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Re: How do you polish aluminum?

To: binnie.langley@acadiau.ca (Binnie Langley)
Subject: Re: How do you polish aluminum?
From: britcars@hpfckjs.fc.hp.com
Date: Wed, 11 Jan 95 9:53:58 MST
> 
> What is the best way to restore cast aluminum and other polished aluminum
> components, eg. grill, headlight doors, etc.?  Is there a buffing compound 
>that
> is recommended?  What about getting the original polished finish back on Weber
> carbs?  Any advice much appreciated.  Thanks.
> 
> Trying to put my Lotus Cortina back into reasonable shape......
> 
There are a number of aluminum polishes available, check your local auto
parts store.  On realy bad parts I use a wire wheel in my electric drill
or small ones in my Dremel.  But make sure the wires are make of
stainless steel, if they are plain stell small fragments will break off
and cause bi-metalic corosion on the surface of your aluminum.  Don't
get aluminum plish on chrome it will eat the chrome faster than you can
wipe it off.

Speaking of eating chrome.  I have an origonal Triumph aluminum valve
cover for my TR2.  When I was polishing it I got some aluminum polish on
the chrome and enamel badge.  the chrome was imeadiatley eaten down to
the copper platting underneath.  Does any one know of a way to restore
this?  It is rivited to the cover so removing it is the first problem. 
And it has enamels inlays which I assume would be destroyed if I took it
to a plating shop to have it rechromed.  I've seen adds for gold plating
equipment that uses a wand with an electrofied swab on the end to plate
parts on the car, do these work and are they available for chrome
instead of gold?

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Kevin Spooner                                  
The Sports Works of Greeley
Specializing in Triumphs and British Sports Cars                                
  
britcars@hpfckjs.fc.hp.com                            

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