Polishing? HELP.

[HatchSex]

So I have a dremel and every attachment you could think of, but how do I use it? I would like to polish the intake manifold on my 1jz and my buddies miata. I have a 7m intake manifold to practice on, so i dont mess anyting up. I was just wondering if you guys have some suggestions before I jump in and learn the hard way. :1zhelp: Thanks.

 

[Kristian_Wraae]

First the easy one:

Pay someone else to do it. There are companies that do this for a living. Might be worth it if you can spend your time making money to pay for the polishing instead of spending (i.e wasting) your time polishing.

What I did was to use sandpaper on a power tool and progressively go to finer and finer grits.

I started at grit 80, then 120, 180 240 etc until 2000. Then I used a buff wheel with buffing compound.

Using the sandpaper allowed me to keep the surface flat. If you use a dreml with a small tool you'll make a very uneven surface that will look ugly when reflecting the light.

This is how my stuff turned out:

http://www.euphonium.dk/DCP_3353.JPG

 

[85celicasupra]

i recently just polished my turbo compressor housing.
I started with some like 80 grit sand paper (just with my hand) and did a good once over with that..then dropped to like 120.
Then the problems started.. Using a dremel sucks cause the attachments are so small you end up having to go back and forth and up and down a million times and by then your leaving the marks everywhere...

But basically give it a good once over hand sanding then just start on down through the dremel attachments. Roughest (but dont use like the grinding stones) to smoothest...then eventually get to the cotton polishing pad and clay bar...

 

[GotTurbos?]

I wouldn't use a dremel for polishing unless you're just using it to take out casting marks at the beginning of the process, or using it with a buffing wheel after its already smooth.

Like others said you need to start low and work your way up to 1500-2000 grit, the buff it with coarse and fine polishing compound, be sure to use a different buffing wheel for each.

 

[supraman7mgte]

polishing is basically getting all the scratches to go one way
lol
using a dremel will take forever

 

[Kckazdude]

The Dremel will be almost useless except for some of the smaller final details. A 4 1/2" grinder is what you really need. Will also need the coarse and fine surface conditioning pads that can be found in most hardware stores along with polishing pads to fit your grinder and clay bars/sticks. Start off by removing all casting ridges and smoothing any welds out with the grinder or sanding attachments. Follow up with the coarse pad then the fine pad until you have a uniform surface finish. Next the clay bars/sticks on your polishing pads until you get the desired finish.

http://www.supramania.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1058719&postcount=55

 

[ndial2498]

i use a hand power sander and a little hand sander takes a VERY long time and i wasnt that happy with my results but this is how it turned out. and do not polish your heat shields, they look like crap after one day of driving

 

[mdr40z]

I believe it was zooloo that did a long post on it a few years back, can't remember if it was here or SF

 

[Facime]

Zooloos post is on SF and is a good reference. Kckazdude has the right idea as he followed my method, and I have perfected that process to take very little time (compared to hand sanding anyway, its still a buttload of work). I have learned how to use machines to help me skip a few of the more tedious steps and can go right from 400 grit to polished. As Im about to start offering local polishing services Im not going to reveal ALL my secrets.

After polishing you will want to clear coat or zoop seal (I recommend the later as clear coat tends to yellow very quickly)

 

[rakkasan]

http://www.supramania.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17330&highlight=polish+aluminum

 

[rakkasan]

As Im about to start offering local polishing services Im not going to reveal ALL my secrets.

Pics of your work?

 

[Facime]

Pics of your work?

getting good pics of polished things is so hard to do. It always ends up looking kind of dull. I thought I had some more of some polished sawblades from my rx7 and a set of NA valve covers that came out real nice that I sold on SF, but they seem to be missing. This should give you an idea though.

[thumb]http://home.comcast.net/~theweezl//supras/DSCF2247b.jpg[/thumb]

[thumb]http://home.comcast.net/~theweezl//polishing/DSCF0778.jpg[/thumb]

[thumb]http://home.comcast.net/~theweezl//polishing/DSCF0783.jpg[/thumb]

[thumb]http://home.comcast.net/~theweezl//polishing/DSCF1198.jpg[/thumb]

[thumb]http://home.comcast.net/~theweezl//polishing/DSCF1346.jpg[/thumb]


One of these days I should I should take a pic of myself AFTER a day of polishing...I look like the "jolly gray giant"

 

[rakkasan]

getting good pics of polished things is so hard to do. It always ends up looking kind of dull. I thought I had some more of some polished sawblades from my rx7 and a set of NA valve covers that came out real nice that I sold on SF, but they seem to be missing. This should give you an idea though.

One of these days I should I should take a pic of myself AFTER a day of polishing...I look like the "jolly gray giant"

LOL, been there, done that, don't want to do it again. I might be sending you a pm later, depending on the when the funds fall in place.

 

[HatchSex]

Thanks for all the tips! All of you helped alot and its a good thing I didnt spend any money on the dremel :biglaugh:! Your work on those mkii wheels was amazing!!! Great job! Im prolly gonna end up doing it by hand, seems like the safest way to go, even though it takes forever. I pay really close attention to detail so it should go well, hopefully.

 

[prism1]

dude sandpaper is the worst. Takes forever costs alot and it just boring. Go buy a mouse sander and an angle grinder. Then get some abrasin pads for both. Next use the abrasion grease. Start with black then brown and finally white. Each grease compound requires it's own wheel. It comes out amazing with a third of the time. Another cool thing is now you have all the tools needed to do a lot of stuff. This is my method and everyone seems happy with my work

 

[IJ.]

Dremel and a sander to smooth any big ugly patches then find a shop that does header coating and take the parts there and get them to drop em in the vibratory polisher.

Return 2 hours later and pick up your shiny smooth part that has no missed corners and you'll still have finger prints left on your hands.
(I don't like polished parts and think it's insane to polish by hand let alone all the upkeep to keep it shiny)

 

[Scruggs86.5T]

http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/buffman.htm

 

[sneakypete]

great tips... ive been using the old sandpaper method and it just seems to take forever to get results. ill be trying some of these ideas out
thanks
-pete

 

[Guyana00]

http://www.poleringsguide.se/english