I have another project that going on with a bunch of aluminum parts I want to polish. I am looking to not spend more than $300. Anyone have any suggestions? Or any buffers to stay away from? The other option is to just send them out and pay for someone to do it......
Any thoughts?
Thanks

If I was going to polish anything I would look up "Strip Poker" on these boards. That guy makes chit look like chrome.

if its part that you can handle by hand, Eastwood makes a buffer thats a copy of a baldor motor, you can buy the kit,but you realy only need a few wheels and 2 compounds,hollar if ya need help


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Baldor, from Craigslist.

Thanks for the reply Rob!
I actually want to polish up a disassembled Berkeley jet pump along with some valve covers.. Any thoughts with that said?

I cant give you input since my buffer is old and been around the block. But! Buy a good set of gloves! I think I have had more mis-haps with my buffer than any other piece of equipment i've screwed with. Especially if its thin metal, if the buffer gets a-hold of it it will mess you up.

(close to 20 years ago but...) I was doing a piece of trim for a 63 Impala and a little tang caught the wheel and it spooled up that piece of trim like a ball of thread around the wheel... LOL - Will never forget it.

What product do you prefer/use to get results like whats in the picture?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]533998[/ATTACH]On a jet drive prob be hard to get around certain parts,is the paint already off? it will have to be sanded smooth, up to 220 will work 320 makes it easier and anything smoother helps,but get real time consuming, I rigged up a6 and 8in buffing wheel and put it on a electric grinder, used the white rouge,i did my out drive foots,
Like when i did my tool box i taped the bar of rouge to it and hit it every so often,,

the bench buff motors u really can use just about anything, need to trurn atleast 3600 and atlest 1/3 hp,20 plus years ago washing machine had a dual shaft eletric motor in it,its over 30 years old, grainger has adaptors ,

I caught eastwood sale 2 years ago 3/4hp and 3/4 dia shaft and run 10in wheels on it,mainly use sisal wheel and white rough and the green.

Like above the wheel will catch stuff rip it out of your hands,i had stuff stuck in sheet rock wall, also the dust is like a tar,it makes a mess,my little shop ive got all my grinding buff dirty making suff in that one area,it will even stop of a window ac unit,

Ive also use the wool paint buffing wheel and use car paint polishing compounds, or what ever is the cheapest, actually works pretty good, also its going to sling black spent compound 10ft out,

lowes,harbor freight etc has the buffing wheel and rouge

some electric motor ya find like on fans etc will not turn fast enough

a scotch brite wheel helps prep the metal before polishing

just remember 80grit or coarser is going to be hard to get all the sand scratch's out just depends how good ya want

i asume the pump is cast, so it might have diff stuf casted in it with the aluminum, like cast valve covers will have a cloudy look to them, i can never get the perfect chrome looking like billet stuff

sign up eastwood they will send ya a 10 off ,somethimes they have close outs,, m east wood motor has alot of hours on it and was about 1'2 the baldor,

hope this helps, ican getmore picks if ya want?
ro


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which evey way you choose make sure you use some 3m dust mask's and some good eye protection..the fuzzy's from the buffing wheel comes off and up your nose .. also i go over the polished area with mothers and some old t shirts..

If you have some rough alunimum i would sand it smooth with a da and 100 grit then go to 1500..i got my buffer like strip off craigslist for 35 bucks..

here is a deal close to you.. http://cleveland.craigslist.org/tls/4776477517.html