Get yourself 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500 grit sandpaper, a small plastic tub of auto rubbing compound and also polishing compound.Johnboy72 wrote:Anyone have some helpful hints to accomplish this? I don't think I could get the same results. Well, let me stop there and do some searching out here but think a How to Polish would be a good sticky!!!
With water running over your aluminum parts to be polished, wet-sand until the texture is consistent with 400-grit. Ideally you want to wet-sand in only one direction.
Repeat with 600-grit, wet-sanding perpendicular to how you sanded with 400.
Repeat all the way up to 1500-grit. You should now have a very fine, smooth, hazy texture. Some people go up to 2000-grit but I find this unnecessary for the small difference it makes.
With a moist cloth, apply rubbing compound and rub down your surface. When dry, use a soft, dry cloth and rub out the finish. You'll really start to bring out the gloss with this step.
Repeat with the polishing compound, which will further shine up the surface.
You could now apply an automotive wax to protect your finish.
