How to Polish Aluminum
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
- How to polish aluiminum --- I polish an entire boat!
This is a multi-part Starcraft aluminum boat restoration project. Part 6 centers on how to polish aluminum.
This restoration is a how-to series that will turn this old aluminum boat into a rebuilt "classy lady" with a cedar strip bow and gunwales. This how to series will cover everything from paint stripping, to aluminum polishing through to flotation installation and a complete interior rebuild. Subscribe and watch as this boat gets transformed --- with a little marital advice thrown in! - Навчання та стиль
You just saved me a ton of money by not sandblasting and sanding! I'm working on my grandfathers 1965 Arkansas Traveler 14' John
4 year old comment, but how did his old boat turn out? I'm working on a 69
lol I just bought a 65 Arkansas traveler yesterday an why I’m viewing this video
Well done video. I appreciate the part about explaining the details of equipment used so first timers know what to buy or use. Many videos skip that part leaving you to figure it out.
Brian Betts Thanks Brian. Much appreciated!! It was the part that really made it difficult for me as well. Thought I would share so others could benefit.
J.
I always have had tractor trailers and frequently had my aluminum polished. What i thought was funny was the first time i saw a pontoon boat getting polished, it looked really good
Where are you buying these products from ?
Thanks for all of your help.
You're welcome man! There will be a Part 2 uploaded next week!...
+The Hobby Sh
You're welcome Mike! Anytime...
Man I saw the KMPH sign and you mentioned Princess Auto, that tells me you are Canadian and I automatically love you like a brother. So naturally I'd like to see you wareing a mask when your buffing. Your health is well worth the $30 for a good 3M mask that would suit all possible needs.
4cooey Yes I was thinking the same thing brother,and I'm not Canadian,lololol peace.
Does he have to b a Canadian to care about someone ?
I will be starting a similar project this spring with my 1950s Crestliner. Looking forward to more videos.
1950's boats have a real style to them... that'll be an interesting project for sure! Thanks David... I'll keep them coming as the project continues...
J.
Very good video, just what i was looking for, keep up the good work.
Fast Eddie Thanks Eddie! Much appreciated...
J.
Thanks! Very helpful video. Speaking as a total novice to boat restoration, if you do take another video, would you please turn around and face the camera to show how you use the “rake” to clean the buffing wheel? Also, how does one apply the brown and white clay onto the wheel? How much is needed? Thanks for sharing.
Great tips and video. When shopping for buffing wheels I noticed there are the firm, medium, and soft buffing wheels to choose from. What firmness of wheel do you recommend when using the brown compound and also the white compound?
Sweet, nice detailed and descriptive. Thanks for posting!
Why not wet sand up to 1500-2000 then polish?
At the time, this is what I knew... came out pretty decent...
Nice video
Thanks!
After all that effort. How long does the shine stay for? especially in salt water .
And welcome to a lifetime of polishing that boat!
Thanks.. now I know how to polish my big heavy second Gen Camaro bumpers..
Sweeeet! Thanks for stopping by RJ. Those would look awesome polished up!
J.
Thanks for the videos. I'm just curious as to why you do so many boats. Do you refurbish just as a hobby/enjoyment or for a business. I like your setup. Rod
+Rodd Hale Hey Rod... it is a hobby... just wanted a boat, others liked the work and I ended up building for others as well. Something to ease the mind after a long day at work!!!
J.
thanks
There is a product called nuvite nushine that is used to polish the older polished aircraft. It about 60 dollars for a pint but would do your boat about 5 times. They make a course and a fine. Buy both. It will polish out 800 grit scratches like butter on aluminum. Great stuff. It's made for stainless steel. Just dab a rag corner in it and blot on metal thinly and buff. You will that me later. Makes care metal polishes you buy look like junk.
Hey Jerry,
Thanks for stopping by! Just for that short period... the rest of the time I wore a mask, glasses and plugs! Aluminum dust and the crud flying off of the wheel is not at all good for the lungs, eyes or noise for the ears!
Forgive me for being such a numbskull but its all new to me. I bought that polisher you have from Princess. OK what exactly am I looking for from Casswell in an extended shaft. Is there flanges on both sides of the buffing wheel, does that buffing wheel have its own built in flanges. Any info would be appreciated.
bryan murphy No problem man! It was I believe a 2" extender shaft. It has a male end that goes through the cotton wheel with two large washers and a nut and on the other end it screws onto the polisher with and is tightened with a wrench.
Flanges on the buffing wheel? Ah... no. It is a cotton sewn wheel with a hole in the centre for the shaft to go. You can take out the stitching after it has worn down to extend the life of the wheel and make it "fluffy" so to speak.
Hope that helps.
J.
One last question, is that Collinite product the metal wax?
It's actually a wax and sealant all in one. It will slow down the process of oxidization. Nothing to my knowledge will stop it --- but the shine lasts for a couple of years vs a couple of months.
J.
I saw your video and am now inspired to polish our old 12' Duratech from the late 1960's. I'm trying to figure out the type or manufacturer of grinder/polisher to look for that will accept those type of spiral sewn buffing wheels as well as an extension shaft. Any ideas? Thanks!
You can get the extension shaft from Casswell. It should screw into any polisher. I believe they have different ones for different polishers. I spoke with a guy at Casswell and got terrific service.
It may work... but I got the one pictured in this link... I got the 8" wheels as well.
www.caswellplating.com/buffing-polishing/buffing-kits/grinder-buffer-kits/handheld-grinder-buffing-kit-8.html
Just curious....how often do you need to do this? Just once when the boat is built? Or every season that it's on the water?
I have a painted river boat and want to remove the paint and just polish. Any suggestions? Great videos
Check out the how to remove paint videos I have posted... J.
Pretty good video, you'd be able to achieve a deeper clearer shine if you did a cutting stage first.
Thanks DC! In hindsight, you are totally correct --- I should have gone with the perhaps the Black clay bar vs the Brown... the next one I polish I will try that route as often these boats have a lot of dock rash and other damage from 40+ years of use. It came up pretty nice either way!
Thanks for stopping by!
J.
Aron Rogers fixes boats. Who knew.
I agree, he really does look like Rogers.
I have an older aluminum boat that I’m thinking of having sand blasted to remove all the paint and starting with a blank slate. Will this help if parts of the boat that I want a clean aluminum finish on to polish after I’m done?
That works as well... removing old paint can be time consuming. DYI is usually the least expensive but most time consuming... Usually comes down to wanting to do it yourself vs the cost of paying someone else to do it...
Hope I can get my canoe looking good again, can from my grandpa it's at least 40 years old
I suppose (in the most literal academic sense) you are removing material thickness from the hull - when you polish. My question; is that a something that should be considered over the life of the boat? Suppose I own a boat and polish it up ever couple of years, would that become a problem?
I can't say for sure --- however, I highly doubt it would make any real material difference unless you are grinding off material. If you polished it every year for decades it might make a difference.... most likely you'll move on to another boat by then!
Any suggestIons for dimples and deep scratches? Started polishing a 18' 1961 alumacraft queen merrie today and I think it was better looking before I started :/
John K - Hey John,
Dimples... I think you are going to be out of luck there from a polishing perspective. Scratches... you can try using a black clay bar first which is like using a 40 or 60 grit sandpaper on wood vs a 100 or 120 grit sandpaper --- as perspective. The black bar will take a lot more "metal" away in the process and get you closer to the bottom of the scratch --- effectively smoothing the high points down to the scratch low point. If they are really deep scratches or dock rash, you will have a really difficult time --- I just left them there as "character" marks. See what you can do by experimenting.
J.
okay first of all you need to be holding your grinder the other way, the buff wheel needs to be on your left side, then work from the bottom up, left is your cutting so start at the bottom on the right of the area and buff to the left try to always keep your pad perfectly level (flat) when you reach the end of your left stroke come right back over the same line going right which is what we call coloring, so it's left cut then right color or polish, always end going to your right, but change youe polisher hold it so wheel is on your left, nice video my friend now try it this way and show the people what you just learned. have a good one brother.
+6942ggg - appreciate the info! Will definitely give a try on the next project... have a great one.
J.
What do you protect the polished aluminum with when you are done?
You have the thickest hair Ive ever seen. It looks like a lego cap. As someone who started balding at 20 Im a little offended.
Great video though!
where do you get these supplies???
Hi Jerry,Could ask two questions: how long would this finish last in salt water (with washing with soap and water and drying after each use) and how would lacquering affect this finish? The boat looks so much better than painting!
It won’t last long because natural oxidation will occur (which is perfectly normal with the alloy). Re-polishing every few months you should
Wondering where to get a extended shaft for grinder ?
Hey WH --- picked up the extended shaft piece from Casswell... just google it and it will come up.
Take care,
J.
What is is the clay called that you used? or can you share the link? Thank you.....I just picked up my first boat ever being a 1970's Sea King 12' and looking forward to restoring it!
Hey Daniel,
I picked up the clay bar from Casswell's.... just google them. They have stores in Canada and the US. Here is the US link: www.caswellplating.com/buffing-polishing.html. Here is the Canadian site: www.caswellcanada.ca/shop/.
Give them a call and they will help!
All the best with your restore!! Enjoy the process...
J.
I got an V6 Engine block of Aluminum that I wanna Polish. Any idea which kind of machine I should use for small surfaces or hard to reach parts?
First off thank you very much for your very informative videos! I just purchased 1977 valco utility boat and am about to start restoring it but I have a question, after you polish do you need to seal the aluminum??
Hey Jc,
You are very welcome! Yup --- you will need to seal it otherwise the aluminum will simply oxidize and dull rather quickly. I use Collonite.... it works great, goes on relatively easily and lasts so far a few years. No matter what though, unless you apply the sealant every year, your aluminum will require a re-polish at some point.... depends how long and how often it is in the water (among other factors).
Enjoy the shine!
J.
I was looking on Amazon for the buffing wheels and extended arm you have. I could not locate them at the size you have. I have all the materials you listed, but I recieved smaller wheels and could not find an arm to work. Could you post a link to the larger buffing wheels you have and an arm? Amazon? Auto parts store?
Thanks ahead of time.
Currently buffing an 60 year old 11.5 ft. Aerocraft made here in Michigan.
try my store dcsupershinestore.com
I would like to know what kind of mixture with flour and what kind of paint stripper did u use restoring a 1958 crestliner with a 4 ft bow
Emergency!!! Please...Could someone point me out the materials used in this video which can be bought and how can be bought???? please I need your help.
Great video it's helped me get started. What is the name of the polisher you are using?
Thanks man!
I picked it up from Princess Auto in Ontario Canada... it is a PowerFist --- very basic. However, they have a lifetime replacement!! I replaced it after two boats --- and now have another one at no charge.
Princess Auto's equivalent in the US would be Harbour Freight.
J.
ware a mask !!! earmuffs too,, but a mask is a must
Admiral,
Thanks for all of the videos… They are helping me a lot! Question, do you apply the gluvit on the bottom of the boat outside our just inside the boat. If so, do you apply before or after polishing the aluminum?
Thanks, Garrett
+Garrett Chism - Thanks Garrett!
It is always applied to the inside of the boat. I applied the Gluvit after I polished --- only because I had the boat flipped for paint stripping and polishing right off the bat. I would say it would be best to apply it after polishing as a rule of thumb --- this way if you find any rivets loose/missing or any other issues, you will have been able to address them first.
J.
Ok, great… thank you!!!
Where can i get brown & white clay?
I polish for a living. I usually start with a 280 400 600. only use lower grits when its extremely bad. then I proceed with a Tripoli T88 or T18 with a red pad from maverick then a pink or yellow pad with green bar G16 for color and buff then wipe down with non chlorinated brake clean on a rag then wipe again with a clean rag then apply handpolish. NEVER USE MOTHERS OR CHEAP GENERIC WALMART CRAP......Zephyr p40, Lou's 222, Or Rebel Red are your best bets. secret to a good polish is the sanding and first cut. Cut till its chrome. no need for 10 steps. Always wear a 3M face mask and breather and keep it #EffinShiny
I am starting to polish my oxidized bass boat with water lines... I started on the transom with the airway yellow / orange wheel and the brown (first cut) bar. I didn't have the recommended between step cleaner (should be here today) so I have not proceeded to the next step BUT just having done the first step, it's like a mirror already! I'm using Zephyr's.
My only concern is... Once I've spent all this time, how long with it last and what must I do to get it back to a perfect shine again?
And the 3M respirator is awesome and very easy to breath through and then some good safety glasses (no goggles) is what I use so it doesn't get all fogged up.
nice work. mine has stickers on it from front to back but they look bad all scratched up so you think a heat gun would work or not to take them off?
You are going to want to get those stickers off first before polishing... trying to polish will be a pain. Heat gun usually works --- I used a metal 2" drywall blade. Worked well for me.
The Hobby Shed I found using a heat gun and plastic razor blades works best because the plastic blades won't gouge the surface. I've also used a product that NAPA and other auto parts places sell. It's a "rubber" ( or some type of fiber, I'm not sure exactly what it is) wheel that you chuck in your drill. Makes it a lot easier and won't harm the surface. Thanks for the video's.
Thanks Russ and your welcome! Good idea on the plastic blades!
J.
Hello. Great video I am in the process of trying to polish an Aluminum boats. It may be in the comments already but I can't find... What clay bar are you using and where did you get it? Thanks!
jrl59 Hey JR... thanks for feedback. I used the brown and white clay bars and I got them from Casswell.
J.
hi i want to polish my jon boat where to i buy an angle polisher with an extended shaft set up for a mop polishing wheel? i hope you reply. thank you.
Where did you get the shaft extension. I can't seem to find them anywhere.
Hey UR,
I got all the polishing equipment from here...www.caswellcanada.ca/shop/buffing-supplies/
That was for Canada. Caswell has outfits in US as well.
J.
Hi,
How do you know when to stop and clean the wheel? I seem to be getting micro scratches then appear throughout both wheels I'm using.
Thanks Greg
+Frank Rizzo - Hey Frank, I usually clean the wheel when it "loads up" with aluminum... it turns grey --- when cutting. When polishing, I clean it after every pass --- say 3 ft by 3 ft. This way the wheel stays fresh and clean.
J.
I have cracks at the bottom of my aluminum boat and water gets in very very slowly, what kind of sealant can I buy/use to seal up the cracks?
Cracks are usually not a great sign and usually a sign of hull stress and or from hitting something solid! I have seen guys rivet in a new piece of aluminum covering more than the entire crack and slathering it in 3M4200 or 3M5200. That is how I fill in larger holes in the transom and gunwales. The 3M product will act as a flexible sealant for below the water line and the aluminum will help to strengthen the area up.
Take care,
J.
The Hobby Shed no matter what sealant u uses u always seal from inside the boat correct? Is there any water-resistant paint that u can paint the bottom's outside bottom to prevent water leaks?
7150285
Yes. I use a product called Gluvit that is applied to all the rivets and seams inside the boat on the hull. It is a flexible epoxy that goes on like thick honey. It remains as a flexible sealant after it has dried. Great stuff... but not cheap --- $100+ or - a quart --- but it works. You can also check out Marine Tex. I haven't used it myself... but many I know have. Paint on the outside to prevent leaks will not likely work that well. To easily scratched and to be honest, it will not likely remain flexible enough for the flexing inherent with aluminum hulls.
J.
The Hobby Shed oh, I just want the cheapest paint that could prevent leaks and seal cracks that goes inside the aluminum/jon boat. Mine is an Alumcraft. When paint u paint the entire inside correct?
As I said, paint is not a great leak preventer.... in fact I would say it doesn't. It just makes it look purdy!
Best Option:
If you are going to paint the inside, then first seal it with Gluvit or equivalent. Also, on the cracks, you probably would be best to patch them using aluminum pieces, rivets and a 3M 4200 or 3M 5200 --- you should be good to go.
Cheapest: put a bilge pump in.
Take care,
J.
Leonard cohen is that you ?
Could you use a DA polisher instead ?
Mike Dupa you can use a DA as well
@@bigmac22ify Thanks bigmac22ify
Hey! Thumbs up!
Wondering how the shine is holding up to the elements and time? what brand clay did you use?
Thanks Capt!
The shine is holding up well... I touched my first boat up after 3 years and 4+ months a year in the water.
Clay bars are from Casswell --- US and CDN availability.
Thanks. Where did you buy the extension shaft?
Same place as I got the rest of the wheels and clay bars --- Caswell. You can I believe buy from Caswell in the US too.
Looks like a good video but I cant watch cause the focus is messed up pretty bad
Lens ended up with dirt in it...!
Where did you buy the wheel and the clay bars?
Hey Todd,
I picked up the clay bar from Casswell's.... just google them. They have stores in Canada and the US. Here is the US link: www.caswellplating.com/buffing-polishing.html. Here is the Canadian site: www.caswellcanada.ca/shop/.
Give them a call and they will help!
All the best with your restore!! Enjoy the process...
J.
polishing is great stuff. take something old and make it look BETTER than when it was new. i have my own polishing business and i must say this guy does some greatwork. check out " franks custom polishing " if you want to see what else can be polished
Cool! I will for sure!
Thanks,
J.
What kind of polisher/ grinder do you have?
Rob Spencer Hey Rob... it's a basic unit from Princess Auto. If you are from the US -- then Harbour Freight likely has one.
J.
Ear plugs??
Normally yes... and a mask. During the filming I didn't as it is a bit challenging to talk with a full face mask on!
The best thing about you tube, info and working examples- thanks for that!
I'll be strippin' and polishin' my bargain 'camo' Klamath in no time...
Awesome! Glad it will help you!!
J.
Polish, I thought you meant the country.
Are you removing an anodized protective coating? Bare aluminum will turn ugly in salt water fast. Someone might be very sorry they do this.
Hey Tim, Good point there.... You are correct that bare alum will turn ugly quickly!!! --- if left unprotected. Fresh air, fresh water or salt water --- alum begins to oxidize quite quickly actually ---unless it is protected. This is why I use a product called Colonite to seal and protect the aluminum. Overtime --- like 3 years in fresh water for me --- it needs to be re-applied. It is pretty straightforward to apply and follow the manufacture's instructions and I explain it in one of my videos.
Take care,
J.
Do you use Collinite Metal Wax # 850? Their car wax looks good and should do my car
before the snows.
Tim Harris Hey Tim.... I will check for you if it is that version of Collinite... for the life of me I cannot remember the name. I am pretty certain that in at least one of the vid's I show a close up of the Collinite product. In any case, I will take a look and post up the exact name shortly.
J.
The focus hunting makes me feel a little ill.
Sucks new paint.. glass and interior 383 stroker then ugly bumpers.. didn't wanna go fiberglass painted like the fact I can take a hit front or rear but now at least I can clean em up.. now will be shiny ugly bumpers J/K..
Thanks for the video. You may want to wear earplugs
Thanks pob for looking' out for me!! :)... Ya, the rest of the time I have plugs in --- just not the video! I also have a full face mask/respirator that I wore...
Take care,
J.
Thanks for turning your back to the camera...defeats the whole purpose of a how-to video.
Don't turn your butt to the camera. Especially, don't bend over. :)
Jeez and here I was hoping you'd be focused on the polishing! :)
Earmuffs!
What’s the point in this ? To go out and look good or go out and catch fish ? Andddd get sunburnt.
Showing your back instead of the wheel while you are using the rake or the clay bar doesn't show anything useful
+The Hobby Shed Thanks (helps noobs alot) :)
The Hobby Shed what state are you in?
yeah, lousy video due to turning your back on the video. At first, thought your were stupid but guess you know it was dumb so shite happens.
Perhaps you should step away from your keyboard, and show us how it's done.