How to Polish Raw Aluminum
Polishing raw aluminum takes a great deal of time and effort. It is possible to make the aluminum shine like chrome. To get it to look very glossy or shiny, take your time and work methodically to remove all scratches and imperfections in the metal. Scratches and scuffs make aluminum look dull.
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Things You'll Need
- Masking tape
- Oven cleaner
- Cup
- Towels
- Paint thinner
- 320 grit sand paper
- 400 grit sand paper
- 600 grit sand paper
- 800 grit sand paper
- 1200 grit sand paper
- 2000 grit sand paper
- Felt pad
- Orbital buffer
- Metal polish
- Chamois or flannel cloth
Instructions
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Tape off any surfaces with masking tape that are next to the raw aluminum that aren't going to be polished. Painted areas, plastic and other surfaces can be damaged by the polishing process.
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Remove anodizing, which is common on aged raw aluminum. This makes aluminum look hazy and white. Spray oven cleaner into a cup and dip a clean towel into the cleaner. Wipe the anodized areas with the towel using a circular swirling motion. Let it set on the area for 5 minutes. The area will look very bad when the anodizing is removed. This is normal. Rinse the area off with warm water to remove the oven cleaner. Dry it completely.
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Clean the aluminum with paint thinner. Be careful that the paint thinner only gets on the aluminum parts. Pour the paint thinner onto a clean towel and rub the aluminum in small circular motions. Wipe the area off with a dry towel once you have cleaned the entire part.
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Sand the aluminum with a piece of wet 320 grit sand paper, or pour water over the aluminum. This is called wet sanding.
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Use 400 grit sand paper, followed by 600 grit, then 800 grit, followed by 1200 grit and finally 2000 grit to wet sand the area following the same process as you used with the 320 grit sand paper. Keep the area and the sand paper wet for each of these.
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Buff the area with metal polish on a felt pad attached to an orbital buffer. Polish cracks and crevasses by hand using a folded piece of felt. These areas may be a little less shiny than the machine buffed areas.
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Remove the tape from around the aluminum. Throw this tape away.
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Wipe the entire area with a clean, soft towel. A chamois cloth or a piece of soft flannel are good choices.
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Tips & Warnings
Always wear thick gloves, goggles and a respirator when you polish aluminum.
Never leave any chemicals on the raw aluminum for more than 5 minutes, as this may cause severe pitting.
