Serious Help Needed, Polishing aluminum valve cover.

[m3the01 New User Find all posts View Profile Close m3the01]

Please help ive bought the caswallplating aluminum polishing and im seeing zero results.

The valve cover is raw cast aluminum. Its about 9 years old so it has some buildup on it. Ive basically removed all the old build up. Im using a snap on air pencil and a snap on die grinder with a 6 inch(or what ever comes in the kit not sure) sisal wheel with the black compound from the kit. Its a little brighter but nowhere near mirror like ive seen on here. It crazy, ive polished it about 3 hour so far. Light now slightly reflects off of it. Ive been mainly doing cutting direction. Not sure when your suppose to start brightening it. Tried it a litttle and it didnt do anything. Tried switching compounds to the brown/red compound and the cotton wheel. That just turned black almost instantly. Its hard enough to even get any of the compound off with the cotton wheel. Are you suppose to use water or something with the compound?? Ive read tonnes butmost likely need to read more.
Excuse my ignorance, i read what came with the kit. Im going to use some brake cleaner on the valve cover to clean it up then start over again. I heard thats good to do to give you an idea where your at.

When do you switch compounds, from black to brown. When do you go from cutting to polishing with each compound. How the heck can i make this work?

thanks for any help,

Steven

[tomg552001 Experienced Metal Finisher Find all posts View Profile Close tomg552001]

Hey, welcome. You are going about polishing totally wrong, or so it seems but we'll get ya straightened out and in the right direction . Are you doing any sanding of the cast before polishing or going from raw cast to polishing? Are you using a 6 inch wheel on a die grinder? Answer these questions, and we'll progress into more answers for you.

[Guest Close customandsound]

did you sand it ? get some wet and dry paper 40-600 grit and move up to the 600 hit is with the black (you will be on the black for a while ) then move down the compounds till you see no more scratches.. i just did a set of valve covers it took me a few hours to get them done ....

[m3the01 New User Find all posts View Profile Close m3the01]

Im using a 6 inch sisal wheel on a snap on die grinder. Its the raw cast, havent sanded or anything. When i called this is all they said to get. I told them what i was doing. I have a dremel with sanding rubber drums.

But seriously how do you get the brown compund onto the wheel. I held it there for like 30 seconds spinning at 3000rpm and it it hardly got any on the wheel.

Seriously dont laugh is water needed?

thanks,
Steven

[tomg552001 Experienced Metal Finisher Find all posts View Profile Close tomg552001]

Ok what you'll need to do is sand the casting down first off. I'd go up to a 400-600 wet sand. Make sure you have a nice satin look to it. Thats the first step you should take. I'd suggest picking up a bench top buffer for $75-$100. It will be the best investment you make. Something in the 1/2-3/4 HP and 6-10 amp range will be perfect. I highly doubt the die grinder with a 6 inch wheel will get the job done, and if it does it may take a few years. The reason the compound may not be taking to the wheel is it may be spinning to slow with a lode to melt the compound. Also, did you rake the wheel before attempting to apply compound?

[m3the01 New User Find all posts View Profile Close m3the01]

No i didnt rake it. Its a 22000 rpm die grinder i dont run it at that speed though. But yah maybe a 3/4 hp benchtop buffer is what i need. The die grinder looses a lot of power with pressure.

How do i use the sand paper, by hand?

Also why does the canadian caswellguy sell for so much. I would have ordered way more from you guys but when im paying close to double and the dollar is almost equal its a real rip off. He hasnt kept up with the dollar change. If it was 1 year ago okay its a little more expensive but its double now. No amount of brokerage and shipping fees account for that.

thanks for the help you guys have always been great.


Steven

[tomg552001 Experienced Metal Finisher Find all posts View Profile Close tomg552001]

A die grinder simply dosnt have enough power to spin those big buffs. When looking for a bench top buffer, please try and get something 6amps or higher. You'll thank yourself later on. As far as sanding, sand with a 120, 220, 320 wet, 400 wet, and 600 wet if you feel the need. You can use whatever tools you have like a jitterbug sander etc to aid that process. What you want is a satin type finish which is preferable before you start moving to compounds. Also may i suggest greaseless compound from caswell in combination with 4 inch spiral sewn wheels, a mandrel, and a hand drill. It saves tons of time over hand sanding. Good luck!

[Guest Close customandsound]

use a sanding block (chunk of wood will work ) i use a paint stick ... then like tom said

[GOD12A New User Find all posts View Profile Close GOD12A]

heya there M3THE01!!

Just to add to CUSTOMANDSOUNDs post about rubbing blocks, i recommend ya grab some kerosene and put a bit on the job as you go, it will stop the wet&dry paper loading up (clogging up) with aluminium and scratching the job worse!! Itll also make the paper last a little longer by moving the removed material away form the sanding face

Hope it helped!!

Mark!!
PS: Water in this situation will work ok, but kerosene is the 100% correct cutting medium for aluminium, i do alot of polishing so i buy it in little drums, last me ages and i polish everyday!! See if you can grab a little bottle for a few bucks down the local hardware when ya pop down there next.

[m3the01 New User Find all posts View Profile Close m3the01]

Do i just put it on the valve cover then start sanding? How much>? Also do i use the kerosene when i using the black polish on the sisal wheel? Or only when sanding? Start at lower grit then work my way up right? Once it velvety start the polishing? When to switch compounds, when she's blinging?

Also can i use a dremel with the little sand paper disks/rubber wheel with sanding pad or only a block?

How do you sand those hard to get area's?

thanks,
Steven

[tomg552001 Experienced Metal Finisher Find all posts View Profile Close tomg552001]

You dont need to use the kerosene for the polishing compounds. He suggested it for sanding as a lubricant to aid the cutting action of the paper. Start with a lower grit paper and slowly work your way up to a 600 or so. At that point get on to the compounds. i'd say 75 percent of the polishing will be done with the black emory and sisal wheel. Experimentation and time is the best way to find what works better for you. I feel your first step should be to get a suitable bench top buffer or sorts. Good luck!

[Guest Close customandsound]

Do i just put it on the valve cover then start sanding? How much>? Also do i use the kerosene when i using the black polish on the sisal wheel? Or only when sanding? Start at lower grit then work my way up right? Once it velvety start the polishing? When to switch compounds, when she's blinging?

Also can i use a dremel with the little sand paper disks/rubber wheel with sanding pad or only a block?

How do you sand those hard to get area's?

thanks,
Steven

when you sand it then buff it you shold get some thing like this
but i got brushed alum. top .... it is my best yet

[m3the01 New User Find all posts View Profile Close m3the01]

How did you get into the bolt holes?

Also, should i use a block and paper approach or use a air pencil 70000 rpm with the little band wheels. They come in 80 all the way up to 600

Let me know, thanks,


Steven

[Guest Close customandsound]

little dremel buffing pads .... just block sand then buff ... sears got 3/4hp bench grinders on sale pick one of them up and for the buffing part ... the little sanding wheels take to much metal off it makes it all wavy ... i blasted it wet wet sanded from 100 to 600 then went to black then brown then white ...... what are the cover off of you are doing ?

here is another one of some parts i did

[m3the01 New User Find all posts View Profile Close m3the01]

Thats unreal.

But seriously when im hearing block sanding and going from 100-600 im in disbelief. When you say block sanding im thinking hand sanding on a block. But still how do you get into those little area's with the bog block sander?

How long would a valve cover take from start to finish? Its off a eclipse.

thanks,