# question on polishing aluminum **URL:** \ **Category:** SON240sx Automotive\ **Created:** [October 6, 2004, 1:45pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/question-on-polishing-aluminum/81729 "2004-10-06T13:45:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![frigga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@frigga](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/frigga)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 1:45pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/question-on-polishing-aluminum/81729/1 "2004-10-06T13:45:27Z")
There was a read-up a long time ago on someone polishing their rims, and i was wondering where that went or if any knew of one. My question is just the simple procedure to revitalize old rims and to give it that polished look. To my understanding, its just starting at a very low sand paper (ie 80 grit) and moving your way up until a final stage of 600-800 wet-sanding. And in the last wet-sanding stage is when you factor in the aluminum polish. Any help is appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![DTS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8491ac/32.png) [@DTS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/DTS)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 2:27pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/question-on-polishing-aluminum/81729/2 "2004-10-06T14:27:46Z")
how would you go about polishing the oem 7 spokes to get them to look new, like removing the corrosion ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/uploads/speedlife/original/2X/b/b7170c8eddc0b95ece6b88172b2f416a08489a45.png) [@system](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 10:10pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/question-on-polishing-aluminum/81729/3 "2004-10-06T22:10:54Z")
you would have to first get them dipped in some kind of acid to remove the corrosion ---
**Author:** ![dnash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@dnash](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/dnash)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 4:48am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/question-on-polishing-aluminum/81729/4 "2004-10-07T04:48:32Z")
Just Flitz it. ---
**Author:** ![frigga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@frigga](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/frigga)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 3:30pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/question-on-polishing-aluminum/81729/5 "2004-10-07T15:30:08Z")
im sure there is a sanding process and a “at home/ do it yourself” way it can be accomplished. Just cant seem to find a read-up showing the step by step process. ---
**Author:** ![roast](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/roast/32/5498_2.png) [@roast](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/roast)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 7:14pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/question-on-polishing-aluminum/81729/6 "2004-10-07T19:14:06Z")
> [@frigga](#): > > im sure there is a sanding process and a “at home/ do it yourself” way it can be accomplished. > > Just cant seem to find a read-up showing the step by step process. For aluminum, it’d prolly be best to talk to the Harley or other bike guys who polish aluminum a lot. ---
**Author:** ![mr200](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/mr200/32/5495_2.png) [@mr200](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/mr200)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 1:56pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/question-on-polishing-aluminum/81729/7 "2004-10-08T13:56:32Z")
polishing aluminum … uhm, taking 80 grit to it might be a bit … uhmm … overkill and pit the hell out of them. Here’s what I did to turn my $100 Momo 5 Stars into rims that I don’t feel so … heh, I dunno … Started with ![http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/mr200/200sx/momo.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/mr200/200sx/momo.jpg) Then took them to SBC and soda blasted them Then painted the centers And took a dremel with a polishing wheel with some aluminum polishing compound. End result … ![http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/mr200/200sx/nismomo.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/mr200/200sx/nismomo.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![frigga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@frigga](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/frigga)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 1:55pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/question-on-polishing-aluminum/81729/8 "2004-10-09T13:55:30Z")
thats what i was looking for… but instead of actually painting the centre, re-finish the entire rim with the same process as you did with the lip. so you say you took a dremel tool with polishing wheel? how long did it take you? any specifics to look out for? all help is appreciated… rims look nice btw. ---
**Author:** ![\_M\_aurice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/c5a1d2/32.png) [@\_M\_aurice](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/_M_aurice)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 2:04pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/question-on-polishing-aluminum/81729/9 "2004-10-09T14:04:37Z")
I hear aircraft cleaner is good. It basically takes a layer of the aluminum off. Don’t ask me any techniques on it cause I never done it. I saw a post on another forum about it… ---
**Author:** ![nocwage](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/nocwage/32/5489_2.png) [@nocwage](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/nocwage)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 8:11pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/question-on-polishing-aluminum/81729/10 "2004-10-09T20:11:33Z")
Just don’t get any mercury paste on it, the rim will dissolve in a matter of hours. ---
**Author:** ![EviltoM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/97f17d/32.png) [@EviltoM](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/EviltoM)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 10:27am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/question-on-polishing-aluminum/81729/11 "2004-10-10T10:27:53Z")
I used some 1000 grit sandpaper on the Nissan letters on my calipers and they came out polished. just get the old stuff off with whatever sand paper, the used some 320 to smoothen it a bit, the use, maybe 800, and 11200, and then 2000 to finish it off. I cant remember off the top of my head if thats the correct order but you can give it a try. ---
**Author:** ![mr200](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/mr200/32/5495_2.png) [@mr200](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/mr200)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 8:59am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/question-on-polishing-aluminum/81729/12 "2004-10-14T08:59:59Z")
Soda blasting is really your best bet to clean them. Any super soft media like that won’t damage the aluminum, but will clean them. There’s a lot of cleaners available. Just make sure it’s safe for aluminum. I’ve also heard good things about aircraft cleaner. Now, for just cleaning up stock rims (and I guess it applies to polishing) this is what one of our S12 members did (his is the red one … don’t even ask about the other …) [http://www.club-s12.org/board/showthread.php?t=6968](http://www.club-s12.org/board/showthread.php?t=6968)