How to Buff Aluminum with a Dremel Tool

Buffed aluminum engine.

Aluminum is a very common and lightweight metal that can be found virtually everywhere where a light but strong metal is needed. Like most other non-precious metals, aluminum will dull and tarnish with age. For smaller applications, using a Dremel tool to polish and buff out a piece of aluminum can be done by using genuine Dremel accessories and standard jewelry buffing compound.

Things You'll Need

• Dremel tool
• Buffing compound
• Dremel felt buffing tip accessory
• Clamp
• Table or work bench
• Rag

Instructions

1. Clamp or secure your piece of aluminum onto a table or work bench. Tighten the clamp securely.

2. Apply a buffing compound to the piece of aluminum. Whites and blues are made for polishing, with a white being applied first and then a blue as the finish. However, a jewelers rouge can also be used for maximum shine.

3. Insert a standard Dremel polishing tip accessory into your Dremel tool and tighten it.

4. Begin buffing the aluminum by working slowly while keeping the tool constantly moving. Use only as much pressure needed to polish the metal which will also add life to the polishing tip.

5. Wipe clean when the polishing compound is used up and inspect your work. If the shine is not acceptable, apply more polishing compound and buff it out again.

Tips & Warnings

• If possible, adjust your Dremel motor to an ideal buffing speed of 5000 RPM. This gives the best combination of speed and performance.

• Wear safety glasses when buffing or polishing any piece of aluminum to keep flakes or globs of buffing compound from making contact with your eyes.

References

• All Pro Dremel.com: Dremel 422 Polishing Tip
• Caswell Plating.com:Standard Buffing Compounds
• The Artful Crafter.com: Cleaning Your Precious Metal Jewelry Using a Dremel Tool