Polishing aluminum side trim

[MVRCorp]

Since my 69 is in storage waiting on funds I'm looking at my 67 and thinking what I can do this winter that won't cost much money. My trim is in pretty good shape but has some scratches and is dull. Anyone done this before........what polishing compounds and equipment do I need?

[flyboy01]

All aluminum trim on mopars is clear anodized. This is what makes it look dull, you need to strip it off before you can polish it. You can buy anodizing stripped from someplace like, Eastwood.com, or you can use oven cleaner, it has the same chemical the will strip it. Spray it on, wipe it off 10 min later, then you can use a polishing wheel and some compond.

[flyboy01]

http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?itemID=18807&itemType=PRODUCT

[sunsetdart]

Be prepared to get dirty and have little fluffy things flying all over your garage. Polishing is not hard, but does take time and you better know what compounds to start with and what to end with. You can get advice from Eastwoodco.com

[flyboy01]

Also, a good thing to do is to buy an aluminum polishing kit, so everything is included.

[ValiantOne]

Another tip. Buffing wheels just love to rip things out of your hand and fling them across the shop at light speed. It is a great way to destroy whatever you are working on.

To help avoid this you can tape the piece of trim you are working on, to a length of 1X4 pine board (or similar piece of wood) and have much better control of your work.

C

[Mopartist]

Another tip. Buffing wheels just love to rip things out of your hand and fling them across the shop at light speed. It is a great way to destroy whatever you are working on.

To help avoid this you can tape the piece of trim you are working on, to a length of 1X4 pine board (or similar piece of wood) and have much better control of your work.

C

I like this tip! I cut the heck outta my hand last summer holding on to a candy cane trim piece for my early A" while using my drill motor and a buffing wheel. I haven't picked it back up since!

[67 dartgts]

After I strip the anodize. If your piece has shiney spots on it strip it again I wet sand the piece just like you do any piece of metal you want smooth.  I use a 220 to knock dowm high spots quick.  Then switch to 440.. till the piece has even sanding all over. then go to a 600 wet ssnd till smooth. Keep going up 200 each steep till you finish up with 1200.  The piece will now look very smooth and almost shiney. Now using a good aluminum polish  (simichrome mothers or equal quality.)  Simply polish the piece by hand if you do it right 5 min by hand will be enough.  Another tip cut some thin pieces of wood (door shims work great)to use as a block when sandiing.  If you don't use a block you will get ditches from your fingers and roll sharp crease liines.
The  only way to get a scratch out is to sand the piece around the scratch to the deepest level of the scratch.
This method may take longer but it will keep you from burning the material and keep it straight not wavey frrom the buffing.
Take it from me if you burn the alumimun you will have to start over from scratch and probaly  not get an even polish later.
A buffer is not really necessary and if you aren't careful you will ruin the piece quickly using one.

     Maynard

[MVRCorp]

Thanks guys
Good info   

[375InStroke]

Won't the part turn dull again unless it's anodized again?  At a place I worked at, we had a guy come in and anodize parts on aircraft for us.  The aluminum wasn't polished, but it didn't change color when he was done.  How can we do this, or have it done?

[thebankerstoy]

Won't the part turn dull again unless it's anodized again?  At a place I worked at, we had a guy come in and anodize parts on aircraft for us.  The aluminum wasn't polished, but it didn't change color when he was done.  How can we do this, or have it done?

  I was wondering the very same thing. Any tips on this problem Maynard?

Richard

[67 dartgts]

   

    Actually you should get it reanodized to keep it nice amd shiney without any upkeep needed. If  you don't reanodize it will need an occassional
touch up with a polish.  I don't have some of mine anodized and I have very little problem with it.  When I show the car its just a quick swipe down both sides with Mothers and buffed with soft white towel, and it's ready to go15 min max. 
     
             Anodized
             1. don't need to use any polish on it.
             2. maintaines the finish you stopped with.   (the trim was not shiney chrome like from the factory)
             3. if badley scratched after anodiized there is no fixing without starting over
 
              not anodized
              1.  must occassionaly repolish lightlyl
              2. finish is to shiney for points type competion ( tip buff with 0000 steel wool gets finish very close to factory)
              3.  Scratches can be re sanded and polished out.

    There is your options.
 
     Maynard

[thebankerstoy]

Hi Maynard,

THANK YOU for all of the great information! 

The front grille on my 66 Coronet 500 is an anodized aluminum material, so I was wondering what the process was to restore those types of parts. I have found that its a total waste of time to try and polish these types of parts, because all it does is turn your polish cloth black and leave a nasty dull finish on your parts.  I've been looking for a company to send a pretty nice and complete grille that I bought on ebay a couple of years ago (before the prices for them went sky high) to for restoration someday, but these grilles are now VERY EXPENSIVE, so I'm REALLY worried about shipping it off anywhere you know? It sure would have been nice if Chrysler would have made these grilles out of chromed pot metal instead of this VERY easy to damage anodized aluminum!  You can damage that SOFT aluminum by just LOOKING at it! 

Richard

[67 dartgts]

Hello:  Richard
As you may or may not know my GTS was in an accident some time back, lady ran a red light and destroyed my front end.  After finding a decent grille I had it and the head light bezels restored.  This is not a cheap chop shop these people are expert at their craft.  Work on the grille involved disassembly, repair, straightening, strip anodize polish, re anodize, paint, reassemble, cost about $1,700.  Headlight bezels were treated the same however they were pretty good to start with.  Total cost was over $ 2,200.  You will find less expensive shops no doubt, but if you want perfection this is it.

Maynard


The Finishing Touch, Inc.
5580 Northwest Hwy.
Chicago, IL 60630
USA
(800) 403-4545

[thebankerstoy]

Thank you again VERY much Maynard for all of your help. When it comes time to do my grille, I will call the shop you recommended and see what it would take to do my grille. 

THANK YOU also Jim for letting me talk to Maynard on your thread! 

Richard

[67 dartgts]

Richard  your welcome


Jim  Thank You 


    Maynard

[MVRCorp]

No problem. Im just sitting back sucking up useful information. 

[Joe-Dokes]

I worked in an anodizing shop for 5 years and can tell you that you should probably not strip and polish the material yourself.

Here is a bit more information that you may find helpful.

1) Yes, you need to strip the anodic coating off the metal prior to polishing, easy off oven cleaner works, basically any strongly caustic solution will strip the coating.  In a shop they use a mixture of sodium hydroxide and water heated to about 140 degrees F.  Thus, oven cleaner, or Draino will work well.  You don't need to heat it, all that does is speed up the reaction.

2) Once you polish it you can do one of three things
    1) keep it polished
    2) put a clear enamel on it, this will eventually yellow and or peel, but it will look good for several years if waxed and kept out of extreme weather.
    3) re-anodize the part

3)  If you choose to re anodize your parts here is a bit of info that might help.  Most small shops have a minimum thus it is better to go ahead and re anodize everything at once rather than piece meal.  Most or many shops do in-house polishing and since they can strip your parts in literally about two minutes and polish them quickly as well it might be cheaper / faster / easier to have them do the entire process.  If you are going for a 99 pt. restoration search for a company that specializes in automotive trim.  They can even block sand the parts and take small dents.  Further, anodizing has several steps that greatly affect the quality of the finished product.

The part is degreased-- this will remove any polishing compound
The part is then placed in a soap tank where it is further cleaned
The part is then etched in a tank of sodium hydroxide for 15 seconds to 8 minutes depending upon the finish required.  Longer give a matte finish.  Shorter=Shiny
The part can then be "BRIGHT DIPPED"  The bright dip process is a form of chemical polishing.  If you've seen those Mag Lites flash lights in red anodize that are really shiny.  That's bright dip.
      Depending upon what part of the country you're in will depend upon how common "Bright Dip" is.  If you live in So Cal where the AQMD (Think EPA) is very strong, finding a shop that can legally do Bright Dip is pretty hard because the pollution control devices are really expensive.  In the midwest where air pollution isn't as bad, they don't require the fume scrubbers and thus "Bright Dip" is more common.  If you are going for the 99 pt car find a shop that will do bright dip, it really makes the part look nice, but since its hard to find, it is probably going to be more expensive.  Most factory anodized trim was originally bright dipped.  If you can afford it, really does make a difference.  The guy who did the car in the pictures above probably bright dipped it, that is why there is such a beautiful contrast between the black pain and the silver anodize.  That grill looks very nice.  His is really an example of you get what you pay for.

The part is then anodized.  There are a couple of forms of anodizing but most automotive trim gets a decorative coating in about 20 minutes and the coating is between 1-3/10,000 of an inch thick. The part is place in a bath of sulfuric acid and a direct current of 12 amps per square foot is applied to it,  36 amps per square foot for hard coat 1/1000 to 2/1000. This coating is really thin, but extremely tough, that's why it has to be stripped prior to polishing.  The part as it comes out of the anodize tank is shiny silver to dull gray depending upon the amperage and time in the tank. Clear anodize is silver in color.

The part can then be colored.  A note about coloring.  With the exception of Clear and Gold Anodize, ALL other colors fade over time.  How fast and they fade depends on the quality of the seal and the amount of direct sunlight.  A very pretty blue anodized part will slowly fade no matter what you do to it, unless you keep it in the dark.  That's why the under hood parts tend to stay a little nicer a little longer.  The anodized coating is actually still very sound, the problem is the organic dyes used tend to fade.  Interestingly, the reason gold doesn't fade is because it is inorganic, most iron oxide (rust).  Thus, if you ever go to buy a shower door and have a choice between a number of colors choose clear (silver) or gold.  They will look pretty damn good for twenty years, provided you don't use any acidic or caustic cleaners on them. 

The part is then sealed sealing takes place in a tank with hot water heated to about 200 degrees F.

You should care for the part with a light coating of pure carnauba wax.  Do not use any wax with cleaners as the cleaner has an abrasive that will slowly wear away at the coating.  You can also make anodize look really good with a light spray or wipe down with wd40 it will make it look like a million bucks.

Regards

Joe dokes

[Dartsport]

Thats some Very Good info!!

[67 dartgts]

Joe
  Good info nice to have someone who has worked in a shop to keep us on the right track.  It's not as easy as it sems to do a good job yourself.
You really do get what you pay for.   If you are doimg a daily driver or race car thats one thing ..but if your going for the best in show let an expert do it.
  Thanks for the nice comment on my car.  Before the wreck it was a 98.5 car, we were determined to get it back better.  At it's first return show it took first in orginal stock all makes 1960 to 1970.  Then at the same show it took best in show orginial stock all makes all years.
   Man it's sweet to put the Mustangs and Vette's on the trailer empty handed.

      Maynard

[MVRCorp]

Excellent info. Someone needs to put this info on tech pages. 

[thebankerstoy]

Excellent info. Someone needs to put this info on tech pages. 

    for the EXCELLENT information Joe. Man I LOVE this web site! 

Richard

[Joe-Dokes]

I'd like to write a more in depth article, I should have some time over xmas.  Who would I send it to get it posted?

regards

Joe Dokes

[thebankerstoy]

Hi Joe,

You could PM Bill and let him know what you would like to do and see if he could either make your post here on this forum a "sticky" post, or maybe even better, he could post it in the "tech" section so it would be available forever.

I know that I would be VERY interested in seeing your article and would love to have you e-mail it to me if it doesn't get posted on B.B.D. as a permanate post.

Richard
thebankerstoy@cox.net