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(Doug White) wrote in message ...
I just had to buff some aluminum trim plates I made, and I'd forgotten
that it wasn't as easy as it sounds. I had a medium stiff felt wheel
with some gray buffing compound recommended for aluminum. I tried to do
a careful job of sanding out all the major scratches beforehand,
finishing up with emery cloth. I managed to get a relatively nice shine,
but only after a good bit of time at the wheel. The biggest problem was
fusing little streaks of buffing compound onto the metal. Some places
would just end up with a thin gray haze of compound, and it would come
off OK. The fused compound had to be scrubbed off with a paper towel,
and this left streaks of micro-scratches that had to be buffed out again.

I don't know if I'm using the wrong wheel, the wrong buffing compound or
lousy technique (all three?). Maybe I'm letting the metal get too hot,
or I have too much compound on the wheel. I have other compounds and
some soft wheels (muslin?). I bought all this stuff eons ago, but
haven't used it enough to remember what all I've got & why.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I always had good luck shining up motorcycle parts with Simichrome on
a soft muslin wheel. A little work would leave the average stock
aluminum cover with a mirror finish. Bach when I was a biker, this is
all anyone that I knew ever used.

Regards,

Bob

Thanks!

Doug White