Polishing the AC condensor
Originally Posted by Flawless02SS
I wet sanded mine to cut down on polishing time. Start with 600 grit, then 1000, then 1500, and finally 2000. It will look like a mirror before you even put an oz. of polish on it!!
i will take some pics tomorrow and post them, i am almost as good as polishing as FIREHAWK#608, I've been polishing aluminum for about 5 yrs by hand....and for the past 2yrs i've been using the sanding technique....i've polished everything from superchargers, to intercoolers, calipers, intake manifolds, abs boxes, thermostat hosuings,catch cans,waterpumps, alternators, master cylinders, valve covers, oh and most most important thing that i started off on....wheels!
take my advice mothers will never let you down!
i've made alot of money polishing stuff for people...and i always used mothers, up until a few months ago i started making my own polish...the key ingredient to polishing aluminum is elbow grease its like when chicks was their hair, u know lather, rinse, repeat and all that good stuff...well its the same with aluminum the more u polish it the more it shines...if u need and pointer feel free to pm me anytime...i'll post pics of all my polished stuff whenever i get a chance
take my advice mothers will never let you down!
i've made alot of money polishing stuff for people...and i always used mothers, up until a few months ago i started making my own polish...the key ingredient to polishing aluminum is elbow grease its like when chicks was their hair, u know lather, rinse, repeat and all that good stuff...well its the same with aluminum the more u polish it the more it shines...if u need and pointer feel free to pm me anytime...i'll post pics of all my polished stuff whenever i get a chance
Last edited by steveo346; Nov 16, 2005 at 01:59 AM.
Aight so I'm interested now. About how long do you guys wet sand with each grit before moving to the polish? Do you guys wetsand with each for about 5 minutes, 10 minutes, half hour? 
Last edited by meissenation; Nov 16, 2005 at 12:58 PM.
Take the grits up as high as you can before polishing, minimum of 2000 grit. I've used Mother's Billet Polish pretty successfully but there really is no substitute for the real polishing greases. Start with black which gets rid of the sanding marks then move to white which is the one that will bring out the shine.
Originally Posted by meissenation
Aight so I'm interested now. About how long do you guys wet sand with each grit before moving to the polish? Do you guys wetsand with each for about 5 minutes, 10 minutes, half hour?
If you don't have a LOT of time and PATIENCE, you might as well forget it.
Originally Posted by steveo346
i love polishing aluminum!!!
I love looking at the finished work, and working on a part in the final stages, but all the prep work... nope.
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Verdad Gallardo well I've been sanding my ac condensor for about a half hour, and all I've gotten is the brushed aluminum look (you can't see any sandpaper scratches tho). I tried applying normal paint polish and it made it somewhat shiny. You guys think I'm at the point where the metal polish will really make it shine? I just don't know what I'm doing so I wanna make sure I'm on the right track.
Originally Posted by meissenation
well I've been sanding my ac condensor for about a half hour, and all I've gotten is the brushed aluminum look (you can't see any sandpaper scratches tho). I tried applying normal paint polish and it made it somewhat shiny. You guys think I'm at the point where the metal polish will really make it shine? I just don't know what I'm doing so I wanna make sure I'm on the right track.
Staging Lane
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
From: Virgin Beach, VA.
DAMN! This thread is excellent! I have been 'learning' the polishing art for the past 5 months + on and off! I started with my valve covers....bad place to start.. 
Rough cast aluminum...had to get 80 grit to even begin to smooth it (at least thats what I did...!) Next was the water pump...another bumpy casting....I just wire brushed the hell out of it with my drill and many little dremel brushes. Then the TB and MAF. The TB is giving me problems with all the nooks and crannies..... Sometimes something seems to work but then not the next time!? The bolts to the TB...waterpump and intake manifold...and now the AC lines and all....
And I thought I was one of the few doing this
My only worry is the longevity of all my HARD labor?? I figured I would have a fair weather car after all this as I do not want to become a slave to the engine on my weekends! Any info here would be nice....
I even covered all my wiring harness with non-split carbon fiber tubing....Took most al the connectors apart so the tubing could slip over the exhisting plastic wireloom....looks pretty sharp, kinda like carbon braid.. but what a pain to install.
Rough cast aluminum...had to get 80 grit to even begin to smooth it (at least thats what I did...!) Next was the water pump...another bumpy casting....I just wire brushed the hell out of it with my drill and many little dremel brushes. Then the TB and MAF. The TB is giving me problems with all the nooks and crannies..... Sometimes something seems to work but then not the next time!? The bolts to the TB...waterpump and intake manifold...and now the AC lines and all....And I thought I was one of the few doing this
My only worry is the longevity of all my HARD labor?? I figured I would have a fair weather car after all this as I do not want to become a slave to the engine on my weekends! Any info here would be nice....
I even covered all my wiring harness with non-split carbon fiber tubing....Took most al the connectors apart so the tubing could slip over the exhisting plastic wireloom....looks pretty sharp, kinda like carbon braid.. but what a pain to install.
Launching!
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 295
Likes: 0
From: Las Vegas, NV
Originally Posted by LS1pilot
I even covered all my wiring harness with non-split carbon fiber tubing....Took most al the connectors apart so the tubing could slip over the exhisting plastic wireloom....looks pretty sharp, kinda like carbon braid.. but what a pain to install.
where did you get this tubing material at...sounds pretty cool. TIA-Freddie
Staging Lane
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
From: Virgin Beach, VA.
At Pep boys.....In the sudo rice section (sorry guys...!!) I do not normally 'shop' rice, but this is wireloom...with a carbon fibre look. I wanted something different than the black split tube and I do not like the other color split tube out there.
I just worked slow, cut to length and, after removinh and documenting connector pinouts as I went, slipped the sleeve right over the black split tube to maintain shape. I used a cigarette lighter to melt the cut ends so the loom would not fray before I slipped it on. Then I used vulcanizing black tape to set the ends near the re-attached weather pak connectors. I found some black split loom that was the same braid like the carbon fibre on line but liked the carbon look better. It is sold under the G-sport name and is called G sleeve. I tried using the shrink tubing provided for the ends but it was too hard to manage.
I would not do this again as it is VERY hard and time consuming removing the connectors, documenting their positions, and re-installing all the pins!!
I just worked slow, cut to length and, after removinh and documenting connector pinouts as I went, slipped the sleeve right over the black split tube to maintain shape. I used a cigarette lighter to melt the cut ends so the loom would not fray before I slipped it on. Then I used vulcanizing black tape to set the ends near the re-attached weather pak connectors. I found some black split loom that was the same braid like the carbon fibre on line but liked the carbon look better. It is sold under the G-sport name and is called G sleeve. I tried using the shrink tubing provided for the ends but it was too hard to manage.
I would not do this again as it is VERY hard and time consuming removing the connectors, documenting their positions, and re-installing all the pins!!
Staging Lane
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
From: Virgin Beach, VA.
Originally Posted by meissenation
Sounds really interesting, do you have any pics of this, LS1pilot?
Originally Posted by vtec this
I used 00 steel wool and mothers aluminum polish and it shines very nice.
I've done mine but I still have a bit of the junk that's like embedded in the aluminum. I have a lot of sanding ahead of me, so I know I'm not finished or anything. I only did 800 and 1000, and then used some polish that I had on hand. It didn't turn out too bad I think for the first time doing it, and I know I got more work to do, but here's a quick before and after...
Winter's setting in, so it's dang cold out here in MI, but now I got something to keep me busy this winter.
Winter's setting in, so it's dang cold out here in MI, but now I got something to keep me busy this winter.