Cleaning and polishing chrome and aluminium is a challenging activity that, when done correctly, can be very rewarding. A well-polished vehicle attracts attention with its shiny appearance. This article will guide you through a structured step-by-step process for a gleaming result.
What are your expectations?
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Shiny tank
With not too much work, you can quickly make an aluminium fuel tank shine. - Mirror-like tank Although it requires more work, with our metal polish, you can literally turn your tank into a mirror.
Which products can you use for polishing?
Various products are available for cleaning chrome and aluminium. Here are some recommendations, but don't forget that Truckshop.nl offers many more options:
- Truckssupply Metal Polish with Polishing Ball
- Amglos Polish Super Finish Combo Deal
- Great-Lion Polishing Kit (2 Step, 31 Items)
- GL Elemental Microfibre Cloths (380gsm)
Polishing chrome and aluminium
1. Preparation
Start by cleaning the surface to remove all dirt and grease. Use a powerful cleaner like Truckssupply Shampoo or Truckssupply Wheel Cleaner for this.
2. Dry sanding
To make the surface completely smooth, it is necessary to sand away all scratches, dents, and stains. This can be done with sanding fleece in combination with a hand pad or mechanically with a sanding ball.
- For very noticeable scratches and many dents, grit #240 is the starting point.
- For light scratches, we start with grit #1200.
- It is useful to use a drill machine in combination with a sanding ball to speed up the process. Follow these steps: #240, #400, #800, #1200, #2000.
- Move to the next step once the scratches from the previous round have disappeared.
- To assess this properly, it is advisable to work crosswise. For example: sand horizontally with #240 and vertically with #400 until the sanding lines of the previous grit are no longer visible.
- Continue by sanding horizontally with #800 until the vertical sanding lines of the #400 grit are no longer visible.
- Repeat this pattern for the subsequent grits.
3. Clean & dry
Just finished sanding? Then you can rinse the entire tank with water. To start polishing, the surface must first be dry. The best way to do this is with a microfibre drying cloth.
Polishing chrome and aluminium
From this step, we start polishing. We can do this in different ways: by hand or with a machine.
Manual polishing
4. Applying Polish
Use a suitable polish such as the Truckssupply Metal Polish. Apply a small amount of polish to a soft cloth, for example, the GL Elemental Microfibre Cloths (380gsm). Thanks to the short fibres, you can better transfer the power from your hand movements to the metal. This makes polishing easier, faster, and you use less product.
5. Polishing
Rub the polish in with circular motions. Work in small sections and pay extra attention to areas with oxidation or discoloration.
6. Aftercare
Wipe the surface with a clean microfibre cloth to remove excess polish and enhance the shine.
Machine polishing
1. Preparation
Ensure the surface is clean and free of impurities as described above.
2. Types of machines
You can also process Metal Polish with a polishing machine.
- A polishing machine that you can equip with a cotton polishing disc.
- Or a cordless drill machine in combination with a polishing ball.
Due to the rotational speed, much more energy is generated, and work can be done up to 20 times faster than by hand. The surface will shine quicker, and you will achieve a better result in a shorter time.
3. Applying polish
Attach a clean polishing pad to your polishing machine and apply a small amount of polish to the disk.
4. Machine polishing
Turn on the machine and move it gradually over the surface. Keep the polisher moving to prevent heat buildup and damage.
5. Aftercare
Use a clean, dry microfibre cloth to polish the surface one last time and make it shine.
