new guy here with a question

[kenny]

allright, im real glad i stumbled across this message board.

i am trying to learn how to polish car parts. so today i went to the pick and pull and got an intake manifold off of a bmw 6 series with the I-6 engine.

i stopped at my local auto parts store and picked up a few things.

gunk engine degreaser
mothers mag and aluminum polish
white cotton terry cloths
variety pack of sand paper which has 320, 400, 600, and 800 grit sandpaper. i had 60 and 100 grit at home.
polishing attachment for my dremel tool

so i set to work on a flat part of the intake. i used the de-greaser and than hit it with a wire wheel in my drill. after that i used the sandpaper on it from lowest to highest grit. i then used the aluminum and mag polish with the dremel tool and polishing attachment to try and give it a final shine. its not what i had hoped. i am looking for a high shine. at first, the surface is very rough due to the casting process. i can get it smooth and get an ok brushed luster look but thats it. there are also a lot of crevices in this manifold and a lot of letters and numbers to polishinside and around.


what should i buy to make this go faster? what will get rid of all the fine scratches and pits from casting and give it an awesome polished finish?

one reason i am doing this is that a friend of mine wants to open up a performance shop, and needs someone to do metal polishing. i need the best results possible so i can help him out.


edit: at this point i only have a drill and a dremel and i dont have any money to invest in a bench grinder.

[mcaswell]

Start Here:

http://www.caswellplating.com/alpolkit.htm

and here:

http://www.caswellplating.com/buffman.htm

and here:

http://www.caswellplating.com/pickabuff/start.htm

[kenny]

thanks!

[kenny]

ok, i ordered the aluminum polishing kit for the drill. ill post reslts when get the stuff in the mail (hopefully monday). thanks agian.

[fosgate99]

You need to cut the metal down with 80 grit until it's shaped the way you want it and deburred. Then work your way through the sanding grades until you can start with the black emory. It's allot of work! I spend hours prepping the metal with the 80 much as you do with the black emory. The more time you spend prepping the better it comes out.

[kenny]

sweet, thanks!