Polishing ALCOA Aluminun Rims
Polishing my ALCOA rims has always been a hard task. Over 17 years I've gone from a couple times a year to...missed a year or two. The shoulders are not what they used to be and the less often you do ...
Forum Discussion
FIRE UP wrote:
The O2 attacks the clean surface very quickly dulling it out.
Not hardly. I've been polishing aluminum for decades and, it's not as volatile as one thinks. The finer one makes the surface, as in the shinier, the longer they last between touch-up jobs. Aluminum, as in the surface of those wheels, is a bit soft. Not soft enough to loose shape, but soft enough for any of us to remove metal so they can be polished. And that means it succumbs to air issues. Metal rusts. Aluminum corrodes, same thing only different.
But, a finely polished wheel, even it it's subjected to outside air, will last months without protection. That is of course if it's not subjected to salt air. That screws up ANYTHING on this planet. But, a finely polished wheel, will need a touch up, about once every 8-12 months, depending on the conditions it's subjected to.
Scott
Scott: My take on this is that after 17 years, the OP is tired of polishing the rims every so often. You are correct in that the finer the polish job the longer it takes to dull out but it eventually does. Every time you polish the rim you lose detail and material.
Just a friendly suggestion: Get out of the shop and into the chemistry class room/lab for a few years.
Chum lee
