Polishing Tips

When we are polishing any metals there are always things to be taken into consideration whether the metal is aluminum, stainless steel, brass, silver or gold.

Things that make life easier, healthier, safer, quicker or basically deliver better results.

We will try to pass on some of the tricks we have learned to save you time and effort.

1)      Clean up your work as much as you possibly can before you try to polish it.

2)      Clean up your work area regularly placing hazardous tools and chemicals out of harms way.

3)      Avoid build up of buffing dusts, soiled cloths, or mixing dusts and cloths.

4)      By mixing solvents , various metal buffings, shavings, and maybe a bit of oil in a bin we have the potential for a big firework. Don't do it.

5)      Do not smoke, use open flame burners or any other source of ignition in a fume or dust laden atmosphere. People often forget about dust explosions. They are normally fatal.

6)      Clean up your work piece between every buffing stage with either alcohol or mineral spirits to remove dirt and residue from compounds.

7)      Any abrasive or polish is only as fine as its coarsest component.

8)      Use cloths that have no labels and preferably no sewn edges.

9)      When you are polishing large pieces, do small areas at a time, it's faster and more consistent.

10)   When you do a final polish, clean up and then buff it out. Any dirt on the cloth? Buff it again

11)  Never put waxes over chrome. It makes it look hazy.

12)  Remove buff lines with flour or sodium bicarbonate.

13)  Remove surplus waxes and polishes from seams, pit marks or awkward to get at places with flour.

14)  Mist your final buffing with a light misting of water and buff it again. This seals both metals and waxes and helps reduce water stains from rain and condensation

15)  Always use top quality soft cloths for your final buffing.

16)  Use light pressure, especially on polishing strokes when power buffing. It reduces scratches.

17)  Always move buff machines slowly across work pieces, again, less scratches.

18)  Never, ever, use anhydrous solvents, ammonia or acids, or polishes that contain them on aluminum, Brass, Copper or bronze. They eat Zinc and attack most alloys. Brass is Zinc and copper, it is normally present in aluminum, it is used to make many steels and alloys less corrosive.

19)  Always try to make finishing strokes with machines or by hand in the direction of the grain if the metal is rolled.

20)  If you use electrical tools make sure there is a G.C.F.I. (Ground circuit fault indicator) in the line. It might save your life.

21)  If you use air tools drain your tanks regularly, and if you can put an air drier between the compressor and the tank. Dry air equals less rust. Your tank will last a life time.

22)  Don't rush your polish job. It will show.

23)  Always wear safety glasses when working with power tools.

24)  Always use liquid polishes, pastes, paint strippers, solvents, etc. in well ventilated areas.

25)  Never, ever, remove oil, grease, buffing compound from the skin with solvents, mineral spirits, gasoline, kerosene, alcohol or similar chemicals. If soap and maybe a little pumice wont do it. stay dirty, it'll wear off. Use chemicals and you may save the undertaker a little formaldehyde, but other than that, the  potential results are all negative.

26)  Avoid particulate absorption of metals. Excess metals in the system cause all sorts of disorders and they are readily taken in through the skin and lungs.

27)  The easiest way to reduce contamination is to polish in the open air and in areas where the is a cross flow of air

28)  Don't let all my warnings get you down or frighten you, just be sensible and enjoy your polishing safely.

29)  Remember that polishers always have a bright future.