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Tips to help you Polish Metal.

When polishing any metals there are always things to be taken into consideration whether the metal is aluminium, stainless steel, brass, silver or gold.
Things that make life easier, healthier, safer, quicker or basically deliver better results.

  • Carry out as much work as possible on your metal object before you start to polish it.
  • Set aside a clean and tidy are to carry out your metal polishing
  • Try hard to maintain your work area tidily to avoid accidents / mishaps / generally messing up your polishing.
  • Avoid smoking or any other naked flame in a fume or dust laden atmosphere. Dust explosions are often fatal.
  • Clean up your metal piece between stages with alcohol to remove dirt and residue from compounds.
  • Use cloths that have no labels and preferably no sewn edges.
  • When you are polishing large pieces, do small areas at a time, it's faster and more consistent.
  • When you do a final polish, clean up and then buff it out.
  • Waxes over chrome is not a good idea because it produces a hazy appearance.
  • Buff lines can be removed with flour or sodium bicarbonate.
  • Remove surplus waxes and polishes from seams, pit marks or awkward to get at places with flour.
  • Mist your final buffing with a light misting of water and buff it again. This seals both metals and waxes and helps reduce water stains from rain and condensation
  • Always use top quality soft cloths for your final buffing.
  • Use light pressure, especially on polishing strokes when power buffing. It reduces scratches.
  • Don't use anhydrous solvents, ammonia or acids, or polishes that contain them on aluminium, Brass, Copper or bronze. They eat Zinc and attack most alloys. Brass is Zinc and copper, it is normally present in aluminium, it is used to make many steels and alloys less corrosive.
  • Always try to make finishing strokes with machines or by hand in the direction of the grain if the metal is rolled.
  • If you use electrical tools make sure there is a RCD (Residual Current Device) in the line.
  • If you use air tools drain your tanks regularly.
  • Patience is a virtue when it comes to polishing metal. It will show.
  • Always wear safety glasses when working with power tools.
  • Always use liquid polishes, pastes, paint strippers, solvents, etc. in well ventilated areas.
  • Never remove oil, grease, buffing compound from the skin with solvents, mineral spirits, gasoline, kerosene, alcohol or similar chemicals.
  • Avoid particulate absorption of metals - they are readily taken in through the skin and lungs.
  • The easiest way to reduce contamination is to polish in the open air and in areas where the is a cross-flow of air

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