How to Polish Aluminum Wheels With Tripoli
Tripoli, also known as rotten stone, is a polishing compound often used on carved wood and precious stones. While it is not often marketed for polishing aluminum wheels, it is gentle enough to polish them without scratching the finish. If you can acquire some tripoli in solid form, it's easy to polish your aluminum wheels just as you would with any commercial liquid, powder or bar polish.
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Things You'll Need
- Tripoli in stick or bar form
- Power drill
- Polishing disc or ball attachment for power drill
- Spray-on degreaser
- Auto body soap
- Bucket
- Water
- Car wash mitt
- Terrycloth towels
- Microfiber polishing rag
- Hose
- Protective eyewear
- Dust mask
Instructions
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1
Mix some car wash soap and water in a bucket and use the solution to clean all four wheels thoroughly with a car wash mitt. Dry each wheel with a terrycloth towel when you're through.
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2
Spot-clean each wheel with a spray-on degreaser and a terrycloth towel. Use this to clean off all the toughest spots and stains that the first washing didn't catch. You can skip this step if the first washing took care of everything, but unless you're sure the wheels are completely clean, make sure you go the extra mile to clean them.
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3
Wash and dry the wheels again just as you did in step one. This is to clean away the degreaser as well as to touch up the wheels one last time. This may seem excessive, but it is very important to clean and dry the wheels completely. Any dirt left on the aluminum can scratch the finish in the later steps of this process.
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4
Attach your polishing disc or polishing ball attachment to the bit on your electric drill. Put on your protective eyewear and dust mask.
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5
Unwrap the end of your tripoli bar or stick to expose the tripoli substance. Hold the tripoli against your polishing disc or ball as you pull the trigger on the drill to spin it. Buff the polishing material against the tripoli for about 30 seconds.
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6
Gently press the polishing disc or ball against the aluminum wheel and begin polishing at full speed. Press the polishing material against the wheel lightly enough so that the drill doesn't slow down. Work in small sections, making sure that you don't miss any spots.
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7
Re-apply tripoli to your polishing material after about every 3 or 4 minutes of polishing. Use the same technique you used in Step 5 to do this. Continue polishing each wheel until it shines brilliantly.
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8
Give each wheel a final wipe and buff with a clean microfiber polishing rag.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not use tripoli to polish a magnesium alloy wheel or a wheel with a magnesium finish. Always wear a dust mask and protective glasses or goggles when polishing aluminum, as it can kick up fine aluminum particles that can cause eye and respiratory irritation.
