Help me solve a debate (polishing aluminum)

[Stephen]

My buddy and I were discussing this last night and he thinks you can get a better finish after sanding by using a polishing compound on a polishing wheel and dremel/drill, then mothers..

I think you can achieve the same finish properly hand sanding all the way up to 2000 grit and then using mothers polish.. but it does take longer and requires way more elbow grease..

Neither of us are experts on the subject and I can't find any great info online..

Share your knowledge please..

[junior]

I have a set of wheels yall can try it on......each others theory


just saying

[Captain Crawfish]

The finer the scratches the better. The final step should be a jewelers rouge polish compound on a wheel of some sort.

[yellowstang]

Spit on I and use your hand

[46Tbird]

If you're sanding with 2000 either way, and then polishing, you'll end up with the same finish both ways.

One will take you a few hours and one will take you a few days.

[Scott Mc]

3m Perfect it 3 and a mini buffer here.

[Wish4svts]

If y'all are both finishing with mothers then the same results will be achieved granted he went high enough on grit with sanding that the compound could take the sanding scratches out. 2000 is still a step below a good compound. You'd need to go to 2500 and then mothers.

[Snatch Napkin]

Truck drivers perfected polishing aluminum. Just get the kit and a high speed buffer.
Cutting compound to polish compound.

[ram57ta]

sand it with a rough grit, steel wool, polish with any flavor aluminum polish, then wax.

[4king]

Stop by the store and I can tell you the best process

Depending on the type and quality of the aluminum you can get a chrome finish using just the mothers polish. I use the aluminum polish on my old pro stars and even when they looked like garbage they would shine like chrome with time and patience