Electric Drill (Nothing Fancy) 3,000, 3,500 RPM
100, 120, 180, 220, 360 grit Wet/Dry Sandpaper
(1) Mandrel 1/4” Shank Wheel Arbor
(1) 6” Ventilated Flap Wheel
(2) 6" Spiral Sewn Buffing Wheels
Emery Compound
Tripoli Compound
White Rouge
The products I’ve mention such as the Ventilated flap buffing wheel, Spiral sewn buffing wheel, Emery, Tripoli, and White Rouge compounds can all be found at
http://www.eastwoodco.com/
http://www.caswellplating.com/
http://southwestmetalfinishing.com/
Optional Items:
High speed Mandrel ¼” x 6”
Tapered Sanding Rolls 100-320 grit w/ mandrel
Buffing Rake
Tapered sanding rolls with the ¼” X 6” Mandrel for those tight corners that you can’t hand sand
Buffing rack... to remove excess compound from the buffing wheel, or you could use the edge of a file or edge square driver held in a vice
Safety Equipment: Safety Glasses or Face Shield, Disposable Dust Mask or Respirator, Gloves, Padded Clamps or Padded Vice to hold the smaller parts with (otherwise they will fly) while Buffing or Polishing.
The Basic items you can purchase from the stores mentioned above. I bought the Eastwood Aluminum Polishing Manifold Kit # 13149 which gives you everything you need to do your upper and lower manifold with and other aluminum pieces if you choose to.
POWDER COATING: (REMOVAL)
To polish the upper intake you first need to remove the powder coating, this can be done by 2 methods.
First method is you could sand the powder coating off which will take for ever.
Second method is too use Air Plane Paint Stripper (not regular paint stripper) which should only takes 20 min - 25 min depending on the manufacture. Whatever you do follow the instructions on the can this stuff is toxic and will burn your skin. You can find the Air Plane Paint Stripper at most local automotive paint stores or at some of the larger automotive chain stores, Auto Zone, Kragens, Pep Boys Chiefs, etc.
I personally would not suggest using a wire wheel or sand blasting to remove the powder coating these methods only leave deeper scratches or pits that you'll have to sand out later.
SANDING: (100-360 grit)
Now that the powder coating has been removed you need to start the sanding process.
1st start with 100 grit sand paper to remove all the rough casting form the piece, the big flat areas are not a problem it's the smaller areas that are the problems this is why I suggested Tapered sanding rolls which will help speed up the process of sanding, but it can be done by hand sanding.
Now that you have the whole piece sanded with 100 grit you now need to use the 120 grit sandpaper to remove the scratches that the 100 grit sanding left, next you need to use the 180 grit sandpaper to remove the sanding marks left by the 120 grit sand paper. You'll need to repeat this process using the 220-360 grit sand paper.
I’ve never sanded any of the pieces I did with more than 320 grit sand paper. I have read where some people have even sanded with 600 &1000 and up to 2,000 grit sand paper but that's just too much sanding for me. By the time you’ve sanded with 100, 120, 180, 220, 360 you’re tired of sanding, let the Emery Compound take the fine sanding marks out for you.
Before you start to Cut Buff or Polish any piece with an electric drill and a buffing wheel you need to have the piece secured to the work area in some form (padded clamped, bolted or padded vice) or when you start to use the wheel on the item you will probably catch an edge or something and the item will hit the ground either braking it (which happened to me) or putting a big dent in the piece that you can't get out!
If you try to apply too much pressure to the piece with any of the compounds will only clog up the buffing wheel and leave black marks, and will not do the work it was intended for. Do a small area at a time using a left to right motion or back and forth motion do not use a circular motion, apply compound as needed, smaller amounts of compound are easier to work with than one large amount.
Attach the Ventilated Flap buffing wheel to the Mandrel 1/4” Shank Wheel Arbor and secure in the drill. Once you have the Ventilated Flap secured in the drill apply the Emery Compound by having the Ventilated Flap spin and rubbing the Ventilated Flap over the compound to create a thin layer of compound on the Ventilated Flap buffing wheel.
CUTTING: (Emery Compound)
Very fast cutting action. For coarse buffing, removing scratches and burrs from iron and other hard metals. Use with Ventilated Flap. Color of compound may vary from dark brown to dark gray.
The purpose of the Emery and Ventilated flap is to remove and scratches left from sand and prepping the surface for the next step Buffing.
Caswell Inc is the only place now that carries the Ventilated Flap and you’ll want Product Code BC6….. it’s the 6” Ventilated flap.
http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/vented.html
Attach the buffing wheel to Mandrel and then to the drill and start off with the Ventilated Flap buffing wheel with Emery compound which does all the work of 320 through 600 grit sandpaper or more. Apply medium pressure to the Ventilated Flap so that it can cut out any sanding marks you have.
As you work the Ventilated Flap back and forth with the Emery Compound you’ll start to a dull/medium shine which means that you have removed or are removing the fine scratch marks left from sand with the 360 grit sandpaper. Once you have the entire piece brought to a dull/medium shine with the Emery Compound, remove the Ventilated Flap Buffing wheel and move on to the Tripoli to buff.
BUFFING: (Tripoli Compound)
Tripoli Compound: is used for general cutting of all non-ferrous metals (aluminum, brass, etc.) Mild cutting action best used with either spiral sewn or ventilated flap buff wheel. This compound comes either in a stick or tube, reddish in color.
The basic principle of buffing is to remove any of the fine marks left after you’ve used the Emery Compound.
Attach one of the Spiral Sewn buffing wheel to the Mandrel 1/4” Shank Wheel Arbor and secure in the drill. Once you have the Spiral Sewn buffing wheel secured in the drill apply the Tripoli Compound by having the Spiral Sewn Buffing Wheel spin and rubbing a thin layer of compound on the buffing wheel.
Use the Tripoli while applying medium pressure to the buffing wheel in the same back and forth manner as the Emery Compound, to remove the fine scratches left by the Ventilated Flap and Emery Compound. At point you’ll start to see the piece come to a nice shine and that needs to take place over the whole piece
I suggest for the smaller areas use smaller buffing wheels (mini buffs) to get into those hard to reach places.
POLISHING: (White Rouge Compound)
White Rouge Compound: is primarily a coloring compound to produce a brilliant mirror like finish for all metals.
Attach a different Spiral Sewn buffing wheel to the Mandrel 1/4” Shank Wheel Arbor and secure in the drill. Once you have the Spiral Sewn buffing wheel secured in the drill apply the White Rouge Compound by having the Spiral Sewn Buffing Wheel spin and rubbing a thin layer of compound on the buffing wheel.
This is the final step to that mirrors like finish you’re looking for.
Again make sure the item is secured to the work area, using another (different) 6" spiral buffing wheel, do not use the same 6"spiral sewn buff wheel that you used with the Tripoli as this buffing wheel is now contaminated with the Tripoli and will not let the White Rouge work properly.
Using the same procedure as you used for buffing when applying the White Rouge to the wheel (slight to moderate pressure) again starts in a small area and working into a larger area, applying compound as needed, use a small amount of compound at a time. Work from left to right or right to left just try to stay from any circular motions if possible.
Your piece is now finished to a mirror like finished something to be proud of after all the hours you've spent.
My experience with sanding, cutting, buffing or polishing aluminum has been that no 2 people prep or polish the same part in the exact same manner. So what I’ve suggested above has worked for me over the years and my not work for other’s in that exact manner.
100, 120, 180, 220, 360 grit Wet/Dry Sandpaper
(1) Mandrel 1/4” Shank Wheel Arbor
(1) 6” Ventilated Flap Wheel
(2) 6" Spiral Sewn Buffing Wheels
Emery Compound
Tripoli Compound
White Rouge
The products I’ve mention such as the Ventilated flap buffing wheel, Spiral sewn buffing wheel, Emery, Tripoli, and White Rouge compounds can all be found at
http://www.eastwoodco.com/
http://www.caswellplating.com/
http://southwestmetalfinishing.com/
Optional Items:
High speed Mandrel ¼” x 6”
Tapered Sanding Rolls 100-320 grit w/ mandrel
Buffing Rake
Tapered sanding rolls with the ¼” X 6” Mandrel for those tight corners that you can’t hand sand
Buffing rack... to remove excess compound from the buffing wheel, or you could use the edge of a file or edge square driver held in a vice
Safety Equipment: Safety Glasses or Face Shield, Disposable Dust Mask or Respirator, Gloves, Padded Clamps or Padded Vice to hold the smaller parts with (otherwise they will fly) while Buffing or Polishing.
The Basic items you can purchase from the stores mentioned above. I bought the Eastwood Aluminum Polishing Manifold Kit # 13149 which gives you everything you need to do your upper and lower manifold with and other aluminum pieces if you choose to.
POWDER COATING: (REMOVAL)
To polish the upper intake you first need to remove the powder coating, this can be done by 2 methods.
First method is you could sand the powder coating off which will take for ever.
Second method is too use Air Plane Paint Stripper (not regular paint stripper) which should only takes 20 min - 25 min depending on the manufacture. Whatever you do follow the instructions on the can this stuff is toxic and will burn your skin. You can find the Air Plane Paint Stripper at most local automotive paint stores or at some of the larger automotive chain stores, Auto Zone, Kragens, Pep Boys Chiefs, etc.
I personally would not suggest using a wire wheel or sand blasting to remove the powder coating these methods only leave deeper scratches or pits that you'll have to sand out later.
SANDING: (100-360 grit)
Now that the powder coating has been removed you need to start the sanding process.
1st start with 100 grit sand paper to remove all the rough casting form the piece, the big flat areas are not a problem it's the smaller areas that are the problems this is why I suggested Tapered sanding rolls which will help speed up the process of sanding, but it can be done by hand sanding.
Now that you have the whole piece sanded with 100 grit you now need to use the 120 grit sandpaper to remove the scratches that the 100 grit sanding left, next you need to use the 180 grit sandpaper to remove the sanding marks left by the 120 grit sand paper. You'll need to repeat this process using the 220-360 grit sand paper.
I’ve never sanded any of the pieces I did with more than 320 grit sand paper. I have read where some people have even sanded with 600 &1000 and up to 2,000 grit sand paper but that's just too much sanding for me. By the time you’ve sanded with 100, 120, 180, 220, 360 you’re tired of sanding, let the Emery Compound take the fine sanding marks out for you.
Before you start to Cut Buff or Polish any piece with an electric drill and a buffing wheel you need to have the piece secured to the work area in some form (padded clamped, bolted or padded vice) or when you start to use the wheel on the item you will probably catch an edge or something and the item will hit the ground either braking it (which happened to me) or putting a big dent in the piece that you can't get out!
If you try to apply too much pressure to the piece with any of the compounds will only clog up the buffing wheel and leave black marks, and will not do the work it was intended for. Do a small area at a time using a left to right motion or back and forth motion do not use a circular motion, apply compound as needed, smaller amounts of compound are easier to work with than one large amount.
Attach the Ventilated Flap buffing wheel to the Mandrel 1/4” Shank Wheel Arbor and secure in the drill. Once you have the Ventilated Flap secured in the drill apply the Emery Compound by having the Ventilated Flap spin and rubbing the Ventilated Flap over the compound to create a thin layer of compound on the Ventilated Flap buffing wheel.
CUTTING: (Emery Compound)
Very fast cutting action. For coarse buffing, removing scratches and burrs from iron and other hard metals. Use with Ventilated Flap. Color of compound may vary from dark brown to dark gray.
The purpose of the Emery and Ventilated flap is to remove and scratches left from sand and prepping the surface for the next step Buffing.
Caswell Inc is the only place now that carries the Ventilated Flap and you’ll want Product Code BC6….. it’s the 6” Ventilated flap.
http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/vented.html
Attach the buffing wheel to Mandrel and then to the drill and start off with the Ventilated Flap buffing wheel with Emery compound which does all the work of 320 through 600 grit sandpaper or more. Apply medium pressure to the Ventilated Flap so that it can cut out any sanding marks you have.
As you work the Ventilated Flap back and forth with the Emery Compound you’ll start to a dull/medium shine which means that you have removed or are removing the fine scratch marks left from sand with the 360 grit sandpaper. Once you have the entire piece brought to a dull/medium shine with the Emery Compound, remove the Ventilated Flap Buffing wheel and move on to the Tripoli to buff.
BUFFING: (Tripoli Compound)
Tripoli Compound: is used for general cutting of all non-ferrous metals (aluminum, brass, etc.) Mild cutting action best used with either spiral sewn or ventilated flap buff wheel. This compound comes either in a stick or tube, reddish in color.
The basic principle of buffing is to remove any of the fine marks left after you’ve used the Emery Compound.
Attach one of the Spiral Sewn buffing wheel to the Mandrel 1/4” Shank Wheel Arbor and secure in the drill. Once you have the Spiral Sewn buffing wheel secured in the drill apply the Tripoli Compound by having the Spiral Sewn Buffing Wheel spin and rubbing a thin layer of compound on the buffing wheel.
Use the Tripoli while applying medium pressure to the buffing wheel in the same back and forth manner as the Emery Compound, to remove the fine scratches left by the Ventilated Flap and Emery Compound. At point you’ll start to see the piece come to a nice shine and that needs to take place over the whole piece
I suggest for the smaller areas use smaller buffing wheels (mini buffs) to get into those hard to reach places.
POLISHING: (White Rouge Compound)
White Rouge Compound: is primarily a coloring compound to produce a brilliant mirror like finish for all metals.
Attach a different Spiral Sewn buffing wheel to the Mandrel 1/4” Shank Wheel Arbor and secure in the drill. Once you have the Spiral Sewn buffing wheel secured in the drill apply the White Rouge Compound by having the Spiral Sewn Buffing Wheel spin and rubbing a thin layer of compound on the buffing wheel.
This is the final step to that mirrors like finish you’re looking for.
Again make sure the item is secured to the work area, using another (different) 6" spiral buffing wheel, do not use the same 6"spiral sewn buff wheel that you used with the Tripoli as this buffing wheel is now contaminated with the Tripoli and will not let the White Rouge work properly.
Using the same procedure as you used for buffing when applying the White Rouge to the wheel (slight to moderate pressure) again starts in a small area and working into a larger area, applying compound as needed, use a small amount of compound at a time. Work from left to right or right to left just try to stay from any circular motions if possible.
Your piece is now finished to a mirror like finished something to be proud of after all the hours you've spent.
My experience with sanding, cutting, buffing or polishing aluminum has been that no 2 people prep or polish the same part in the exact same manner. So what I’ve suggested above has worked for me over the years and my not work for other’s in that exact manner.