just like this everyone was like that the most awesome rims i ever seen i could brush my hair an trim my bierd with them wheels i said i needed outside mirro hahahahahahhaha going down highway guys hit me up on CB all the time thats the cleanest truck they ever seen

[@hillbillybassfisherman8181]

no i didnt do trailer cause i dont care about the trailor cause i changed every day only the 6 rims on truck an all the allium pieces i had i said i rather have allium than i would chrome cause it will rust allium want ever

[@kennydaniels6285]

Great job👍👍👍

[@NeoQJ]

Awesome video😀

[@khaledamin751]

Amazing work goodluck

[@Badman_359]

Thank you very much sir! 🔥

[@runfayalife]

Outstanding!

[@Roel922]

Whow this is awesome. I want to polish some plates of aluminum that I shaped into a parabole for a solar coocker so it has to be as much of a mirror as I can possibly can get it.

[@ramezgoldman6590]

great job bro

[@antonioferrer9431]

Your the bomb , you rock , look at you go

[@BuddaSlim]

GOOD CONTENT BRO POLISHING SOME MOLDINGS FOR MY 62 IMPALAS SS

[@MothershipVideos]

Brilliant.

[@victordavilacortazar7533]

Muy buen trabajo, bien acabado. Desde dónde transmites? Saludos desde Guayaquil

[@outlawflyer7868]

Holy shit that came out great.

[@351kostakis]

Fantastic

[@vishnudanraj2570]

It did work like a magic bro. Just like U said

[@zaidro1]

Fantastic. Just a question. How much it will take before those parts of aluminum lose the polished surface if you let them in the outside?

[@itawad]

Great Video, I am polishing a plane nose to use indoors for mancave. After polishing, do I need to seal it? if yes with what ?

[@MrJuancarl0s]

What a great video!!! What polishing disc do you use no the grinding machine ?

[@jessesutton19]

I put links to the polishing disc that I use on the grinder in the description.

[@andrewwhitlatch]

Hey Jesse, I’m at the polishing stage and I’m using the white compound and it appears to be stuck at more of a matted finish and not really getting to the mirror finish. Can you offer any tips?

[@HighTone45]

What grit is the scotch bright pad I have the same exact one

[@nixland]

I only have angle grinder. Is it still possible to polish to mirror finish?

[@cooksey187]

If you do the same to alluminium wheels can you laquer them at the end?

[@jamesharris6657]

Can the leg trim ring of aluminum be done the same way I just got one of these tables and want to bring the aluminum back

[@vincentlau8876]

hahahaha "dibbity dibbity" friggin love it!

[@HolzMichel]

wow!! so what do you recommend to seal the thing with once you've finished polishing it?? aluminium has a tendency to dull after a while due to oxidation

[@klubstompers]

It has to be re polished regularly. There is no magic one time fix. Adding clear coat, will dull the shine, and will peel with time, being an even bigger headache. Just hit it with some "mothers mag and aluminum polish" every couple months with a micro fiber pad, and wipe clean with a micro fiber rag. If you stay on top of it, it should last forever.

[@christos8189]

Meguiars Ceramic coat wax

[@akkad7514]

do you coat them with something afterwards?

[@Kihsiimawa]

Do they make mini pads like this for rotary tools? I bought some vintage aluminum canisters for my kitchen and want to restore the mirror-like shine.

[@SasukeUchiha-mj2vh]

Thanks! How do you protect the shiny surface form oxidizing or getting matted?

[@done-wright_performance]

acetone then clearcoat

[@paulcook68]

Or keep alot of wax sealer on it like Turtle wax or something. It's almost impossible to get clear coat to stick to polished aluminum..

[@done-wright_performance]

@@paulcook68 ive done it with great success. Ive sprayed all my polished parts on my bikes to prevent finger prints and the clear coat is still on. Yes eventually it will wear off since it doesnt have the greatest adheasion but it works pretty well.

[@gerardfouche2718]

How often do you need to polish once off or not

[@dmitriciccarelli4082]

Could the same principals apply to firearm refinishing?

[@pedroakabane5071]

Pode me passar quais produtos tenho comprar, sou de Uberlândia mg, tem como me ensinar.

[@thefallofhanzo]

Always always always clean surfaces prior to stepping to a finer polishing compound to avoid cross-contamination.

[@pinomarino8917]

Can you link the buffing wheel you used?

[@neco1562]

Bravo

[@lataciasmith4581]

I've had better luck going to finer grits of sandpaper before doing a brown - white - red buffing.... But most of my pieces I've had to do with hand buffers (if I could remove these pieces from the car and use a bench buffer I would)... Maybe my hand tools don't have the proper buffing attachment? I still have a few line/scratches pop up here and there that are hard to get out

[@algorhythminc]

What rouge compound do you recommend using for 6061 aluminum?

[@jamaabdulle2501]

Good question what type aluminium is he using

[@fern8580]

do you agree with this definition of bars polishing compounds ? the black is a coarse aluminum oxide, the white is a fine aluminum oxide, the green is a fine chromium oxide, the red is ferric oxide.(iron oxide )

[@heilerdelarosa]

Saludos una pregunta qué hace dar tanto brillo la mopa o el químico o piedra lo pasa no tiene sub título en español para entender su explicación.gracias

[@westbay5858]

How do you clean dirty metal polishing buff pads?

[@jessesutton19]

Are you talking about the ones on the grinder or on the buffing machine?

[@westbay5858]

@@jessesutton19 The buffing wheel. I noticed when buffing aluminum, the buffing pad turns black. Even my hand cloths turn black. Wondering how to clean this black off everything. Dish soap, varsol, lacquer thinner??

[@nickplaisance4991]

Why nobody makes a video about the different coating on the aluminm and how to get it off

[@lataciasmith4581]

I really need to get a bench grinder

[@raizt1596]

A bench grinder is nice, but the guards will get in the way. He's using a polishing "grinder" that is specifically made for polishing.

[@mauriziovioli8932]

It's the best video for polish the aluminium, but can you tell us which compounds you used ? Thanks

[@jessesutton19]

I placed a link in the description to the buffing compound.

[@raizt1596]

What do you coat it with to keep it from oxidizing quickly?

[@fern8580]

I recommend spraying lacquer, varnish, otherwise the shine will not stay long.

[@raizt1596]

@@fern8580 the same stuff used for wood? Is lacquer better than rustoleum clear emanel?

[@fern8580]

@@raizt1596 Gtechniq C1

[@fern8580]

@@raizt1596 Restom AluFilm 4040

[@tricktrick8794]

Man I have 2 trims half inch wide by 12 inches long do you have a business doing this I could use some help

[@elo0326]

bruh ur intro was funny 😂

[@pedroakabane5071]

Sou brasileira, queria muito saber

[@anatalelectronics4096]

why don't you do electro polishing, seems less work

[@exbatuhijau1175]

Is it the result permanent...?

[@fern8580]

@ex I recommend spraying lacquer, varnish, otherwise the shine will not stay long.

[@hillbillybassfisherman8181]

oh i used WD40 to polish my allium works great

[@shaikhrafiq1621]

Capond polish cooler waht

[@TheBrianhj]

orange lowes 😂

[@ahole5407]

Couldn't find something easier to polish? 😂 how about next time you try doing an aluminum cylinder head or crank case