newbie here

[richr]

I need to refinish anodized aluminum car moulding off of
a 64 chevelle. These parts are not made by any aftermarket guys that i'm
aware of. I'm a little concerned that i might screw these up. They
heve a bunch of little nicks and some scratches. Nothing major as
far as severe damage. Should i start by sanding the scratches with
a wet or dry and if so when do i know its time to start the buffingprocess
I have the kits for aluminum and stainless
thanks, rich

[skiddz]

If the parts are anodized, the anodizing will need to be removed prior to polishing. Chemical strippers would probably be your best best since this moulding is probably pretty thin stuff..

Once the ano is stripped off, break out the sandpaper and sand the part down until it's free of blemishes.. You may have to go as fine 800 or even 1000 grit. The more scratch/ding/nick free you get the part, the easier it is going to be to polish.

Once the surface is uniform, I'd start with a spiral wheel and some tripoli (brown) compound and go slow. You don't want to heat the part up too much and warp it.. Once the part is shiny, clean it with laquer thinner, acetone, brake cleaner - anything that won't leave a residue - then hit it with a loose wheel and the white rouge.

Once it's polished, if you still see scratches, hit those areas with the sandpaper and repeat the tripoli/white process.