aluminum question

[pipeline Dan]

I just bought a new welding truck(black mega cab 6.7 cummins) and was wanting to polish all the aluminum on my rig to make it all nice and clean, stuff like my spools, tool boxes etc, I was going to take everything down to the polish place but they are backed up just like everything else in Calgary/Alberta So I wonder if I should try it myself. I see princess auto has a generic polisher for cheap, it has a switch to slow it down/speed it up etc. I have see them polish my truck before and it seemed to me that they had some kind of wax block(yellowish stuff). Is this something a green horn should try or should I wait it out until the polish place can take me in?? I have heard of other welders "burning" the aluminum so I thought I'd ask you aluminum guys what you thought. Ohh by the way the Jake brake in the 6.7 is fricken cool

here's a picture of my old rig to show you what I am talking about

[hankj]

So, where's the picture of the new rig?

Any good quality rubbing compound from the local auto supply should do the trick on the Al.

Hank

[Leons2003]

First of all congrats on the new truck. While I know nothing of a product to be use w/an elect. buffer for Al, however I have two products that require elbow grease. The Never Dull product is a product I became acquainted w/while in the Air Force polish small areas. The pc. of Al. in the pics is badly corroded but after ~4-5 min. is polished to a nice sheen. As Hank indicated, Both products are available at you local auto supply.
Good luck
L*S

[burninbriar]

In the sign trade I used Neverdull a lot and in my opinion its really great stuff.
The yellow block of stuff you mentioned the pro's used on you're truck was more than likely carnuba wax or carnuba and bee's wax mix to keep the alluminum from re-tarnishing.

[Fat-Fab.com]

Mothers or neverdul paste and a Powerball.

I have used them on fuel tanks from a semi that had never been polished now 20 years old. Worked just fine. It did not remove any pitting but the pits were shinny too.

More recently I used a automotive buffer with polishing compound the dark red rouge stick compound. This worked about as wll and helped to lessen the slight pitting.

TJ

[MintSScout]

I use the powerball with wenol metal polish personally, just don't use it on chrome.