polishing an aluminum grill?

-
PanGasket

PanGasket

has cork sides
Joined
Mar 16, 2010
Messages
4,587
Reaction score
77
Location
Gainesville, GA
I really wanna polsih up my truck's grill, but I am unsure on what would get the best results. I was thinking of using Brass-O, but doesn't anyone know of something that'll work awesome? I'd love to get it to its former glory. :cheers:

IH3id9p.jpg
 
Is the anodizing still on it? If so, that will have to be removed before it can be polished.
 
Check over on FBBO to see what I've done with grilles....I redo them.
 
I use liquid drain cleaner from the local hardware store to strip the anodized coating.
I dilute it with water, but can't recall the ratio right now. Internet search will get you there.
Works really well. Wet sand with 600 grit then with 1000 grit paper. Then use mothers wheel polish and a foam ball polisher in your drill. I tried the felt wheels and the foam balls worked best for me on grill parts.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20140313_160602_362.jpg
    39.1 KB · Views: 281
These polishing supplies I got at Walmart.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20140313_161908_501.jpg
    24.2 KB · Views: 296
I hope you have an idea of just what you're getting into. As burdar said, you'll have to remove the anodizing first. That can be a long dirty tedious job. If you look at the grill now and can see what appears to be small pitting, - that pitting is in the anodized coating.

No matter what type of polish you choose, you'll never get a 'show' shine until that pitted surface is removed. Although you can remove it chemically, I believe you'd be better off sanding it off.

Whenever I've tried to chemically remove anodizing off of thin aluminum such as your grill, it would take it all off of portions of it, but not all of it. - And if I left those parts in the solution too long they would be eaten half way through and noticeably weaker.

I usually sand with 180 grit. You can see the surface change as the anodizing comes off. It will appear duller. Keep an eye on it so that you don't get any deep scratches. After you've gotten the anodizing removed you should set up a bench grinder with buffing wheels and get some buffing compound. Inexpensive buffing wheels and buffing compounds can be purchased at places like Harbor Freight. I usually stack three wheels together. When you're shopping for the wheels you'll usually find two types. One type has a spiral stitching on the sides that makes the wheels firmer and is intended for initial buffing (but can be used for both initial and final). The second type of wheel does not have that stitching so the cloth is not bound as tight. This type of wheel is intended for final buffing. The unbound wheels tend to wear or shred faster than the sewn ones and do not work as well for the initial buff.

I usually use two different compounds. I start with the white. After I've got a really nice shine, I then use the red to finish.

Get some cheap cotton gloves and some goggles. The gloves will keep you from burning your hands. The aluminum can get very hot as it's being buffed. Be very careful so that the parts you are buffing do not get 'caught' by the spinning wheels. If they do they'll either be thrown across the shop or mangled. The need for the goggles is caused by all of the cotton fibers and buffing compound that is being slung around. A respirator wouldn't hurt either.

I've polished tons of aluminum and stainless and the finished results are worth the effort. But it's a lot of work.
 
You may have noticed that SSBA recommended much finer grit sandpaper. The finer the grit of sandpaper you use, the less scratches you'll have to buff later. The only reason I don't use as fine of a grit is that I tend to buff the crap out of stuff and have been able to buff out what scratches I get. It will generally take more time sanding off the anodizing with the finer grit paper. But most guides on buffing WILL recommend those finer grits.
 
I use a product called EZ Brite, it is intended for cleaning aluminum wheels, tanks, etc. on big trucks. It will strip all the anodizing from a grille in about 5 min. and then all you have to do is wash off. Make sure to wear rubber gloves though and in a well ventilated area. After all the anodizing is removed you can polish with your choice of aluminum polish. I like to go over it with 000 fine steel wool with some polish on it first.
 
I spent hundreds of hours re-doing a tail panel on a '66 Dart GT. If I could help someone not go though my experience with that panel, all would be golden. You're biting off a lot if you want to do this yourself.

IIRC, those grilles weren't the shiniest things coming out of the truck plant when they were new. Yours looks pretty good to me. Check out the photo.
 

Attachments

  • 1973_Dodge_Ram-1s.jpg
    54.1 KB · Views: 241
I used the polish and the protectant. I will have a photo in a couple min.
 
The first shot is the polished side on the left and the non polished on the right. I just did the lower edge and not the center or top areas. The second and third shots are the polished and protected side and the non polished. What I did took 15 min. tmm
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0593.jpg
    32.4 KB · Views: 252
  • IMG_0594.jpg
    35.7 KB · Views: 243
  • IMG_0595.jpg
    43.3 KB · Views: 240
just as 67 cuda says....it works

did my 79 truck grill last summer, used easy off oven cleaner to remove the oxidized coating , then sanded with 220, then 400, then 600 (went that fine because I had no rotary buffer) then polished with mothers aluminum polish by hand.

this was the first time I tried this and the results we unbelievable, took about 8- 10 hours in total . Used a full can of cleaner - sprayed then hosed it off - repeated this 3 times - use gloves!

I didn't clear it after, and I find its very easy to scratch, even when leaning over it into the engine compartment. I usually keep on top of it and polish it a few times a summer, or before a show

do a search under my name , I posted pictures of the results
 
PanGasket said:
I really wanna polsih up my truck's grill, but I am unsure on what would get the best results. I was thinking of using Brass-O, but doesn't anyone know of something that'll work awesome? I'd love to get it to its former glory. :cheers:

IH3id9p.jpg
Click to expand...
that is a good looking grill, but it's gonna take a bunch of work to polish it up. and yep the anodizing has to come off to shine it up nice.
1. you could take if to an anodized and have them remove it.
2. do it yourself spray it with "original yellow top" easy off oven cleaner
and repeat till the anodizing is gone can take a few times to clean off the anodizing
3. do it yourself using drain cleaner. (much faster. but CAN eat the aluminum)

then comes the sanding (choose your grits, finer= less work later ) if you have minimal scratches then go finer grits to start with. dent's and heavy gouges take more work.

then a good buffer helps but I have seen a drill do just as good of work as a buffer (take much longer but works)

knowing which number or type of polish helps too. consult a chart online to help you pick the correct level of polishing compound to use with each type of metal.


mine looked bad but ended up nice. it did take a lot of work though.
View attachment !!!!!!! headlight bezels.jpg

View attachment 0122131354.jpg

View attachment 0122131354a.jpg
 
When I do a grille, it can take 40-60 hours from start to finish. So be ready for some quality time with your project.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top