Hazeing question when polishing??Help

[bewsted]

I am fairly new to polishing so any tips or tricks would be greatly appreciated. I am working on a 4 cyl. valve cover. I started with 180,220,400,600 and wet sanded 800,1000,1500 and then 2000. And used black and then white on a buffing wheel on a drill. Did i go to far with the sanding?? Now my question is am getting a cloudy haze on it when i look at it straight on. But if i angle the piece and look at it that way it looks like a mirror. I need to know how to make it mirror when i look at it straight on. Any help would be great.

Thanks
Mike

[alabama_lowlife]

from what i've read on here you're taking it too far with the sanding. all the info i've found said to stop sanding at 600 grit. i've never tried to polish using a drill so i can't offer any pointers on getting better results using a drill.

[jrow]

bewsted,

Normally 400 - 600 grit wet sanding is sufficient before polishing.
Try using a sewn buff with some tripoli for your final buff, you may not need to go to the white. If that doesn't help you may end up using a canton or felt buff with white!

John

[bewsted]

Thanks, i went back and tryed to go back with 400 and then wet sanded 600. and i got the same results with the hazing. I even bought some tripoli to try and same thing. Do you guys think i need to just start over and sand everything back down and start back with 180. It seems like nothing is helping. I havent tryed the felt wheel yet, maybe i will hit it with that with the white like Jrow said and see what happens.

Thanks for the help!!

[jrow]

bewsted,

Just a thought! when you get to that hazy finish. Try using some Mothers Aluminum polish and polish it by hand ands see if that helps.

John

[bewsted]

I have tryed mothers as well. Its funny but if i tilt the piece and look at it from an angle it looks like a mirror, but if you look at it straight on it has the haze. I printed out the Caswell booklet about polishing and bought all the wheels and compounds that said would work. I may just take some pics of it and let you guys look at it. Maybe im not doing something right. Or maybe its as shiney as its going to get.

thanks

[bewsted]

Is it possible because i am using a drill to polish, that i actually might be getting to hot, causing the haze?? i just thought about that.

[mpierich]

Originally Posted by bewsted

Is it possible because i am using a drill to polish, that i actually might be getting to hot, causing the haze?? i just thought about that.

Nope - if anything, the slower speed of the drill is better for a final buff than a high-speed machine.

When you clean up, do you find the cleaning process making scratches? I just did a pulley where I'd get it perfect, but even gentle cleaning with microfiber cloth left marks. It's one reason people chrome plate things - it's a much harder surface so will hold a better finish.

[Tng21]

when i polished my first rocker cover with a wheel on a bench grinder i found that i had a hazy white effect on it.

here's a pic below, bit hard to see the white haze but its there and got on my nerves no end. I actually bought a polishing machine ( well just an uprated motor ) which didnt slow down when i put pressure on the workpeice as opposed to the bench grinder. When i put my rocker cover under the buffing wheel of my new polisher, it got rid of the white haze with ease so maybe splash out on a new ( or second hand ) polisher?

[Tng21]

sorry forgot the pic of the hazy cover. once i used my more powerful polishing machine it got rid of it easily so maybe a higher powered tool will polish it out?