Thread: Polishing alloy/magnesium wheels.

I have been thinking about asking a similar question so I might as well jump in here as well.

I have just had the Kent alloys from my Jaguar XJ 5.3C polished. Because corrosion develops under clearcote on alloys, they have just been left polished alloy. This means they will have to be buffed with a really good alloy polish from time time - just like Loanrangie, if he does not clearcote his.

Any recommendations.

For Loanrangie, the guy who did my wheels started with a moderate grade paper and gradually goes up to around 2500. Then the polishing starts with the buffer and various grades of polish - unfortunately not able to advise which grades.

Kent Alloys.jpg

Thanks

Garry

One of my boys has been polishing his own wheels and then started advertising....
He makes money polishing but comes back in the house black from head to foot ! He recently made a frame to hold the wheels to make the job a bit easier.
Different grades of abrasive paper then polishing mops loaded with various compounds on a large angle grinder.

He does go through a lot of abrasive discs so it's not a cheap process.


Colin

Originally Posted by loanrangie

.....
How hard is it to get a good finish doing it DIY ?....

Can be, if you're patient.

I think doing it by hand(ie/ drill or grinder adapted buffers) going to be a bit harder.

I needed a bench grinder, as mine was pretty lame.
Ordered one from Hare and Forbes(or Hafco).
Pedestal job, quite large(I think 250mm wheels, sorry can't remember exactly), and the bonus was it came with a cheapie polishing kit.
One hard pad, one soft pad, but I think the soft pad was just a tad too soft. Came with 4 grades of polish.

At the same time, I had an old espresso machine I was trying to restore back to health and sell.
Stainless and copper trims. Copper trims were very tarnished. Having the buffer now, I had to try polishing. The copper trims were rectangular, basically flat, but with a curved bevel at the sides.
Was easy enough to hold one end and polish another.
But no matter how good you think you get, you aint good enough. One trim damned flew across the shed(all 13m of it) ... lucky it flew in the direction I wasn't standing at.

But in about 20-30mins of total newb polishing with the buffer .. had it at 90% mirror finish.

Pedestal grinder is bolted to the floor so is solidly set, and you can get a good footing around to stabilise yourself and the part.
Gave the stainless a bit of a buff, as there was a large scratch down one side, odd shape it was, half round and half square, so had to hold it all manner of directions.

Used to watch brother a few years back polishing his Alcoa wheels on his trucks back in the day with a drill attachment and various shades of compunds ... never got a decent finish. They were ok, but always dullish.
ie. for me looked like tedious boredom

Can you do it, for sure!! I knew as much as you did/do before I started on the copper parts. Haven't done any aluminium yet, only coz I have nothing ... and I really needed the grinder going.

Like Gromit said in his reply about having some kind of frame can help, because almost certain at some point with a powerful buffer the piece will fly.

ps. the piece that flew across the shed, got scratches of course, but buffed out fine again .. just a lot more cautiously.

I'll give it a go, if it turns to **** i'll just paint it black like it was .

No one seems to have any ideas on polishing Titanium,,