Register now to get rid of these ads!

Technical polished aluminum preservation ?

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by hardtimesainit, Sep 4, 2018.

  1. hardtimesainit
    Joined: Jan 24, 2009
    Posts: 625

    hardtimesainit
    Member

    Lots of elbow grease and $ gone into making aluminum shine. Concern is....Oxide follows soon after !
    I've read about magic elixirs / processes , till blurry eyed, without satisfaction.
    If you have actually used some process/product that has given you great results/satisfaction in preserving your engines polished aluminum shine, would you share that with all in need ?
     
  2. dana barlow
    Joined: May 30, 2006
    Posts: 5,115

    dana barlow
    Member
    from Miami Fla.
    1. Y-blocks

    For 55 years + ,I've just kept polishing{ love doing it,one thing I've learned,is if I didn't ? I know I would not of found things about to come apart,or some cracks etc. So showing some love to my hot rod,as in fact saved it an me a number of times. The same hot rod I built for high school in 1959,is still shiny,an a fun ride on dry weekends.
    There are some pertty good alum rim polishs out now,work better then older stuff. One I like is Mother's,but a few others seem good too.

    4thjulyMiamiSprings2018.jpg
     
    RidgeRunner, ydopen, Blues4U and 4 others like this.
  3. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,942

    squirrel
    Member

    Move to Arizona. Or at least east of the mountains.
     
    dana barlow likes this.
  4. 35WINDOW
    Joined: Jul 7, 2005
    Posts: 454

    35WINDOW
    Member

    This is the best stuff I've found-
    http://www.shineseal.com/

    Sharkhyde works too, but I have a problem getting it on uniformly-now,when someone perfects a good, clear Urethane that doesn't yellow-
     
    loudbang likes this.

  5. Pretty much any 'coating' over polished aluminum will have more shortcomings than advantages IMO. No matter what it is, sooner or later oxidization will get under it and now you're faced with removing the coating to re-buff. Most coatings tend to 'dull' the polish too. The better the durability, the harder it will be to remove. Elbow grease and wax, that's my choice....
     
    loudbang likes this.
  6. I have used WENOL on these wheels and valve covers for 17 years......apply once a year and they stay great. Neither have a coating of any sort.....just WENOL polish. DSCN0590.JPG
     
    Jet96, loudbang, swade41 and 2 others like this.
  7. Special Ed
    Joined: Nov 1, 2007
    Posts: 7,967

    Special Ed
    Member

    I had some aluminum side moldings made for my car almost twenty years ago. I polished them to shine like chrome, then had clear powdercoating applied. They still look like new.
     
    loudbang and 36roadster like this.
  8. DennieC
    Joined: Jul 25, 2018
    Posts: 38

    DennieC

    I use Mother's aluminum polish on hot rod, Harley and another car. After polishing I use car wax to keep the metal shiny and it stays shiny for a long time. Oxygen combines with aluminum in a very thin layer which prevents further oxidation. I also use car wax on polished bare steel (not stainless) in my hot rod's interior. No sign of rust in ten years. I suspect that some aluminum alloys are more prone to oxidation than others.
     
    loudbang likes this.
  9. BamaMav
    Joined: Jun 19, 2011
    Posts: 6,711

    BamaMav
    Member
    from Berry, AL

    I remember a product being on the market a few years ago, Stoops, or Zoops, or something like that, it was supposed to just for that purpose. I never tried it, I'm not much of a polisher, most of my aluminum is as cast or smoothed out, but not polished.
     
  10. Dangerous Dan
    Joined: Jul 10, 2011
    Posts: 479

    Dangerous Dan
    Member

    I use a product called Shark Hide sold by Eastwood. I used it on all the aluminum, polished, on my off topic car over 7 years ago and everything still still looks as good as the day I polished it. I even used it on my wheels and have never waxed or had to polish anything on the car. Google it and read the whole web site about it uses. STH72713.JPG
     
    loudbang likes this.
  11. Like Dana said keep polishing. I did it as a job for a long time. There is nothing that works long term if exposed to weather.


    Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
     
    dana barlow, loudbang and Crazy Steve like this.
  12. deathrowdave
    Joined: May 27, 2014
    Posts: 3,519

    deathrowdave
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from NKy

    Polished a ton of parts on the old Harley’s over the years , you get lax , it will remind you it’s time to repolish .
     
    loudbang likes this.
  13. dan31
    Joined: Jul 3, 2011
    Posts: 1,097

    dan31
    Member

    Busch's aluminum polish . Almost all of our trucks had polished tanks,wheels,mirrors ect. tried everything ,nothing else even comes close except clear coat maybe.
     
    loudbang likes this.
  14. alwaysamopar
    Joined: Oct 2, 2015
    Posts: 126

    alwaysamopar

    It's my type of therapy. .. 000_0025.jpeg

    Sent from my SM-G900V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  15. hardtimesainit
    Joined: Jan 24, 2009
    Posts: 625

    hardtimesainit
    Member

    Thanks to all for your input/help !
    I will look into sharkhide , Busch and all other products mentioned.
    I just need to do this job one and done, as I have bad hands (arthritis / operations) and they swell for days after some intense use. I do all my own work, but may have to settle for less than constant care/shine. Bad genetics and ageing is not ideal.
     
    Jet96, dana barlow and loudbang like this.
  16. 35WINDOW
    Joined: Jul 7, 2005
    Posts: 454

    35WINDOW
    Member

    Zoops polish was discontinued, and the Employees restarted the Company and now calls it Shine Seal-
     
  17. A Boner
    Joined: Dec 25, 2004
    Posts: 7,419

    A Boner
    Member

    ^^^^
    Yes, car wax.
     
  18. I have almost 50 years of using Autosol aluminum polish , tried many others & always come back to this. A coating of Turtle wax paste in the flat can helps prolong the oxidation.
    Cheers
    Tony
     
  19. Bluestone
    Joined: Dec 25, 2016
    Posts: 41

    Bluestone

    I read this somewhere; old motorcycle restorers tip: polish first then remove wax residuals and then rinse with pure alcohol (rectified spirit?). This will prevent or at least slower oxidation.:oops:
     
  20. Bandit Billy
    Joined: Sep 16, 2014
    Posts: 12,287

    Bandit Billy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I live in a hospitable climate for the most part and I haven't experienced the oxidation you speak of but I was just thinking, if you spray on a little gibbs after the polish work is done? It might slow oxidation. To eliminate oxidation you have to eliminate the oxygen from getting the aluminum, so it goes to figure that clear coat, wax or a metal protectant would be a logical choice.
    My frame and body were bare steel for a few years while I was building, Gibbs kept it looking good during those naked days.
     
    mad mikey likes this.
  21. rockable
    Joined: Dec 21, 2009
    Posts: 4,429

    rockable
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

  22. I use Mothers, and some elbow action. WIN_20170423_12_34_39_Pro.jpg
     
  23. hardtimesainit
    Joined: Jan 24, 2009
    Posts: 625

    hardtimesainit
    Member

    Hm, close to dozen various products recommended , thus far !
    Zoops, now Shineseal will get a second look for the job.
    The alcohol wash is different/interesting idea !
    Any others ?
     
  24. Back in the day I used to spray parts with clear "Imron" after they were polished and prepped.
     
  25. Rolleiflex
    Joined: Oct 25, 2007
    Posts: 1,243

    Rolleiflex
    Member

    x2 for WENOL. I've been using it since I got turned on to it back in the mid 1980s.
    I've also used Autosol in the past with good results.
     
  26. Blues4U
    Joined: Oct 1, 2015
    Posts: 7,589

    Blues4U
    Member
    from So Cal

    So where are all the manly men coming here to post about how they'd rather drive a car than polish it? WTF guys, where are you?

    I don't have any input on what to use to seal and protect polished aluminum, like most of the others I just keep polishing it. The best polish I've ever found is Happich Semichrome: https://www.simichrome.com/

    Never Dull is easy and works quick, but the shine doesn't last as long: http://www.nevrdull.com/

    To just clean the surface and give a light polish, Pledge furniture wax. Use it on the whole car, tires too.
     
  27. hardtimesainit
    Joined: Jan 24, 2009
    Posts: 625

    hardtimesainit
    Member

    Again, thanks for sharing your experiences !
    I find that Wenol is a polish.
    I’ve already polished my parts. They need some type of sealing...against air/elements.
    Shineseal claims to be sealant. Expensive product though !
    Q: Is it so that (usually) the better/best product is also most expensive ?
    Sort of like the old saying.....you get what you pay for.
     
  28. I use Mother's on my bike. Works for me.
     
    mad mikey likes this.
  29. Sadly, I park my truck on my driveway in San Diego without a hood, so oxidation on my aluminum parts and everything else drives me ABSOLUTELY wacko.

    What about Eastwood Diamond Clear? Anyone have experience using this on polished aluminum?
    https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-diamond-clear-dtm-and-painted-surfaces-aerosol.html

    I tried Eastwood Diamond Clear on a beautiful new factory polished aluminum water pump right out of the box. The next day it peeled off like sheets of plastic. Maybe there was still residue polishing compound or wax on the water pump? I'm going to re-polish and try prepping with lacquer thinner or acetone before giving it another try with Diamond Clear.
     
  30. chubbie
    Joined: Jan 14, 2009
    Posts: 2,336

    chubbie
    Member

    I've been using original rain X on polished aluminum so far so good
     

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.