This is a simple explanation of how i go about polishing aluminum. Sand with greaseless compound on a spiral sewn whee(4 inch) on a low speed drill. I usually start with a 120-240. I than hand wet sand with a 320/400 grit to even the surface up. I than move to 8 inch double stacked sisal wheels with the black super sisal emory compound. Use very little compound often at this step. Spend a LOT of time on this step as the more you do now, the better it looks in the end. Pay careful attention to your cutting and polishing actions. I next move onto double stacked 6 inch loose wheels with the normal white rouge compound. Use more compound less often here. This gives me great results are seems to work the best for me. Polishing technique varies from person to person so it involves a lot of trial an error. Also pickup a set of long shaft extenders for your buffer, it makes life easiar. If you're using the buffer i think you are, dont use 8 inch loose or spiral sewn (if you decide to use brown rouges), its not strong enough, use 6 inchers. ALso make sure to clean with brake cleaner/alcohol inbetween compounds to prevent cross contamination. Always use different wheels with different compounds, never share. A hot part is a good part when it comes to polishing, it helps the compounds fluidize and work better. Theres tons of little tips we can all tell you, but the basics are where you should start and from there you'll learn tons more. Good luck.
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