I have a comment about treating aluminum differently than stainless when
buffing. I took a badly dented and twisted piece of aluminum hood trim on my
'66 Coronet and ran it through the normal process. I hammered out the dents with
a small body hammer and anvil, used a fine file on the high spots, sanded the
entire piece with 1000 grit sandpaper with a sanding block (this removed the
anodized finish), followed with 2000 grit and then polished using all three
buffing wheels from Eastwood with their corresponding compound. The result was
a look of a NOS piece less the anodize finish. I don't see the big deal with the
finish as the piece looks absolutely correct as it is, and has been on the car
for almost a year without any discoloration or pitting. There are other pieces I
treated the same way on the car that had the same results.
I like to see how far I can take a repair myself before recruting someone elses
services. Many times I find that my repair was as acceptable as I hoped I would
see from someone who is supposed to be the expert. I am always being kidded by
my family and friends at the name of my home garage......Dave's "Better Than It
Was Garage". Not everything comes out perfect, but it always comes out "better
than it was".
Dave Todd
50 yards from Woodward Ave. (Bloomfield Hills, MI)
30,000 Classics being driven and displayed on 16 1/2 miles of Woodward Ave. 1.5
Million spectators expected.
Home of the Woodward Dream Cruise-Saturday Aug.18th.
LARSPAINTR@AOL.COM wrote:
> I have not been following the thread on buffing and chroming and stainless
> and magnets and whatever tho I have more or less sight read them.
> Howsomever-
> IMHO the side trim on ones 40 year old set of wheels is stainless steel.
> Likewise IMHO it MIGHT (thats caps and a big questionmark) be aluminum? As
> we know more recent cars used bright aluminum trim in addition to
> electroplated plastics. Note I did not say 'side trim'...
> Now-
> My 56 Plymouth wagon has stainless that will RUST!!! Yep thats rust. Due to
> poor quality stainless, not due to anything else. Hence I will apply wax or
> sealer to it in fall.
> Flash Chromed trim?
> I doubt it. Flash chroming was done to inexpensive toys and other items. It
> lacked the three step process that automotive chroming has. It is basically
> a thin coat of chrome over the unprepared base metal, thats it. Will readily
> rust if you dont put your toys away! It is possible but most likely not
> probable that some interior trim that gets little abuse, like trim around
> instruments, were flash chromed, but I doubt it.
> Summary.
> Better not try stainless buffing techniques to any aluminum trim!!!!!!
> Rotsa Ruck
>
> LARS
>
> In scenic West Michigan USA
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