how to get ride of a cloudy finish

[snoop]

first i would like to say hi to all. this is my first post . been reading alot and learning alot to say the least. this forum is great, it really is and i thank all the pros on here for all their input and experiences they share. but now i need some input now. i tried to resist because i dont want to be a hound and some noob forever asking questions and not learning anything. so here is goes, the cloudy finish after the blue stage. i have been polishing now for a good solid 3-4 months. all my pieces (aluminum and steel)came out looking just like chrome(with some scratches but maybe another question some other time). but right now i am in the process of polishing my swingarm for my motorcycle and i am at the blue stage with a loose cotton 6" wheel on a bench grinder 1/3 horse. the smaller part came out pretty good, but the bigger/thicker part still has that haze or cloudyness to it. again, the pics really make it look bad. in the one pic you can see the haze but to the left of it, you see the "shiney" part which is basically what you see looking at it. how do u get rid of that. here are some pics i took, any input would be great

edit: the swingarm is aluminum and i wet sanded all the way down to 600

[mpierich]

Nine times out of 10, it means you didn't work on a previous step long enough, and sometimes it's hard to tell which step it was. This is extremely frustrating when it means you have to start over, but that's the way it is.

You don't say what all your steps were, but I usually only go to 320 or 400, then emery then white...but even taking it to 600, I would still hit it with emery for the first polishing. I don't like tripoli (brown) except for freshening up a previously polished item.

The blue probably won't touch it...I hardly ever use it for anything other than plastic. White is generally more than enough. Don't forget, the wheel has as much to do with results as the compound, maybe more sometimes. Might try a flannel wheel and a light touch for finishing up.

[snoop]

thank u very much for the input. i am totally wrong then. what i do is sand it down real good, and go tripoli, white, then blue. i dont even use the emery. so i should go back sand it down and hit it with emery then white and dont even use the blue?
i know its maybe too hard to tell, but could u tell if i am holding it on long enough as far as heating it up goes. or if i go too quick with the wheels/steps. how long should i hold it on the wheel (if that makes sense).

[snoop]

didnt touch it yet, but this is what it looks like in the sun (dont let the sun fool you, it is cold as hell here lol)

[mpierich]

Originally Posted by snoop

thank u very much for the input. i am totally wrong then. what i do is sand it down real good, and go tripoli, white, then blue. i dont even use the emery. so i should go back sand it down and hit it with emery then white and dont even use the blue?
i know its maybe too hard to tell, but could u tell if i am holding it on long enough as far as heating it up goes. or if i go too quick with the wheels/steps. how long should i hold it on the wheel (if that makes sense).

At this point I would go back and try the black compound on what you have now. If there's no haze, then go to the white. If there's haze after you try the emery, go back and sand some more with your 600.

Hard part is, every piece is different...different alloys take different methods, no way to tell til you do it. This is one pastime where if you can't work side-by-side with an experienced polisher for a while (an dI would not put myself in that category), experience and trying different things is the only way to learn to do it. You certainly can't learn from a book, and even if all of us here were topnotch experts, we still couldn't tell you how to do it on the internet; we can just suggest things to try.

It's frustrating...which is a good thing because that's the only reason some of us make money off of it.

[snoop]

i can not thank u enough mpierich. thank u very much for your input and sharing some of your experiences. love this forum, and i hope i get better and better at this polishing thing. thank u again. i will use your method on my frame

p.s., what i just did was use a polish that i had sitting here. almost a rubbing compound, but very mild i used for polishing, and that seemed to get ALOT of **** off that i thought i got off using my laquer thinner(guess i was wrong). i mean the rag was black even after the laquer. so any other newer guys reading this, using a polish or something with a mild mild mild grit, works great also with getting rid of that cloudy ****.

[mpierich]

Yeah, I assumed you were getting it clean. My last step is to use Flitz or Mother's by hand and it usually does help to even things out a bit. Get some microfiber cloths (Caswell has them) to avoid scratching the surface when you do your final polishing and cleaning.

[baz]

hi , mpierich is right about how hard it is to show how to polish over the internet
we can only try to guide you , and you will have to learn to use what works best for you , also with practice you will know when you have to buff longer or when you need to put more pressure , an you will also learn that on some parts even if you keep putting more hours on them they don t get any better
as for the emery mpierich is right but you were not wrong .
he mostly sands 320 or 400 then the emery ,
i usually go to 600 then a tripoli, but we both get same result
do what works best for you.
from the pic i see it looks like the polishing lines are going up and down on the part , i try to have the lines follow the length of the part , lines will still be there .but instead of seeing 450 small vertical polishing lines you will see 50 long polishing lines (easier on the eyes )
and always keep your buffing wheels very clean( rake them often)

[jrow]

Originally Posted by snoop

i can not thank u enough mpierich. thank u very much for your input and sharing some of your experiences. love this forum, and i hope i get better and better at this polishing thing. thank u again. i will use your method on my frame

p.s., what i just did was use a polish that i had sitting here. almost a rubbing compound, but very mild i used for polishing, and that seemed to get ALOT of **** off that i thought i got off using my laquer thinner(guess i was wrong). i mean the rag was black even after the laquer. so any other newer guys reading this, using a polish or something with a mild mild mild grit, works great also with getting rid of that cloudy ****.

Snoop,

I noticed that you are using lacquer thinner to clean your part prior to changing compounds. Try using acetone to clean when changing compounds. Use a different buff for each compound. For a final clean up prior to using Mothers Mag wheel polish, that mpierich suggested, use some Dawn dish washing liquid in warm water.

John