Polishing and protecting aluminum

[Jasons68]

I need some guidance on a non PT project I am doing. Currently I am stripping the paint off an aluminum luggage rack from a Ford Explorer (Just using an aresol stripper from WalMart). The paint had begun to peel off anyway!

When I finally remove all the paint, what steps should I take to polish and protect the aluminum, besides anodizing. I would like something relatively low maintenance, but still attractive.

Thank You
Jason

[paul67]

Polish with a crome cleaner then clearcoat with a nonyellowing laquer.
paul67

[Jasons68]

HOLY @#$* THAT WAS FAST!! :eek:

I love this place!

THANKS

[StRacerDuke]

Check your local phonebook to see if there is a powder coating company in your area. They can do a clear powder coat and you will never have to worry about it again.

[Steve1968LS2]

Zoopseal has always worked good for me.. my second choice would be clear powder even though it is not optically clear (pretty close though)

[CAMAROBOY69]

I have used Mothers aluminum polish for many many years with astounding results. It is also very cheap at about $4.00 a jar.
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[parsonsj]

I second the Mother's recommendation. I've used it for all my fab'ed aluminum parts as part of prep for anodizing. Good stuff.

jp

[CAMAROBOY69]

I wish I had my comparison pic still from the first time I used mothers. I had a pic of an absolutely dull stained aluminum radiator that was sold brand new looking like that. I took mothers to it with my finger and it ended up a mirror finish. Looks just like chrome. I did the same thing with a very old set of 17" wheels. Extremly dull to the point of being white. A little hand action with Mothers and it was a mirror finish and I am not exaggerating at all. I will try to find the comparison pics for the radiator. At $4.00 a container I dare anyone to even try to compare. I believe Marquez Design uses mothers for all of their products and we all know their products are beautiful!

[6'9"Witha69]

I use Mothers on my Centerlines. Awesome stuff. Combined with the powerball . . . fast and easy!

[Jasons68]

I hadnt checked this post for a while, but I wish i had given the Mothers a try. I ended up scratching the aluminum a little during the stripping of some stubborn areas, so I decided to have them powder coated.

I was really hoping for the polished look, but after I checked the price of powder coating, I couldnt resist.

Thank you all for your input!!!

Jason

[BMF Machine]

I have used any and everything I can find! Now, I sand with 500, then 800, then 1500. Then, I use a orbital 4 inch sander with an eggcrate looking foam pad. I put plenty of 3-m rubbing compound on it and buff the Hell out of it!

I have tried Mothers, the shine does not even come close to 3-m Rubbing compound, not on 6061 anyway, No comparison. Mothers looks like tiny scratches and the 3-M leaves it like a MIRROR. I believe the 3-M is a little cheaper as well.

Big Black squirt bottle(Yes, 3-M rubbing compound for paint, you can get it at NAPA)

Then I agree with Steve, ZOOPS is an awsome product. It is very expensive, but it will retain the shine, with out Distorting the shine whatsoever. It seals the pores in the Alum. to keep it from oxidizing.

My .02 cents,(ain't worth spit!)
Kevin:smoke:
175,695 ways to skin a cat, so far!

I may eventually buy a vibratory media polishing tumbler? Polishing is a big pain no matter what!!

[speedster]

Hey Guys -
After you polish it with the Mother's, what do you use for wax/protectant afterward ? Have a new set of Budniks that have zero protection on them.
Tanx.

[John Monnin]

How long does the Zoops last?

I have polished a lot of stuff using 220 dry then up 320 grit wetsanding then going fo buffing wheel on grinder. I tried using finner grit sandpaper but it was a waste of time for me because everything 320 and finer looked the same after hitting it with a buffing wheel. I found that Mothers looks dull in a few months. Wax on top of mothers helps some. I don't like clearcoats because the finish is dulled a little, even powdercoating clear takes off some of the shine

Some Stuff I polished, The oil pan is my favorite, despite not being my best work:)

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[BMF Machine]

Zoops, Says 2 years on the pakage? I am sure weather, and grease and oil and other factors effect the length at which it lasts? I haven't used it long enough to say if that is true or not?


Kevin

[parsonsj]

I sand aluminum with 150, 220, 400, then polish with Mothers. Then anodize. It leaves the aluminum with a "machined" look. That's OK with me for my fabricated parts.

I wish I could find some 500, 800, 1000, 1500 for my Dewalt r/o sander; that's really the only way to get a mirror finish and then it looks fabulous when anodized.

jp

[PhillipM]

By "machined" is it a brushed look? That is the look that I would like to have on some parts but havent figured out a way to brush it and have it stay clean.

[parsonsj]

No .. not really brushed. More of a "not-quite-smooth" look. It's hard to describe, and even harder to photograph.

Use some 220 sandpaper in a single sweeping motion to get a brushed look. Do that and then clear anodize, and you're good to go.

jp

[BMF Machine]

Zoops, also sells an Alum. Cleaner; It all comes in a little kit. You would not believe, the amount of dirt, the cleaner will get out. Then the sealer keeps it clean, 1 kit = 150 bucks?It does approx. four wheels and an engine block?

Or the anodizer's should clean it, before they anodize it.(Lasts forever!)

Scotch Bright pads,will also work well, for the brushed look.

Kevin:smoke:

PS, JP, get off the computer, and get to the post office! :dunno:

[PhillipM]

No .. not really brushed. More of a "not-quite-smooth" look. It's hard to describe, and even harder to photograph.

Use some 220 sandpaper in a single sweeping motion to get a brushed look. Do that and then clear anodize, and you're good to go.

jp


Thank you, I will give that a shot.-P

[phoenixdawg]

But how does one anodize aluminum, is it a procedure that is done by a shop?

[parsonsj]

how does one anodize aluminum?Ordinarily, you'd take it to an anodizing place. There are usually several in each of the big cities. They can be hard to find, and hard to deal with since most of their work is usually not retail. I'd google "aluminum anodizing <city>" and start calling around.

Or ... you can buy some kits from somebody like Caswell Plating (http://www.caswellplating.com).

jp

[CAMAROBOY69]

I wish I had my comparison pic still from the first time I used mothers. I had a pic of an absolutely dull stained aluminum radiator that was sold brand new looking like that. I took mothers to it with my finger and it ended up a mirror finish. Looks just like chrome. I did the same thing with a very old set of 17" wheels. Extremly dull to the point of being white. A little hand action with Mothers and it was a mirror finish and I am not exaggerating at all. I will try to find the comparison pics for the radiator. At $4.00 a container I dare anyone to even try to compare. I believe Marquez Design uses mothers for all of their products and we all know their products are beautiful!
I finally found this radiator/ mothers pic from about 3 years ago.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://img155.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mothers12xy.jpg)

[fantasygoat]

I know this is an old thread, but I was wondering if the people who used Zoopseal might offer some suggestions.

I polished up one of my valve covers and coated it with Zoopseal, but after two weeks outside in sub zero Canadian weather, it was all splotchy with corrosion again. I followed the instructions to the letter, so I was wondering if you might offer some suggestions on applying it.

[minendrews68]

One thing about anodizing aluminum is you've got to be careful about what kind of aluminum your working with. You cannot anodize cast aluminum. I use to work for a company quite a while ago that made aluminum automotive trim. We had all the buffers, everything needed for making aluminum look good. So naturally, I tried buffing out a piece of cast aluminum and it came out of the anodize tank black! I don't know if things have changed over the years or not but that is what use to happen..