Polishing Aluminium

[John]

G'day everyone,

Someone was asking how to polish their aluminium caravan recently and while this may not be the solution, it certainly works for smaller pieces.

Sorry if this has already been covered here.....

I've used this technique quite a few times recently and I am happy with the results, but every job is different so try it on a small section of off cut or an indiscreet spot and you be the judge.

1) Polish section with a metal polish (I've been using Autosol) and wire wool.

Bunnings sell a selection of different grade wire wools and can be found in the paint section.

It looks like this


2) Buff off with a soft rag.

3) Wash any residue off with warm soapy water and allow to dry.

4) Once dry and and buffed again, spray with a clear lacquer and allow to dry. This will keep the shine. However the lacquer will eventually "go off" which means cleaning it off and starting again. This will take quite a while though.

I've done all sorts of jobs using this technique including the J mold over the edges of my van and it has kept its shine for near on a year.

I live near sea water and its a cheap and easy way to protect things, hope this can help someone else.

Regards,

John

[curtis]

Hi Brewer, I have had a crack at our old Franklin with the Brasso and a soft rag (a bit of old towel). The Brasso polished the aluminium easily as it turns out but the soft rag didn't manage to get into the texture of the panel that well. The finished product looks OK from a distance but up close it is not so good.
I think I will have to try a scourer of some sort to get the job done properly.

[DC3Td]

Hi Curtis,Brewer & John. Superfine steel wool works well on small pieces. IE: window trims, J mold etc. Autosol? Well used to use it years ago & gave it away after using Mirror Finish, obtainable at auto parts outlets."Purple" i hear is another excellent product. Buffed & polished by machine,works a treat.Hitched,a new member here is in the same boat (or caravan!) as you guys also. Check Pathfinder thread in FOR SALE section & Willyns Airstream in Members Photos section for some info & pics. By the way,once you use Purple or Mirror Finish you won`t go back to autosol.You might also check Parker Lights in the Whatever section.I got them recently & spent 10 mins tops on polishing them to a brilliant shine using Meguiars All Metal Polysh (their spelling). I personally use Mirror Finish as i haven`t gotten around to using Purple & i`ve buffed a minimum 30,000 cars/trucks/boats, a fifth of them needing attention to mags,bull bars,bow rails,panels etc. Anyways,check the info out here & see how you go.cheers gordon

[John]

G'day Brewer,

You're right, wire wool can be aggressive but this stuff comes in different grades.

Here is the description and uses from the packet:

~Grade 0000 Super fine
Used extensively for French polishing & antique restoration. This grade is used to finish and/or buff fine wood work with or without the use of waxes and oils. Polishes bright metals and removes dirt from glass.

~Grade 00-0 Fine
Removes stain from wooden floors. Smooths finishes between coats. Restores aluminium to original appearance. Cleans vinyl and tiled floors.

~Grade 1 Medium
Prepares surfaces before painting. Cleans cast and wrought iron. Cleans copper pipes and fittings.

~Grade 2-3 Coarse
Removes wax build up from wooden surfaces. Removes paint from awkward corners. Strips lacquer, paint and varnish from wood work. Cleans barbecue grills.

Its good stuff and I've done all sorts of "shiny" stuff around the van and home without any drama's.
Obviously the harder you go the worse the finish, so its a matter of letting the polish do its thing in conjunction with the wire wool.
As I said in my original post, I don't know if this will work on the exterior of a van as I've not tried it, but for smaller things its been great.
Hope this helps....
Cheers,
John

[DC3Td]

Hi Magicangelisa. Machine buff with a top grade buffing compound (like "Purple"). Have a look at thread concerning this under - Willyn or Airstream. To bring you up to speed,Forum member Willyn & his wife bought an Airstream van ex US of A to Oz. Spent many hours turning it into a drop dead gorgeous mirror finish. It`s that good a finish you won`t believe your eyes! cheers gordon

[geff]

Hi I have a 68 alumvan i`m doing up and was wondering if i were to use steel wool from the supermarket would that scatch the outside or work okay also where do you buy the PURPLE

[JBJ]

Hi Geff,
I would NEVER use steel wool on aluminium that has a smooth finish. Sure it may work on a badly corroded srface, but if its smooth why would you scratch the surface??

I would think fine emery/sandpaper, would be better. With my last rebuild, on my Olympic, the central cover strip was badly oxidised. ( thats what happens, it doesnt corrode), so I rubbed it with 180 grit dry paper. Probably should have used around 360 grit. But I ended up removing all the marks & pitting with a good rub.
Then I polished using 600 grit paper, then polished with purple. It came up well.

But my trim wasnt embossed, & didnt have a pattern in it.

Those surfaces are completely different, & I cant offer any thoughts on how to fix them, other than to try on a small area in the least noticeable spot.

You will find a way to get it looking good, its just a matter of being lucky enough to find what works for you.

I buy my aussie made purple from my local truck parts outlet, attached to a big truck dealership.
theres also a US made purple available. I dont like it as much as the aussie one.
Costs from memory around $25 plus per bottle.

But I havent found a better polish for aluminium.

JBJ

[geff]

Thanks JB i have the diamond aluminium i`ve seen a few old alum vans in the past and they were so shiny just like comming out of the factory thats what i hope to do i will try the purple and see how that goes

[yellowspinner]

aluminium Etch, spray on leave for 2-3 minutes and hose off,comes up beautiful worked on our van

[pinkiebearandpony]

Hi yellow spinner where do you buy Al Etch? Hardware? We are currently trying different methods to deoxidise and polish our diamond Al too geff - will keep trying and report back with results! Currently trying purple polish but there is a fair build up of oxidisation which will take something else to get off first.

[murray]

pinkiebearandpony,
this post is a year old, so you may not get a rely  .
I have the same dilemma as yourself .
I have stripped of the paint but the aluminium surface is badly oxidised and needs a good clean before polishing . The flat panels are fine as I am using wet and dry sandpaper but the textured panels are difficult.
I am about to try and source some kind of aluminium etch and am going to try a boat supply company.
Cheers
Murray

[shesgotthelook]

You can get septone', which is the same thing at Super Cheap Auto. Just be aware it is very toxic I did buy some but ended up not using. We used autosol' & an electric polisher, did a good job. Depends how super shiny you want it.