Polishing lips, DIY [Archive]

SeanDub

08-09-2009, 01:16 PM

Ok so im in the middle of making the how to vid on polishing but i will just write it up and throw some pics up...

I do a lot of multi pieced wheels so thats what i used for an example.

You need everything in this list....keep in mind this is the budget version i will make the master polishing list later.

-Aircraft stripper, Not the spray on stuff!
-Paint brushes (cheap from walmart is the best cause you can not reuse them)
-Sand paper, 320,400,600,800,1000,1500,2000 (you can skip steps depending on condition of metal)
- a bucket of water/spray bottle or hose for wet sanding.
-jewlers polishing kit from sears,home depot,truck stop
-Buffs
-drill
-microfiber towls
-mothers mag polish
-Wax, I like using 3m cleaner wax

Curbing will require more work but just in the area of damage.

1. take the harsh sand paper and scuff the area you need to be stripped. I dont mean sand but just scratch it up. one pass is all you need. It will help the aircraft stripper get under the clear. If you have a really tough clear you can cover the pieces in plastic but for most style 5 wheels,bbs,hre,wheels you will be ok with one coat. Use the paint brush to wipe the stripper in one direction around the wheel. you can seriously coat the wheel...you want a uniform coat. Let it sit. DO NOT GET THIS ON YOU. IF you do water will make the burning stop but not right away.
after it sits you will see the clear start to peel. once most of its peeled take your brush and smear it around. I forgot to say this should be done over something on in a drive way where you can hose it off.

2. After the stripper has done its job and you have brushed off the stripper to see the clear is gone(you can repeat the stripper with out rinsing) you need to rinse all the clear/stripper off. Water and a hose works great. Get it all off before you start sanding.

3. No need to dry the lips cause you need to be wet sanding. Look at the wheel and evaluate if the wheel needs to be sanded with rough paper or not. Most wheels have marks from being made to hold the clear. Trying to clear a polished wheel is almost impossible. They do offer clears for this now and i will get in to that later.

I have found most wheels will need a 400 grit to start. Wet sand it tel almost all of the marks are out. you dont have to take it all the way out because from here you work up and each sanding step will cut a bit more.
Work from lowest to highest. You may find your not getting all the scratches out so you can go back and resand any step you feel you need to.

After you have sanded the wheel it almost looks polished you can almost see how it will shine....heres the steps you need to finish it off for a mirror shine. Not some distorted look or a close to perfect look.

you need your polishing kit from homedepot or sears...Should have some emery cake in it, and a few rouge compounds. The box will tell you how abrasive each is. Start out with the emery cake on a buff attached to the drill and go to town! with the wheel spinning run the bar on the buff. You will see the compound stick. I always let this stuff dry for a few minutes before i hit it on the wheel. The bar will last longer and you will make less of a mess. use light pressure you dont have to push hard cause you will just distort the shine. Remember EVERY step is removing some part of the finished layer. Its like buffing paint.

use a clean buff for each compound(its not a one time use piece its just so you can work in the steps...Not all the compound comes out of the buff so if you were to coat it with a lighter compound you will still get the previous step mixed in there.)

once you have worked through the componds and you think your done grab the mothers mag/alu polish in the can and buff it in. you will notice the compound turning black...thats good. you want that. you can do this as long as you want. I do it 1-2 times on the full lip. A powerball or super soft buff will help you out here if your lazy. By this time trust me your lazy and just want it done so stick this step out cause you have one more easy step to finish.

get all the black off with the micro fiber and then wax the lip let it dry to a haze and buff it off. You can do it a few times if you want. I always do like 2-3 coats with the wax to make te wheel as clean as possible.

Now some examples of stuff i have done using this or close to this. I use products from a truck wash near me that im sure not everyone can get. I can however get this stuff for people and put together a KIT if they want cost will range depending on how crazy you want to get.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v147/vwfastg60/Picture004-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v147/vwfastg60/Picture002-2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v147/vwfastg60/Picture008.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v147/vwfastg60/04-21-08_2205.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v147/vwfastg60/93%20corrado/misc1052-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v147/vwfastg60/93%20corrado/motor.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v147/vwfastg60/93%20corrado/trannyandsubframes010.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v147/vwfastg60/93%20corrado/02-26-06_1648.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v147/vwfastg60/93%20corrado/02-26-06_1647.jpg
Steering wheel
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v147/vwfastg60/93%20corrado/02-26-06_1646.jpg
this was a year old with nobody keeping up on it
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v147/vwfastg60/90%20g60/Russell005.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v147/vwfastg60/polishing/Picture133.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v147/vwfastg60/polishing/Picture135.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v147/vwfastg60/NOPI/Picture074.jpg

If you have questions you may PM me but my inbox fills fast already. The best way is to ask here and i will respond here...if for some reason i dont respond then tell me im needed here either through pm or in a tread..

I hope this helps and im sorry its not all that great but i raced through it to get more info out to the people that have asked.

This write up was done by Russell (BoostedCorrados on BF.C)

Nightfox.Technologies

08-09-2009, 01:31 PM

Nice write up! Thanks bro!
Will def be passing this along

Russell_G

08-11-2009, 06:25 PM

Glad you like it....the guy who wrote it is a jerk.

SeanDub

08-11-2009, 06:31 PM

Hope you dont mind me bringin it over, glad to see you here!

Stephen

08-11-2009, 06:41 PM

Wow, nice article. Might have to try it out depending on what im doin with the next set of wheels.

Zombie247

08-11-2009, 06:50 PM

me and a homie just polished some flat faced wheels last saturday, still needs a 1500 grit pass. we use the blue real strong smelling polish. i forgot the name of it. i'll get pics at the meet this saturday

boligrafo123

08-11-2009, 07:24 PM

Thanks for taking the time to write this Russell, I referred to it numerous times today while re-polishing some wheels.
One question though, what wax do you recommend for the final step?

Russell_G

08-11-2009, 10:03 PM

Hope you dont mind me bringin it over, glad to see you here!

Not at all Sean, I would rather have it here then BFC and some of the other forums.
:stickoutt

Thanks for taking the time to write this Russell, I referred to it numerous times today while re-polishing some wheels.
One question though, what wax do you recommend for the final step?

I like 3m cleaner wax. Its white so if you have some imperfections in the polishing work they dont stand out like crazy and it pulls up all the other compounds. Mothers paste with microfiber to put it on and take it off is another good one but its off white so it tends to show more....It also collects more dust right away.

Byron

08-13-2009, 01:02 AM

Any tips on doing one piece wheels? Like how to keep the sandpaper and polishing pads off the face?

Please don't say just be careful :rolleyes

SeanDub

08-13-2009, 02:05 AM

If being careful is gonna be a problem, maybe dont do it...

You can use masking tape but even still, if you aren't careful you will sand right through the tape

southpaw

08-13-2009, 02:20 AM

Great write up.

Russell_G

08-13-2009, 02:32 AM

Any tips on doing one piece wheels? Like how to keep the sandpaper and polishing pads off the face?

Please don't say just be careful :rolleyes

Duct tape or painters tape...don't leave it on long.

Painters tape is what i use....

If being careful is gonna be a problem, maybe dont do it...

You can use masking tape but even still, if you aren't careful you will sand right through the tape

you can hit the tape a few times just dont sand directly on the tape.

Great write up.

Thanks

mpower5266

10-07-2009, 10:53 PM

I cant believe I missed this thread.

Great write up and thanks for posting it Sean. I have been polishing aluminum for a long time and this is about the only way to do it. Take your time, and you will get great results. I may add to this later, I am about to polish the 02's valve cover with some of the aircraft polishes I use. I have a few special "compounds" I am about to test that may allow you to skip alot of the sanding.

Emsan

10-19-2009, 06:41 PM

Great thread, probably will use this thread as a reference when I polish my lips. was going to pay ridiculous money for it to get down but guess not anymore.

Thanks!

Russell_G

10-23-2009, 02:40 AM

Posting a few new pics from stuff i have been working on. I have a few more things to debug and then i will have sean add them to the original write up.

the balls on the end are steal and im still playing with treatments but they havent rusted and the rotors have. It was ment to make a smooth surface and not worry about being perfect cause they will get covered in grease when the truck starts driving.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v147/vwfastg60/87%20toyota/Picture089.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v147/vwfastg60/87%20toyota/IMAGE_089.jpg

shift knob...not finished yet
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v147/vwfastg60/87%20toyota/Picture096.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v147/vwfastg60/87%20toyota/IMAGE_112.jpg

RS lip
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v147/vwfastg60/polishing/Picture277.jpg

wiper before and after(post paint removal)
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e393/mkiivdubgti/datsun%20521/progress/100_0814.jpg

enjoy

JSanders

10-23-2009, 02:55 AM

Good stuff

dubbed_up_daz

10-23-2009, 01:13 PM

nice work

mpower5266

10-23-2009, 01:27 PM

Really pitted but its wall art, I found my other older style valve cover that I am working on now.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2489/4002922385_4d7ca4ca6f_o.jpg

Russell_G

10-26-2009, 12:45 PM

pits can be sanded out...gotta keep going on that cause it will look sweet!

Vis250p

10-26-2009, 10:58 PM

Oh my lot of work to do..

vdubwardo

11-09-2009, 05:38 PM

nice write up!

any special techniques i should know when i polish my bbs rs faces??

OMG TSX

11-09-2009, 10:02 PM

hmm....
just wondering, but would this process work on something that was already not an anodized silver or machined or polished surface prior to the process?
like if i were to do this to an already painted/powder coated wheel. would it work as well?

SeanDub

11-10-2009, 12:07 AM

OMG TSX

11-10-2009, 07:10 AM

so it would work right? thats all i wanted to know lol.
thanks.

Russell_G

11-11-2009, 03:41 AM

nice write up!

any special techniques i should know when i polish my bbs rs faces??

Get small cone bits and a nice corded drill.....oh and a straight jacket cause you will want it about wheel 2 or 3.

New tip of the day.

Wheels are stripped and fairly polished but smooth or for touch up. Wheel cleaner helps to soften the metal for a better shine. Truckers have been doing it for a long time on tanks and wheels.

fatboy.yoshi

11-13-2009, 04:04 PM

i'd like to contribute...this is something a friend of mine found

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxxG4A4OgHI

Russell_G

11-17-2009, 03:17 AM

i'd like to contribute...this is something a friend of mine found

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxxG4A4OgHI

my friend tried cleaning his chain on his bike like that you should see all 9 of his fingers:rofl

im working on building something like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwat_KFz5Fg&feature=related

luzi

11-23-2009, 05:02 AM

That's the stuff I like :D Here some pics of my rims (DIY polished :P)

Mirror Style LOL

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/2348/dsc00040bz.jpg

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/3263/zdjcie003t.jpg

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/645/zdjcie005cu.jpg

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/7851/zdjcie012zt.jpg

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/9098/zdjcie017b.jpg

kdog1818

11-30-2009, 11:37 PM

Great write up. Hey its my lex from like three years ago.:D

Effin' Euro

12-11-2009, 11:16 PM

why not the aerosol stripper? in my experience it works better than the brush on stuff.

mpv

12-13-2009, 11:15 PM

great write up on a diy for polishing. I have a commercial setup so I get to skip a lot of those steps. If you are local to the bay area and need polishing hit me up. Some of my work

http://i671.photobucket.com/albums/vv78/_plush_/DSCN1066.jpg
http://i671.photobucket.com/albums/vv78/_plush_/DSCN1036.jpg
http://i671.photobucket.com/albums/vv78/_plush_/DSCN1039.jpg
http://i671.photobucket.com/albums/vv78/_plush_/DSCN1360.jpg
http://i671.photobucket.com/albums/vv78/_plush_/DSCN1348.jpg

BadSeed

12-27-2009, 05:18 PM

I'm tryin to polish the lips of my BBS RZs, and was wondering which order I should paint/polish. I need to repaint the centers but I want the lips polished, and I can't figure out which one to do first, because of the masking off situation...

And also, if I clear the face, do I clear the polished section of rim? I would not right? Because I need to keep that finish...?

dubbed_up_daz

12-27-2009, 09:03 PM

polish the lip>paint the centre>do NOT clear the polished lip(well not if its polished properly)

BadSeed

01-02-2010, 12:32 PM

polish the lip>paint the centre>do NOT clear the polished lip(well not if its polished properly)

Thank you!

Fender Filler

01-08-2010, 08:47 PM

wow,
nice write up. I've had the idea of polishing my brocks for a while now. The only thing really stopping me is that the lips are kinda badly curbed and they are powder coated.
I guess the questions I have are:
Can I fix the curb rash and still polish the lips?
Powder coating must be a pain to take off, right?

estwokayy..

01-23-2010, 02:07 PM

does it not become dull after a few months?

Rally

01-23-2010, 02:20 PM

does it not become dull after a few months?

You have to maintain them by giving them a good hand polish whenever you wash your wheels. Otherwise they will oxidize, yes.

Neb

01-23-2010, 04:09 PM

does it not become dull after a few months?

yeah just hit them with a metal polish like mentioned and you'll be good. Oh and don't drive them during the winter if they salt your area.

Minuki

01-24-2010, 06:50 AM

Great write up. I'll be doing this with my wheels.

I have a question though - i want to get the centers painted black with the lip polished. Should i get them lacquered too? I have heard that this "dulls" the shine?

cardoza

02-10-2010, 09:15 PM

JustinE36

04-14-2010, 11:58 PM

why no clear coat?

JustinE36

04-15-2010, 05:39 PM

and did you re-use the bolts?

Lux

04-15-2010, 06:05 PM

I think the clearing is dependent on what the manufacturer has done. For example if it was cleared than you want to clear it but if it was not and you want to stick to the original finish dont clear it. Thats just my thoughts. I would recommend clearing it myself just to keep it lasting longer. One thing about that however is you should also wet sand and buff the clear and you could fuck up and dig down into your hard work.

About the curb rash. I have painted a few wheels before and in all cases regardless of the lip if its curbed I just paint it a very nice silver and do a flawless job wetsanding it and polishing it before a clear. Not exactly a mirror finish but looks good. This is cause I use the red metal filler so of course that wont polish up to a nice mirror finish.

What would you recommend using to fill curbage to get it to polish again?

Also, the stripper you recommend,... is that thin liquid or gel? I have used the gel and the aerosol versions of Tal-Strip in the past and I have been able to just spray/brush it on and often the stuff was so good I could just blast it and the paint off with a hose.

Now, Im working with a powder coated set of wheels and I just cant get the damn paint off with any paint removers. Dont got the funds to take it to a shop for a blasting either. Sanding has been taking days!

Lux

04-15-2010, 06:50 PM

Question, when sanding do I need to do in the same direction the entire time? This is my first time polishing and I'm doing a set of RS lips, and after some 320 grit sanding (no aircraft stripper) I see some little hooks from where I switched directions while sanding. I really want to do this myself but am thinking about just taking it to someone just because there are so many intricacies in the lips.

Sorry to jack OPs questions but what I have been told and what I have been doing is sanding in one direction \\\\\\\\ then moving to this direction //////,... if you get what Im sayin.

SeeClass

04-17-2010, 04:06 PM

Here's some of my work and I love JDM wheels because they always look soo much better than the alloy used on other wheels.

It's easier to sand in ONE direction and BUFF the other way. I always start wet sanding with 400 and use lower grits on curb rash only.

Tools I use:
Belt sander - GET ONE!
Drill
90 degree grinder
Air compressor with die grinder

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/3383/dscn26428336081.jpg

Lux

04-19-2010, 07:46 AM

Man that wheels sick.

I wanna know what color you used on those spokes asap!:D

*96tegls*

05-04-2010, 05:09 PM

do you use the same process for polishing lips and the centers?

jznsn2u

05-11-2010, 06:57 PM

sweeet write up bro.

mad325is

05-12-2010, 01:36 PM

damn that looks nice... but i must admit im lost on the belt sander... seems like it would be too bulky for a job like this...

SeeClass

05-15-2010, 06:06 PM

I use the belt sander to remove curb rash, not to polish the rims. Orbital sanders leave too many sanding marks and are not uniform when taking out curb rash. Belt sanders also have a larger surface area which makes it easier for you to blend the curb rash to the rest of the rim. You don't want wavy lips where they curb rash used to be.

LASTTOPGUN

06-06-2010, 07:29 PM

Question: I have a BMW M3 polished LTW that had a primer lip on it that I removed and now I need to polish and clear coat it. I dont think the original finish is too shiny but it is polished. How would I polish it and make it match the original finish on the other rims.

Also what clear coat should I use?

Link: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?p=19601717#post19601717

-Nick

KANTSTANDLAM

06-19-2010, 09:48 PM

hand polished as well ;)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2743/4355369156_529ebf2ec3_b.jpg

Mkv Flipp

07-21-2010, 12:14 PM

very useful thread! going to have mine polished in a couple months.

zerolux

08-05-2010, 10:17 PM

good thread, after reading the other contributions, i finally signed up so I could share a few of the tips i've learned over the years. **(disclaimer: everything i'm about to tell you is wrong. but this is the internet so it must be true. use at your own risk)

when wetsanding, i use WD-40. i buy it in the gallon jugs so i have a nifty spray bottle i use to apply. as messy as it might sound, it's really not because you use quite a bit less. WD-40 also rules for soaking the wheel nuts/bolts, a few days soak works nice, i've never been a fan a cleaning 120+ tiny ass bolts and i never got around to getting a vibratory tumbler (http://www.harborfreight.com/5-lb-metal-vibrator-tumbler-67617.html) so this method works for me.

for the sanding stage, i got crafty and built a turntable. i used a cheap "lazy susan" turntable bearing and some plywood, a few wood scraps to hold the wheel on the turntable, then you just spin the wheel while holding the sandpaper in onespot. helps to keep the sanding marks more consistant as well as speed up the process. heres the bearing i used: http://www.woodzone.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=111180&Category_Code=Lazy_Susans&Store_Code=Woodworking
then just get a 2'x4' peice of plywood (you can get them pre cut this size at large home improvement stores, cut it in half, use the one square piece for your base, then round off the other peice and that is the wheel platform. screw it all together, grab a marker and spin the platform and make some circles of varying diameter, this will allow you to center the wheel later when your are securing it on the turntable (use scraps for this). i'm sure with a little effort, it could be mechanized but for now, this works manually. i can sand through 320, 400w, 600w, and 800w in 10-20mins if i hurry. this whole setup cost me maybe $20.

if you have the intial investment cash, you might want to look into getting a floor mounted buffer setup. i put together an 8" setup for around $75 (you can easily make this back if you do a polishing job for a friend). i managed to get both the buffer and stand on sale at Harbor Freight (links below) so it was decent. then an order from Caswell Plating will get you the buffing wheel and rouge needed. really, you only need one wheel to start (more is better of course). a good buffing setup will allow you to use only a black rouge and get an awesome finished product. a good setup will also decrease the amount of sanding you'll need to do. i address any rash/pits, then wetsand from 400-800, then buff it out, then i finish with Mother's (either by hand or with a powerball). if you're buffing correctly, you should be able to stop at 600wet and still buff it out to an sick shine. a nice buffing setup also allows you to get things hot. heat is a huge secret to a good polishing job. the buffing compound inherently wants to stick to the cooler of the two items, so keeping the piece hot will keep the compound on the buffing wheel and not the lip/wheel. you should also purchase a nice set of gloves to deal with the heat if you go this route.

Caswell rules: http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/index.html

wheels: http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/sscw.htm

8"grinder i got on sale for $50: http://www.harborfreight.com/8-inch-bench-grinder-buffer-94327.html

stand i got for $20: http://www.harborfreight.com/bench-grinder-stand-42986.html

a few pics:

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i80/zeroluxxx/wheel%20pics/DSC00020.jpg
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i80/zeroluxxx/wheel%20pics/DSC00015.jpg
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i80/zeroluxxx/wheels4sale/DSC00193.jpg
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i80/zeroluxxx/wheel%20pics/DSC00523.jpg
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i80/zeroluxxx/wheel%20pics/DSC_4008.jpg
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i80/zeroluxxx/wheel%20pics/DSC_4023.jpg
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i80/zeroluxxx/polished_caps.jpg
lol, my old lady was pissed! haha
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i80/zeroluxxx/horde2.jpg

w0w

08-17-2010, 03:36 PM

any suggestions from the polishing gurus? i had these wheels blasted and then went through the process of sanding them and then used mothers aluminum polish. my problem is they still have a haze to them and dont really shine like i want them to. thanks :)

http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/6158/p7083633.jpg

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/7632/p6283538.jpg

BreakMyWallet

08-17-2010, 11:00 PM

damn you daron. need compound!

w0w

08-17-2010, 11:25 PM

pm me exactly what i need please, i wanna tackle this myself asap! tia :D

Russell_G

09-22-2010, 03:59 AM

Im going to shoot some pics of a set of wheels im redoing now for a guy with a gs300. I took apart an old drillpress and made it bolt to the wall...Pretty much the end result will be a set up for refinishing that will cut my time and mess in half and make the quality even better.

Duby_1.8t

09-23-2010, 08:36 PM

how do i polish bolts???? or make them nicer

95naSTA

09-24-2010, 09:11 PM

Here's some stuff I did the hard way..

For the most part it's sand paper from 220 to 2000 then aluminum polish with a buffing wheel and a dremel with strips of different sand paper for the tight spots. No wet sanding or compounds.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j26UOMifp74/SD4zS-Y9gNI/AAAAAAAAAmk/MFn-KIMbtLw/s800/IMG_1605.jpg
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_j26UOMifp74/R3MxK8cGjpI/AAAAAAAAABc/3BApWlZ6jQ0/s800/DSCN0556good.JPG
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j26UOMifp74/R3MxLccGjqI/AAAAAAAAABk/ytZ1Oaeloic/s800/DSCN0568good.JPG
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j26UOMifp74/SxMbDKczqaI/AAAAAAAAEXg/uOmF2dLLtgI/s800/DSCN2218.JPG
(This pan is stamped steel.. fml)
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j26UOMifp74/Sx20Z_CGJlI/AAAAAAAAEao/tdql2kqXEyY/s800/DSCN2268.JPG
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_j26UOMifp74/SyQi-AgxalI/AAAAAAAAEes/5zxPT0WBfEU/s800/DSCN2291.JPG
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j26UOMifp74/SyhX9_iD0NI/AAAAAAAAEgM/lEgHnDC-Hs0/s800/DSCN2317.JPG
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_j26UOMifp74/SyhX-NZakOI/AAAAAAAAEgQ/Qqg67-Nh-nE/s800/DSCN2322.JPG

Polishing stuff is heartbreaking.. Out of all that, the master cylinder got brake fluid on it and messed up the clear powder coat. The wheels got the clear powder coat nicked and started to spiderweb oxidize under. That alt cover started to do the same. And that stample steel pan started to rust in tiny little spots under the clear. Steel is workk to polish too.

I opted to get stuff powder coated clear since it will take heat and not yellow.. and I know I don't really feel like repolishing crap every season. So much for that.

Russell_G

09-26-2010, 12:34 AM

Finished up a wheel tonight using the new method...Not bad but did i love it? No.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs669.snc4/60896_10150092055733986_573913985_7249465_3331710_ n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs652.snc4/61212_10150091964903986_573913985_7247187_3054955_ n.jpg

camera phone pics suck i know.

Minuki

09-26-2010, 01:35 PM

Hey...guys i need some advice. You'll probably have a better idea than i do. How would i go about polishing these lips? I've polished stuff before, but never anything this bad.

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh54/blacknblue1080/2010_09260016.jpg?t=1285525973

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh54/blacknblue1080/2010_09260017.jpg?t=1285525973

95naSTA

09-26-2010, 02:09 PM

You're probably going to have to start off with 220 grit. The wheels I posted were about as crappy to begin with.

Russell_G

09-26-2010, 06:06 PM

180 on a block. work up from there.

Lt. Dangle

11-02-2010, 02:33 PM

I do this shit that absolute hardest way, but honestly I love doing it so it's not that bad...

I usually go 80 on the outer lip where the tire beads, just to clean up light curbage/tire install/removal dings, etc...

Then on the rest I go 180, 220, 320, 400, 600, 800, 1k. Then I go back over them with 400, 600, 800, 1k, 1500, 2k, 2500 all wet. I usually use mothers all metal polish for the initial polish, probably do this 10 times. Then I use 3m cutting compounds, such as extra cut, fine, and swirl mark remover. Then I use a Mother's cleaner wax, and a spray wax for the final step.

My first set ( Sebring Zeiger 5 16x8/ +38, 16x8.5/ +32 by rays)
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g75/slow95pgt/Detailing%20and%20metal%20refinishing/DSC01722.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g75/slow95pgt/Detailing%20and%20metal%20refinishing/DSC01723.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g75/slow95pgt/Detailing%20and%20metal%20refinishing/DSC01724.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g75/slow95pgt/Detailing%20and%20metal%20refinishing/DSC01725.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g75/slow95pgt/Detailing%20and%20metal%20refinishing/DSC01726.jpg

I also did a set of oldschool Ansen slot mags for a customer, he didn't want a complete mirror finish, although they were damn close when I was done. Those wheels are an absolute ROUGH casting from the factory cast, and they were dated 1963 with SEMA stickers on the inside barrel. Going on a period correct 33 willys, sbc/4spd.

I actually polished the entire wheel, lips/faces/centers...

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g75/slow95pgt/Detailing%20and%20metal%20refinishing/010-1.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g75/slow95pgt/Detailing%20and%20metal%20refinishing/011-1.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g75/slow95pgt/Detailing%20and%20metal%20refinishing/012-1.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g75/slow95pgt/Detailing%20and%20metal%20refinishing/013-1.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g75/slow95pgt/Detailing%20and%20metal%20refinishing/016.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g75/slow95pgt/Detailing%20and%20metal%20refinishing/017.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g75/slow95pgt/Detailing%20and%20metal%20refinishing/018-1.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g75/slow95pgt/Detailing%20and%20metal%20refinishing/020-1.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g75/slow95pgt/Detailing%20and%20metal%20refinishing/002.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g75/slow95pgt/Detailing%20and%20metal%20refinishing/003.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g75/slow95pgt/Detailing%20and%20metal%20refinishing/005.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g75/slow95pgt/Detailing%20and%20metal%20refinishing/006.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g75/slow95pgt/Detailing%20and%20metal%20refinishing/007-1.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g75/slow95pgt/Detailing%20and%20metal%20refinishing/008-1.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g75/slow95pgt/Detailing%20and%20metal%20refinishing/009-1.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g75/slow95pgt/Detailing%20and%20metal%20refinishing/001.jpg

We are currently in the process of mirror polishing a set of SI wheels, a few valve covers, and possibly a 6 point cage...not sure yet though.

I'll post pics of the SI's when we are done.

ziemenz

11-25-2010, 02:06 PM

that's my work:

http://forum.4tuning.ro/102-bursa-serviciilor-auto/151250-polisam-polish-jante-buze-jante-galerii-admisie-capace-tacheti-etc/page-7.html

I'm still a beginner.

6sp33d

11-30-2010, 03:02 AM

This thread is Amazing! I wish i saw thi sthread two weeks ago before i sent my wheels off to get the lips re-polished:mad

I need to do this!

LronSigh

11-30-2010, 08:00 AM

that's my work:

http://forum.4tuning.ro/102-bursa-serviciilor-auto/151250-polisam-polish-jante-buze-jante-galerii-admisie-capace-tacheti-etc/page-7.html

I'm still a beginner.

Wow! Nice job! Please share your technique.

C.Johnston

12-06-2010, 01:59 PM

Did this a short cut way.

Bench grinder + de-burring/finishing wheel, then polished with black (1000 grit) compound with polishing pad on bench grinder. Have yet to finish with finer compounds..

What do you guys think for only a 2 stage, no sanding, polishing?

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1176.snc4/154886_477507517009_502262009_5554996_573134_n.jpg

firelizard

12-06-2010, 02:05 PM

Very good result for such a quick process. How much time did you spend with the black compound?

C.Johnston

12-06-2010, 03:17 PM

i could have gotten away with one pass, however there were a couple of spots I wanted to knock down a bit, so I had to go over it twice, but I dont think that added any depth or shine.

One pass with the black would take me approximately 5 minutes? I will hit it with the grey, white, and green sticks, I just need more pads.

Here's a comparison photo to see what they look like before work gets done to them. I think I will make a build thread as I refinish my Super RS'

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs716.snc4/63668_477553867009_502262009_5555633_233598_n.jpg

firelizard

12-06-2010, 03:22 PM

Joker

12-06-2010, 04:22 PM

Hey guys, I have DIY refurbed and polished my wheels too, the lips came out pretty good, but the mops I have are not that wide and I can't really polish the faces with them, they come out spoty because of the very little surface contact, could you guys give me some advice on what to use to polish flat surfaces? Oh and pls don't suggest expensive machinery because I'm on a budget.

The kit i used:
http://www.planetpolish.com/images/8piece.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r21/Jokerman170/P7210189.jpg

Before:
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r21/Jokerman170/01140005.jpg

During:
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r21/Jokerman170/my%20car/01180019.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r21/Jokerman170/my%20car/01180028.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r21/Jokerman170/P7200178.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r21/Jokerman170/P7200180.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r21/Jokerman170/P9100127.jpg

After: (kinda)
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r21/Jokerman170/DSC00066.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r21/Jokerman170/DSC00070.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r21/Jokerman170/DSC00067.jpg

sorry for picture quality...

C.Johnston

12-06-2010, 04:39 PM

The one thing that stands out in the comparison, aside from the finish, is that the edges are very rounded after. Is that something that could have been reduced (if you were inclined to do so) with a less rapid approach?

In real life, there is very little difference by touch. The difference of finish on the OE cap makes it appear to have a more rigid line due to the contrasting finishes used for sides/top. It did round the edges a bit, but I dont imagine sanding by hand would have different results..

Nice polish job on those wheels ^^ that skinny wheel is similar to what I am using.. How do you find the thicker wheel? Easier for lips?

Joker

12-06-2010, 04:48 PM

Nice polish job on those wheels ^^ that skinny wheel is similar to what I am using.. How do you find the thicker wheel? Easier for lips?
If u are reffering to me I used them both on the lips, the wide one fits right on the sloped part so that was great, however the wider wheel leaves a lot of black residue, which I **** cleaning off the most, it requires more time than polishing itself :( Some tips how to avoid heavy residue? Tryed less compound, but it won't come out as shiny.

C.Johnston

12-06-2010, 04:50 PM

Cool thanks. I think I need to buy new polishes because the ones I have are from 20 years ago and dont really hold to the mop. What polish did you like the most/think was most effective?

Joker

12-06-2010, 04:53 PM

Used a single polish, that came with the kit, the rest was hand sanding 80->2000 grit

edit- actually tried 3M fine polish paste, which is useless imo, maybe it's for paintjobs, the vendor was clueless of what she was selling :|

twastheglow

12-12-2010, 11:45 AM

I have a couple questions for you...

I have some wheels that already have polished lips. I took them apart to have the centers repainted a different color and I just got them back from the body shop. I figured since they were apart I should "clean" up the lips a little. They have some small "scuff" marks from where the plastic head of a tire machine rubbed against the lip. I wanted to give all 4 lips a once over with some wet sanding to get the maximum shine before I bolt and seal them all back together. I know it's next to impossible to know what grit to start with since you haven't seen the wheels, but what do you think I should try? And I've never wet sanded anything. Could you possibly explain in detail how I should go about it? Thanks a lot. I'm quite excited to get my wheels back together!!!

Joker

12-12-2010, 11:58 AM

I have a couple questions for you...

imo if you want just to refinish the polishing try wetsanding with 2000 grit (wetsanding is the same as dry sanding except u guessed it, u add water... to clean the surface while sanding to get a smoother finish) if u think the 2000 grit won't get the scratches out go to 1000 grit wetsanding(keep in mind u have to work on it for a while before the scratches disapear) after they are gone with the 1000, wetsand 2000 grit again then polish them preferably with polishing wheel and aluminum polish, in the worst case with hand polishing and all purpous polish.

sorry if my english is hard to understand

twastheglow

12-12-2010, 12:33 PM

imo if you want just to refinish the polishing try wetsanding with 2000 grit (wetsanding is the same as dry sanding except u guessed it, u add water... to clean the surface while sanding to get a smoother finish) if u think the 2000 grit won't get the scratches out go to 1000 grit wetsanding(keep in mind u have to work on it for a while before the scratches disapear) after they are gone with the 1000, wetsand 2000 grit again then polish them preferably with polishing wheel and aluminum polish, in the worst case with hand polishing and all purpous polish.

sorry if my english is hard to understand

Thanks for the response. I understood you just fine. :D

I'll probably start with the 2k like you mentioned. I have a Mothers Powerball along with a Mothers metal polisher that I've used on the wheels before. I was actually quite disappointed in it. They didn't look any different than when I wash the lips with soap and water. :(

yusoslo

01-16-2011, 12:11 PM

Best product I have ever come across.....White Diamond Polish! go get it!!!
http://www.iowa80.com/DirectionsWEB/client/images/l88300.jpg

Will@BagRiders

01-18-2011, 11:20 AM

good thread, post more wheels!

willix231

01-30-2011, 04:52 PM

very impressive thread.i have a set of wheels i wanna polish too.ill be watching this thread

nutzu

02-01-2011, 03:29 AM

i polished my bbs some a while ago using my car :)) in second gear whit fron wheels up . i used just grid and polishing paste
these are the wheels before and after ( also pictures whit my aez 7,5j and 9j that i polished using the same method ) . all of them had lots of scratches and the paint was exfoliated . after polish they look like new .
aez paron 7,5j +9j
http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/3917/09082010735.th.jpg (http://img689.imageshack.us/i/09082010735.jpg/) http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/5703/05092010907.th.jpg (http://img820.imageshack.us/i/05092010907.jpg/) http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/1756/08092010932l.th.jpg (http://img26.imageshack.us/i/08092010932l.jpg/) http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/273/31082010883.th.jpg (http://img690.imageshack.us/i/31082010883.jpg/) http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/9106/31082010888.th.jpg (http://img220.imageshack.us/i/31082010888.jpg/)

bbs rs 764
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/79/1948814841wq.th.jpg (http://img209.imageshack.us/i/1948814841wq.jpg/) http://img573.imageshack.us/img573/9483/19062010389.th.jpg (http://img573.imageshack.us/i/19062010389.jpg/) http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/9895/19062010432.th.jpg (http://img825.imageshack.us/i/19062010432.jpg/) http://img810.imageshack.us/img810/5374/22062010455.th.jpg (http://img810.imageshack.us/i/22062010455.jpg/)

now i have other rims that i am going to polish :)
aez alustar s exclusive line
http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/9017/091120101015.th.jpg (http://img197.imageshack.us/i/091120101015.jpg/)

sorry . now i see that high res don't work here .

for high resolutin pics click here

bbs rs t64 pics http://img810.imageshack.us/g/22062010455.jpg/

aez paron pics http://img26.imageshack.us/g/08092010932l.jpg/

paris

02-05-2011, 01:46 PM

some good info, i plan on doing this soon, thanks!

lowrider

02-09-2011, 05:47 AM

Just polished my RSs :stickoutt

The front stock lips: :rofl

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/182027_1784430886034_1097356006_32064841_1668225_n .jpg

Played with the faces :eyebrows

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/182683_1784430366021_1097356006_32064840_6992798_n .jpg

My rear 7" lips :rofl

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180751_1784431326045_1097356006_32064842_3911622_n .jpg

yusoslo

02-18-2011, 08:59 PM

dude, who has that many candy bars laying around?

hahaha

C.Johnston

02-23-2011, 09:01 PM

gave this wheel a quick over with some black compound on the bench grinder. Needs more work obviously, but I think it looks pretty good so far.. Thoughts?

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5095/5471744363_3f34b6d936_z.jpg

fastcar

03-07-2011, 11:29 PM

great DIY thanks

JamesB

07-06-2011, 05:22 PM

Before and after...

http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk212/Banshee0691/beforeafter.jpg

Still work to be done!

benton672

07-25-2011, 04:26 AM

Start out with the emery cake on a buff attached to the drill and go to town! with the wheel spinning run the bar on the buff. You will see the compound stick. I always let this stuff dry for a few minutes before i hit it on the wheel.
_________________________________
Heathrow Taxi (http://www.airport-pickups-london.com/)

agnes1988

08-05-2011, 03:58 AM

It is as it was...

Lilblue

08-17-2011, 10:10 AM

checklistt

old bmw 2002 valve cover- check
aircraft remover- check
dremel- check
lazyness.....hmmm

a4edwin

08-29-2011, 08:27 PM

but your stripping the clear coat and you have to be on top polishing frequently right?

evanl58

08-30-2011, 05:33 PM

Im finding that the rouge is very hard and does not seem to transfer onto the buffing wheel. I managed to get some brown on, but the white wont transfer at all.

Fatandre

09-27-2011, 05:42 PM

Hi guys. I bought those wheels and while stripping down the paint I see they have spatula under the paint. Then there is paint again :/
What would be the best and cheapest way to get this off?
Virebrush on a drill?

volvo=win

09-27-2011, 06:28 PM

So, i've been thinking my rear hatch is aluminum aswell as my sunroof, so im going to polish them it'll be alot of work but i want to do it. what do you guys think?

nutzu

10-21-2011, 09:12 AM

my new wheels keskin kt1 16" 9j et25/15 custom covers , metal bolts

before

http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/1465/imag0191py.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/838/imag0191py.jpg/)

after

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6158/6265996507_455d107395.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/63408771@N02/6265996507/)

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6039/6256780337_eb0a26a3dc.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/63408771@N02/6256780337/)

polished to mirror

evilstar

11-25-2011, 05:46 PM

What if i wanted to polish the face of the wheel but paint the inside of the mesh?

Zic

11-25-2011, 06:02 PM

Then you need to prime it, sand the front of the mesh down to metal, paint it then sand it down again.
You will need to sand down to metal between each step or else you will not get a perfect look.
because if you imagine the paint layers, first primer (white / green / what ever) then the color you want the windows in, (orange / blue / etc) if you don't sand down to metal on each paint layer you will see the primer "edge" on the inside of the paint.

I have a hard time typing down what i mean, but hope you get the idea.

evilstar

11-26-2011, 03:37 PM

xGmoneyx

12-15-2011, 08:55 PM

I'll be going on with mother's billet and see how they look...:cool

HWY HNTR

12-16-2011, 08:43 PM

question: I used the aircraft stripper and it looked really shiny, so I skipped to the 1200 grit wet sanding...and it made it dull, and I was like wtf, so I kept at it and nothing. Then I started using 1200 dry sanding and it's making it more shiny now. Like that's where I'm at atm. Do you recommend going back to 500 and starting over from there? Do I wet sand all the grits? When I was wet sanding with the 1200 the sandpaper was deteriorating pretty fast, is it supposed to be like that? Also, I went to Lowes, Home Depot, Northern Tool, and I asked for a jeweler's kit, and they didn't know anything, also they only had up to 600 grit. So I found a store that went up to 1200 grit and they had a kit that had two buffs (that attach to a drill) with a red rouge and a white rouge. Do I still need to get a compound then use the white rouge?(it says on the box that the red is for gold, siver, and bronze only). Then I was planning on going to get the mothers mag polish. Like pretty much I was gonna do what the write up says, but I'm kinda confused about the sanding part that i'm on right now. I'm no expert at this as you prolly know by now. Any help is appreciated as i'm going to start working on them tomorrow morning again.

coolgraymemo

12-16-2011, 08:57 PM

Just finished one of mine.
It was pretty dull after having sanded them from 400-2000 and then steel wool. Started polishing them (with Meguiars) and they got really shinny.

So, I assume you should sand them up to whatever grit you like, and then bust out the polish.

ScottNicolas

12-18-2011, 01:44 PM

Has there been made a vid as mentioned in 1st post?

I've got a few questions for you guys..

1. What buffs do you use? Where can I get them? (ebay or online store)
2. The 3M wax which is recommended.. is it this one? http://dennysautoparts.com/assets/images/autogeek_2146_31989898.jpg
4. Any recommendation of great polishing products in general? To generate a kit

I've got lots of wheels to be polished.. and I've got hold of wheel hubs(cut of wrecked cars) with the bolt patterns I want. I am making a bracket where I bolt the wheel on the hub and it will rotate. Will perhaps add an electic motor with belt/wheel to turn the rim around, would be very helpfull when sanding! I'll post up pictures when I've made it!

a3 german

01-09-2012, 08:18 AM

this could help someone. that's what I've done on my ZW2..

5€ this product:

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/982/pc140429.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/507/pc140429.jpg/)

after 10min...

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/4199/pc140430.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/163/pc140430.jpg/)

and the result:

http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/5614/pc140428.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/846/pc140428.jpg/)

very easy, and do what haave to be done.

.Mad Hatter.

01-09-2012, 08:39 AM

Question for you guys; I have often worked up through grits to 2000 wet, and then gone to a 3 stage polish compound (black, brown, white in that order) before finally finishing with mothers polish. The black compound works really well but the brown and white seem to almost melt into the wheel and the pad. Any thoughts on why this might happen? I have varied my speed but no matter what the result is the same.

C.Johnston

01-09-2012, 09:54 PM

sounds like too much brown/white on the mop(s).. try using a rasp to resurface the mop, reapply desired polish and try again.. if not, just skip it and use some metal polish called Diamond Brite Truck Box Polish you can get at Lowes (Warden/Eglinton store has some)
- Chris

What do you do when you strip your wheels and they are in good shape? Here's some of my strategies to get that deeper shine..
- I stripped my lips from my Volks (circa 1996).. They were in good shape other than the machining marks... I don't care about the machining marks too much as I will DD the wheels through rain, dirt, etc...

Strip lips using Dumond Smart Strip. It has no VOC (no smell), non caustic, and 100% biodegradable... which means you can use it in doors and it hardly smells and you can put it down the drain afterwards.
Just brush it on, easy, it's like yogurt.
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/betsy84/98d5078c.jpg
Once it dries up and starts working it looks like this....
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/betsy84/2f4b3d77.jpg

This is what a stripped one looks like against a non-stripped.
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/betsy84/7b92905d.jpg

Then I hit it with 1000 wet sand to remove some of the machining marks.
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/betsy84/9e583391.jpg

Then 2000 wet...
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/betsy84/0d3fbbe0.jpg

By choosing wet over dry it reduces clumping of alum oxide in your paper.. hot water makes the paper wet up faster.

Then all I did after 2000 was hand polish with Diamond Brite Truck Box Polish.. best polish out there IMO. Hardly takes any time at all with this polish no joke.
Factory Volk finish VS polished
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/betsy84/762752f1.jpg
Volk VS polished
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/betsy84/927a1605.jpg

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/betsy84/48f8f17a.jpg

.Mad Hatter.

01-10-2012, 09:00 AM

Great, thanks for the tip, I will try less compound and see how that goes.

yotatuner

01-10-2012, 05:39 PM

thanks for the tip c.Johnston I have lm's and want to strip them beacouse the clear looks dull but they have no curb rash. so im gonna strip them and then polish them
any good stripers out there other than Dumond Smart Strip

C.Johnston

01-10-2012, 06:58 PM

i don't know, i used the safe strip and never bothered with anything else... ive used poly supa strippa but it sucks, burns your skin and smells like shit lol.. ive heard aircraft stripper is good but ive never used it.. i like the "green" stuff ... you can get it at home depot

Vito

01-23-2012, 10:54 PM

Can you go head and use these steps on an aluminum manifold. im looking for the "Polished" look under the hood and it seems like this would work pretty well...let me know, thanks

cRichardson

01-24-2012, 05:54 AM

Oh my! You almost scared me to death. I've read the topic of this thread and saw 'polishing lips'. I thought that I missed something. But then I realized what you mean. facepalm.

xGmoneyx

01-25-2012, 02:29 PM

How about using mother's billet? is that a good product? I'm assuming using the cone would make the job easier right?

Jesus Christ

01-25-2012, 02:37 PM

How about using mother's billet? is that a good product? I'm assuming using the cone would make the job easier right?

i use that to refresh my wheels.

get which ever the foam one is, not the bullet that has flaps and shit.

it will probably work to apply rouge or a good polish but ive never tried.

xGmoneyx

01-25-2012, 02:44 PM

i use that to refresh my wheels.

get which ever the foam one is, not the bullet that has flaps and shit.

it will probably work to apply rouge or a good polish but ive never tried.

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/3001/photo1he.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/72/photo1he.jpg/)

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/7987/photo2dwc.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/444/photo2dwc.jpg/)

Well this is how my wheels look like after I washed the car, I used the wheel soap and brush, I know that was stupid of me but I was in a rush and wanted to wash my car...

I actually purchased the mother's billtet since everyone told me that would do the job. I still have not yet to polish a wheel, been lazy..lol

Jesus Christ

01-25-2012, 02:48 PM

xGmoneyx

01-25-2012, 02:51 PM

yeah that foam applicator will work on water stains if you use it with a drill.

ALWAYS dry your raw polished wheels off after making sure there is no more soap anywhere near them.

protip: wax or seal the lips so water beads up and doesnt make contact with the raw aluminum.

So the mother's billet would do the job? and u said the cone would be better than doing it by hand right? should I finish off the job with something else or after I'm done I'm good to go?

Jesus Christ

01-25-2012, 02:58 PM

So the mother's billet would do the job? and u said the cone would be better than doing it by hand right? should I finish off the job with something else or after I'm done I'm good to go?

after you hit it with the foam mothers thing, making sure you get in there and go slow. it will still be hazy so you have to rub the shit out of it to get it to shine but they look like new afterwards. use the softest microfiber or terry cloth or you'll mark them up again.

xGmoneyx

01-25-2012, 03:06 PM

after you hit it with the foam mothers thing, making sure you get in there and go slow. it will still be hazy so you have to rub the shit out of it to get it to shine but they look like new afterwards. use the softest microfiber or terry cloth or you'll mark them up again.

Good stuff man, I guess I have to touch them up a couple of times then, and yea I have a bunch of micro-fiber towels. This should be fun, haha.

Jesus Christ

01-25-2012, 03:12 PM

Good stuff man, I guess I have to touch them up a couple of times then, and yea I have a bunch of micro-fiber towels. This should be fun, haha.

yup, i suggest you take the wheel off too.

look in to wheel wax or zoop so you only have to do this process once in a while.

for what its worth, myself and 95% of people i know let it rock until they have to go somewhere cause its annoying to do every week. so IMO the upkeep is easier said than done without the wax or sealer.

i should take my own advice and wax my wheels:rofl

xGmoneyx

01-25-2012, 09:22 PM

yup, i suggest you take the wheel off too.

look in to wheel wax or zoop so you only have to do this process once in a while.

for what its worth, myself and 95% of people i know let it rock until they have to go somewhere cause its annoying to do every week. so IMO the upkeep is easier said than done without the wax or sealer.

i should take my own advice and wax my wheels:rofl

Yeah, wheels are off, it's just getting my lazy ass and start working on them, I will be taking the faces off to make the job easier. Yeah I'll look into it, these wheels are another thing to care for other than the car and everything else in my life, but when they are all nice and clean, it's all worth it....:alright

yotatuner

03-15-2012, 08:14 PM

took my lms off today taking unmounting the tires tomorrow and then taking the faces off and start to strip the lips will try to post pics of the process

Take2

03-16-2012, 11:37 AM

:alright

http://i439.photobucket.com/albums/qq116/nholvey/7b2a80e9.jpg

http://i439.photobucket.com/albums/qq116/nholvey/2e66794d.jpg

My results :cool

yotatuner

03-19-2012, 04:17 PM

How long should i let the dumon smart strip sit before removing it ?

Arth43Will

03-28-2012, 12:59 AM

Gregg Valentinohttp://www.progtours.info/jie8.jpg

yotatuner

04-02-2012, 07:34 PM

finished stripping and polish my LM's
used dumond smart strip,1000 wet, 2000 wet , sure bright tool box polish and a mothers power cone. After i finished polishing them i gave them a coat of canuba wax to protect them from the water .they look way better now

sorry for the crapy cell phone pics
http://i760.photobucket.com/albums/xx242/jdmyotatuner/bbs1.jpg
http://i760.photobucket.com/albums/xx242/jdmyotatuner/bbs2.jpg

Nicolaus Pro

04-02-2012, 08:36 PM

Jaze, you just using caranuba wax for the lips?

yotatuner

04-05-2012, 02:17 AM

Jaze, you just using caranuba wax for the lips?

yeah just to protect them from water stains.water just beads right off.

336motorsports

04-14-2012, 10:17 AM

Great thread...

What are you guys using as far as waxes go, to finish?

Here are a few things Ive done...

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/breytonm20/DSC06198.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/breytonm20/DSC05970.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/breytonm20/Snapbucket/51672DB5-orig.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/breytonm20/Snapbucket/5C04E383-orig.jpg

pro tip: For those looking for a true mirror shine, please do not use micro fiber towels, they scratch the aluminum. Use an old torn up t-shirt.

E30Jim

04-22-2012, 07:16 AM

I did a small movie while polishing one of my RS yesterday. Enjoy !

http://vimeo.com/40784963

gman1227

04-23-2012, 10:15 AM

^^^holy god all of those wheels/lips look flawless great job^^^

electricalbox

04-23-2012, 10:20 AM

I did a small movie while polishing one of my RS yesterday. Enjoy !

http://vimeo.com/40784963

What is the wheel hooked up to, I have been thinking of how to create something like this that will accept multiple hub size/ PCD?

Great video BTW!

NM I just saw the beginning again lol, great idea!

E30Jim

04-24-2012, 07:26 AM

What is the wheel hooked up to, I have been thinking of how to create something like this that will accept multiple hub size/ PCD?

Great video BTW!

NM I just saw the beginning again lol, great idea!

Like you saw, it's a simple E30 strut.

thesull

04-29-2012, 12:33 PM

I have VERY fine micro scratches on some areas of my wheels...
I have been using neverdull because it was left over from a while ago..

I have read and read and read.
There is no need to sand the wheels as I have polished them out greatly...
Now I just have small imperfections.

Once I am done.
Whats a good sealer?

Vict43Nau

05-02-2012, 08:41 AM

will sand right through the tape
__________________
http://www.progtours.info/jie8.jpg

Matl43Owa

05-03-2012, 08:44 AM

lot of work to do.. http://www.progtours.info/jie8.jpg

SAMSHIZZLE

05-09-2012, 04:49 PM

Does anyone know where to find that Diamond Bright Truck Box Polish? I've searched all my local stores and none carry the stuff?

I have some new wheels, just wanna strip the clear off and make those babies glow! Any good alternatives to the Truck Box Polish? Would the Maguires wheels polish kit be sufficient?

eddie7978

07-04-2012, 05:03 PM

what would be the steps to polish a lip like this

NathanHeeney

07-09-2012, 12:21 AM

Great DIY!

Eman.

07-17-2012, 04:01 PM

This is a great thread! but I need help on how I should polish the lips on my rims since I can't take them off, also they go into the rim. I don't have a power drill of any sort so ill probably be doing it buy hand so any help on steps and products is appreciated!!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7133/7592839028_94d891b33d_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/iso-dope/7592839028/)
IMG_2732 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/iso-dope/7592839028/) by Simpson.Photography (http://www.flickr.com/people/iso-dope/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7277/7592832370_6489ae2127_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/iso-dope/7592832370/)
IMG_2733 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/iso-dope/7592832370/) by Simpson.Photography (http://www.flickr.com/people/iso-dope/), on Flickr

asmo

07-17-2012, 06:31 PM

First you'll need them off the car, use aircraft stripper on them be becareful not to get it on the painted parts/centers of the wheel. I use small paintbrushes to get in tight areas, you cant really mask it off becouse the stripper gets under the tape and ruins everything. Always wear gloves! let it sit and then wash it off after 15-20 mins. they should be really shiney after the faded chipped clearcoat is removed.
then if you want more shine, polish them more.
I usually finish with a couple good coats of wax.

Eman.

07-17-2012, 11:27 PM

ashleyg101

07-18-2012, 12:35 AM

evilchargerfan

07-21-2012, 03:28 AM

how often do you guys have to re wax the wheels?

Eman.

07-21-2012, 01:07 PM

So I was able to find most of the basic stuff from this thread the only thing i'm not sure about is the stripper. I went to my local Ace Hardware store and they didn't have air craft stripper but he suggested another ( pictured below ). Will this one work also or should I take it back?

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7255/7616577828_2d5674fcd9_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/iso-dope/7616577828/)
polishing gear (http://www.flickr.com/photos/iso-dope/7616577828/) by Simpson.Photography (http://www.flickr.com/people/iso-dope/), on Flickr

bimmerchop

07-23-2012, 12:30 PM

Question for the Mother's Powerball folk...

For 2/3-piece wheels with step lips and wheel bolts, BBS LM's for example, Powerball Mini or Powercone? I've heard horror stories of the ball shredding apart.

andybob

09-22-2012, 06:41 PM

Lots of good info in here. When I got my wheels back in May 3 of the 4 were in decent shape and the one really needed some work. The 3 decent ones I just hit with some McGuire's Ultimate Compound and then Mothers Mag/Aluminum Polish. They turned out ok but this winter I plan to take them all the way apart and do them the right way. The one wheel turned out really good. I'll let the pics do the talking.

This was the really bad wheel:

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f391/andybob1001/Wheels/5d236d28.jpg

Here is the first wheel I did with just compound and polish. It looks good from far but up close its kinda dull. I'm not sure what is on the lips but they really need to be sanded down to fresh aluminum:

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f391/andybob1001/Wheels/b27cc6f8.jpg

I was able to get all the rust looking stuff off the bad wheel but it left a line like this:

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f391/andybob1001/Wheels/540b238f.jpg

They must have been coated with something from the factory. I'm not quite sure.

After a lot of wetsanding I was able to get rid of that line:

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f391/andybob1001/Wheels/d4483b3b.jpg

The full wheel:

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f391/andybob1001/Wheels/f8daf60a.jpg

Then I did the compound and polish:

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f391/andybob1001/Wheels/9ff929bd.jpg

and the full wheel again:

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f391/andybob1001/Wheels/896a2945.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f391/andybob1001/Wheels/d2ca436e.jpg

I did the wesanding in these step: 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000, and 3000, then the compound and polish.

I think when I do them again this winter I want to do 600, 800, 1000, and then use more aggressive compounds. I read somewhere if you use more aggressive compounds the aluminum doesn't fade like it would if you use higher grit sandpaper. I'm not sure if that's true or not but I want to try it and see.

I then waxed all the lips with Turtle Wax Ice Synthetic Paste. Stuff works really well. I'd recommend it.

dzidziusbmw

09-27-2012, 04:00 PM

http://imageshack.us/a/img841/9986/obraz017ax.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/841/obraz017ax.jpg/)

Masonbarnard

09-28-2012, 01:03 PM

If your wheels are already polished, and you want them a little shinier would a basic polish be fine, or would i have to re-polish the hole wheel.

nathanrw

10-18-2012, 12:01 PM

I refinished these RS' and when I polished the lips I did 320, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500, and 2000. I probably should have finished with a finer grit but it looks pretty good. They weren't in terrible condition to begin with.

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y525/nathanwaddey/IMAG0535_zps64ed2c16.jpg

Lt. Dangle

10-18-2012, 04:58 PM

I've done a few sets recently. Shitty pictures, but whatever.

Sawbladez. So trend.
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/536568_3229434209503_1660797525_n.jpg
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/431134_2923171393124_226609692_n.jpg
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/423727_2962260090317_1943351391_n.jpg
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/578397_3228735352032_1771965092_n.jpg

Porsche 928's
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/223361_1814468356241_5874308_n.jpg
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/221608_1814494956906_1885011_n.jpg
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/224326_1814496636948_3558248_n.jpg

Panasport lips, and repainted the centers.
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/225597_1823280656543_1389218_n.jpg
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/222053_1823281336560_2033083_n.jpg

babybmarsh

11-11-2012, 08:22 PM

OP, do you ever polish the inside of the rims? I ask this because I'm going through the process of polishing the inside of my Iforged Senekas right now and 95% of it is to a mirror finish, but that last 5% is marred with this grime that just won't come off. I can get it too come off with a few scrubs from the gristly side of a sponge, but that leaves the surface unpolished.

So after reading your thread, my question is this, if I use the emery and white rouge compound would that restore the mirror finish to the inside of the rim? Thanks in advance.

hondarida5

11-28-2012, 02:33 PM

Gotta do this to my wheels soon.

extrem344

12-04-2012, 11:31 AM

This guide helped so much! Not done yet, but getting there.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/12/05/8ypybabu.jpg

05subysti

02-09-2013, 10:55 PM

followed this diy, worked well :)http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a213/SilviaSpecRTT/B1B39EDA-3690-421F-B632-E15D37321DEB-6666-000005B86FA1CC0E_zps2d64fcda.jpghttp://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a213/SilviaSpecRTT/E76C6B16-FC31-4A63-ADA5-C94111DE0EA8-6666-000005B7D133238A_zps6ad9f41b.jpghttp://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a213/SilviaSpecRTT/D49D91C3-DB0B-4A7D-8E95-6195353C8FB0-6666-000005B809A6DB1C_zpsa96f3bd5.jpghttp://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a213/SilviaSpecRTT/4D2AC29D-DC6A-49A8-B64F-A8B4F0312553-6666-000005B54530A237_zps418ba4b9.jpg

mk4_austin

02-23-2013, 06:22 PM

whats the top wax to use after using mothers mag polish?

TeeTime4One

02-24-2013, 10:33 AM

I wanted to give a little background on my wheels and the adventure I have gone through since buying them back in June of this year. I had looked for a set of style 5's for over a year when these popped up on the Denver craigslist for $450.00. I knew what potential these wheels had if I could get my hands on them...but, had no idea of the labor that would go into them in order to achieve said potential. I was offered guidelines/instructions on polishing my wheels from a friend in California who had polished a set of his own. I followed his advice to the letter and found that he was spot-on in every aspect. I was also told, "welcome to Hell!" lol That was an understatement.
I have completely polished 3 of the 4 wheels as I type this. The 4th wheel is being finished today. I have grits 1000-3000 left. I have done these all by hand without the use of any power tools. The results are stunning! Here are step-by-step pics of the process. Enjoy

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/nineironninja/1.jpg

120 grit
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/nineironninja/120.jpg
220
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/nineironninja/220.jpg
400
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/nineironninja/400.jpg
600
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/nineironninja/600.jpg
800
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/nineironninja/800.jpg
1000
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/nineironninja/1000.jpg
1200
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/nineironninja/1200.jpg
1500
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/nineironninja/1500.jpg
2000
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/nineironninja/2000.jpg
2500
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/nineironninja/2500.jpg
3000
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/nineironninja/3000.jpg
Before and after
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/nineironninja/527466_10151092611681659_1147865354_n-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/nineironninja/cindyscamera075.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/nineironninja/293740_10151094193841659_570494481_n.jpg

05subysti

02-26-2013, 11:32 AM

nice, i know the pain of polishing lol although yours came out way better :)

brandonford

03-29-2013, 07:40 PM

Found this video. Thought I would share

http://youtu.be/Cw9bBQwAgOI

Twannnd

04-26-2013, 04:28 AM

Polished my RC's aswell, happy with the result:
http://i37.tinypic.com/20kvvw9.jpg

harlerocco

04-27-2013, 10:56 PM

I've done plenty of hand polishing in the past but decided to go a different route this time.

Started with a 15x1" RS lip. Sanded it with 180 to get all the clear off. Then took it up to 320 grit dry.

Then took a 1.25hp bench polisher and some nice compound and went to town.

This pretty much polished it, but then I took a softer wheel with the fine white compound and went at it one last time.

Of course hit it with mothers afterwards.

Here's what it came out like, and it took a fraction of the time that hand polishing does.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/upoo2/photo5_zps29ba938b.jpg (http://s6.photobucket.com/user/upoo2/media/photo5_zps29ba938b.jpg.html)

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/upoo2/photo3_zps247004f6.jpg (http://s6.photobucket.com/user/upoo2/media/photo3_zps247004f6.jpg.html)

michal_s87

05-03-2013, 03:36 PM

http://i1049.photobucket.com/albums/s389/michal_s87/mody/20120215027.jpg
http://i1049.photobucket.com/albums/s389/michal_s87/mody/20120215028.jpg
http://i1049.photobucket.com/albums/s389/michal_s87/mody/20120215033.jpg
http://i1049.photobucket.com/albums/s389/michal_s87/mody/DSCN0157.jpg
http://i1049.photobucket.com/albums/s389/michal_s87/mody/DSCN0174.jpg
http://i1049.photobucket.com/albums/s389/michal_s87/mody/DSCN0177.jpg

finally;)
http://i1049.photobucket.com/albums/s389/michal_s87/DSC_0013az.jpg

DannyE32

05-06-2013, 10:55 AM

guys i have a question: What type of disk do I need in the drill to apply the compound? My wheels are new so I know i need to remove the paint and wetsand them. Maybe start from 600 as they are new.

Do I really need the compuond? or maybe the mothers mag/alu polish is enough with some foam disk in the drill? (im gonna polish the lips and center mesh)

please help with advise

melkizedeck

05-20-2013, 01:47 PM

Just finish my BBS RC092/093 style 5 restoration projet. 60 80 100 150 220 320 400 600 800 1000 1500 2000 + metal polish compounded

http://s20.postimg.org/kze6hf3l5/image.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/kze6hf3l5/)

http://s20.postimg.org/j8v5fxm21/image.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/j8v5fxm21/)

http://s20.postimg.org/piltp6w2x/image.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/piltp6w2x/)

http://s20.postimg.org/z4jzj8cmh/image.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/z4jzj8cmh/)

http://s20.postimg.org/qq9es9hwp/image.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/qq9es9hwp/)

http://s20.postimg.org/r5fmo5xih/image.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/r5fmo5xih/)

http://s20.postimg.org/d6skmk3xl/image.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/d6skmk3xl/)

http://s20.postimg.org/fy6sg1w4p/image.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/fy6sg1w4p/)

http://s20.postimg.org/pchrwyind/image.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/pchrwyind/)

http://s20.postimg.org/b4n1b6zmx/image.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/b4n1b6zmx/)

http://s20.postimg.org/4fghv6eax/image.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/4fghv6eax/)

http://s20.postimg.org/qty6beh2h/image.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/qty6beh2h/)

http://s20.postimg.org/5zlttkmp5/image.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/5zlttkmp5/)

http://s20.postimg.org/js08p7dgp/image.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/js08p7dgp/)

http://s20.postimg.org/5crz15w4p/image.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/5crz15w4p/)

http://s20.postimg.org/neb3yyq5l/image.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/neb3yyq5l/)

http://s20.postimg.org/cijq3m57t/image.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/cijq3m57t/)

http://s20.postimg.org/h89ns7w89/image.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/h89ns7w89/)

http://s20.postimg.org/wv0x5la09/image.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/wv0x5la09/)

http://s20.postimg.org/l8gt4gmp5/image.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/l8gt4gmp5/)

http://s20.postimg.org/ts4sfykfd/image.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/ts4sfykfd/)

http://s20.postimg.org/ljy9h8355/image.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/ljy9h8355/)