cannot remove scratches

[clockman]

i am polishing 1/8 thick I think 6061 aluminum . The finish with emery is pretty good then I switch to tropoli compound then to white. I even bought some special compound from caswell and tried it. I still have a scratched surface after i color the part they are much finer than with emery or tripoli. I have even tried to polish this aluminum without sanding and using white and can cut and color it but still have scratches. Could this aluminum be to soft or getting to hot? I am using new wheels and i am keeping them all closed up and seperate. i am so dissappointed in the results and there is no one around here that polishes to show the results to to get any answers. Should I go to thicker marterial to try to reduce the heat?

with a soft metal like that Don't use a sisal it wil tear it up ... you can give this a try :
1. wet sand up to 2500 grit
2. sprial /green color motion
3. loose / white colot motiom
4. loose /red

the black is to coarse you be used on soft metal's.. and as the metal heat's it get's softer than before ... and that is where the fine scratches may be coming from

[clockman]

i will try this but i have a green compound i think jewlers rouge. i thought it was finer than white and where do you get the red. is the green you are talking about jewelers rouge? you have been a big help

Originally Posted by clockman

i will try this but i have a green compound i think jewlers rouge. i thought it was finer than white and where do you get the red. is the green you are talking about jewelers rouge? you have been a big help

green is not jeweler's red is ... you can order a starter kit from caswell that got black,brown,green,red,blue,white compound

[rotorman]

green is also called stainless compound.

I've heard it can be very good on alloy.

Blue is meant to have no cutting action. I don't think it will remove any of your scratches, all it may improve the colour (reflectiveness) of the surface.

blue is more less for chrome and can be used on a loose or a sprial ...