How to Polish Aluminum Rims by DC SuperShine

[matts4290]

Do you recommend using an acid wash first to clean the wheel? If so, what type of acid? I'm polishing rims that are loose and dismounted.

[DCSuperShine]

@matts4290 I don't use acid... but a good product that i've tried before is "Zep A-lume"

hope this helps

[ahillbilly76]

i was wondering. how many times can you cut the chrome this way?

[DCSuperShine]

@ahillbilly76 Lot`s I have customers for over 10 years, that I do their trucks twice a year!

unlesss you`re sanding out huge pits or scratches you`re good to go! Thanks for watching

[bigrob18772]

Dennis would it be a good idea to use this same process on the tanks and the grill

[DCSuperShine]

@bigrob18772 yes you can use the sos instead of sand paper to a certain extent, if the aluminum if only dirty/oxidized it will work fairly well. but if it's pitted from road grim and dirt sanding is a must to remove the imperfections. hope this helps and good luck!

thanks for watching

[jkyu55]

great job, good vid. Can you tell me about the pad you used? I have the exact grinder, been doing it by hand and a palm sander. My email address is rchapa1992 at yahoo.. thanks for your time and keep up the great work!

[DCSuperShine]

@jkyu55 sent you a PM... thanks for watching!

[Mcr444]

Hey, good job! Typically how long would this last on a vehicle that's being daily driven?

[DCSuperShine]

@Mcr444 depends on where you're from... if you're from the south with no winters much longer... lol up here in Ontario Canada it will last 3-4 months with no maintenance... if you're a guy that takes care of your truck and washes it weekly and rubs it every so often it can last 2 years. I've had customers enter truck shows well over after a year of us polishing it, still looking like the day we polished it! but he took care of it every single weekend.

[1995RangeRover]

YOUR WORK HAS PAID OFF!!!

[jhavard2003]

I broke a sweat just watchin,,,,,,,Good Job man...

[DCSuperShine]

@jhavard2003 lol thanks man!

[jhavard2003]

@jhavard2003 Hey pal, I have a few other questions about aluminum polishing, can you shoot me an email with mabye your email or number or something. I'd appreciate the help.

[mmdetail]

May you also send a list of the products used and the attachments you have on the buffer?

[DCSuperShine]

@mmdetail sent you a PM

[bigrob18772]

Well done bro

[DCSuperShine]

@bigrob18772 thank you  :)

[MrTrucker567]

you can use deisel fuel on a rim if you want the metal to turn colors in a few days never use deisel fuel

[DCSuperShine]

@MrTrucker567 ya I never been a really big fan of using Deisel fuel... just know many guys have tried it :)

thanks for watching!

[titot8]

Excellent job ,can you send me a list of products used .

what kind of polishing wheel and what put on it.

Whats your machine brand and type or which do you recomend *makita or dwalt

[DCSuperShine]

@titot8 sent you a PM with all the info to buy what you need... as for grinders dewalt is the way to go!

[ReneeBoyko]

WHERE IS YOUR MASK????? (VIDEO POLISHING TANK) MY HUSBAND POLISHES AND IS VERY GOOD AT BUT HE ALWAYS WHERES A MASK AND STILL GETS A LOT OF DUST ON HIM. DANGEROUS VERY DANGEROUS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT. ALSO THERE IS A TRICK TO THIS TRADE. I SEE YOU ARE POLISHING TWICE OVER THE SAME AREA. THIS CAN BE DONE IN ONE STEP PROVIDING YOUR USING THE RIGHT SUPPLIES. MY HUSBAND HAS FIGURED THIS OUT. 14 YEARS OF POLISHING. I'D GIVE YOU THE SECRET BUT DEFINATELY NOT ON HERE.

[DCSuperShine]

@ReneeBoyko well if you look at some of my other vids... I do wear a mask, just hard to talk for the camera with a mask on! Also as for the secret... there isn't one I show it all here! thanks for watching

[18wheels19]

@ReneeBoyko If your Husband know's so much why are you watching a vid on HOW TO POLISH?

[MrMSA90]

Ive always handwashed the rim and dried it then polished but I like your way of doing that 

[PawkaPL]

very good work .. can you send me a list of products used .what kind of polishing wheel and what put on it.

[DCSuperShine]

@PawkaPL sent you a PM... thanks for watching

[russellatwell]

will you send me a message on how much your trucker polishing supplies cost? very nice job you do,i only hope i can make mine look as good thank you!

[DCSuperShine]

@russellatwell sent you a PM thanks for watching!

[olegalis69]

thanks so much for the video, you really help me to establish the look i was trying to get..if you dont mind me asking,what is the name of polish,there is so many out there,i'm lookin for the best.thanks again...

[ltitruck12]

what type of wheel is that. and how many ply's, are u using the green bar for this?

[DCSuperShine]

@ltitruck12 it's airway buffing wheel 20 ply... and yes I do use a green bar for most of my work, also use a brown tripoli and a white finishing bar or occasion.

[iggy450]

hi sir. how do you shine fuel tanks. front and back also. even the areas you cant fit your grinder? to make it shine evenly

thx

[DCSuperShine]

@iggy450 well it depends on how much room you have to work, If I can fit a 3000rpm polisher with a wool pad I'll do that from time to time, aside from that... just by hand and a LOT of elbow grease.

[latinnenny21]

hello

im having trouble locating all the stuff i will need to get start could you message me a link where i can purchase everything ... Thank you!!

[DCSuperShine]

@latinnenny21 I sent you a personal message... thanks for watching!

[RescuePits1]

Varsol should give you some free product for promoting their product, but they probably have some stupid marketing person thats not smart enough to see the benefits. LOL!!! I will buy some Varsol to clean up my rims and then polish. What kind of aluminum polish do you use?

[DCSuperShine]

@RescuePits1 sent you a personal message... thanks for watching!

[armani9300]

Thank You sir & have a great day

[armani9300]

Hi Sir,

Great Work ,Thanks for the information & great video.

Can you please message me a link where i can get all the stuff i need.

Thanks & have a great day

[DCSuperShine]

@armani9300 Thanks for watching... I sent you a personal message with the info you need.

[Colinisdriver]

what rpm are you running the grinder at? I had mine at 4500 to 5500 and found the polish to get cooked on but 3500 to 4000 seemed to not cook the clay but the shine wasn't as good

[DCSuperShine]

@Colinisdriver all my grinders are 6000 rpm, what kind of compound are you using?

[LogieBlackBear]

@DCSuperShine this is the thing I am not sure if I am using the right compound with the right disc. I had a medium compound with an old disc that I think was red but not sure. but also the wheels are on a logging truck and are quite pitted. I am ok with them looking like shit ,truck is going away soon, but the trailers I want to look great for when I get the new one next spring. what would you suggest? thanks for your time

[DCSuperShine]

@LogieBlackBear if your rims are pitted... you need to pull them off... depending on how bad the pitts are start with 180 grit, 320, 400, 600 then you're ready to polish, use a yellow airway buffing wheel with a brown tripoli bar that should bring your rims right up to a nice shine. I'll message you a link where you can get all the stuff you need. I put together a special kit for truckers. thanks for watching!

[jjdbest7]

@DCSuperShine GREAT JOB BRO!! Can you please send me a list of all I need to get these amazing results man great great great job bro!! please help me

[samsquanch67]

Thanks for the info Dennis.

[samsquanch67]

Nice work DC!! I just bought an 86 cabover that needs alot of pollishing wish you were closer!! But after watching this i think i'll give it a go i should do before & after photo's just for fun what kind of product are using with the grinder?

[DCSuperShine]

@samsquanch67 Thanks for watching I sent you a personal message with the product info!

[Elite6345]

I run a metal polishing buisness in B.C Canada, why wouldnt you jack the truck, pull the wheel nut covers and and center caps and use the machine on the whole rim,way faster less work by hand!

[klootzaak1975]

Is there a trick to holding the polisher so it don't fly out of your hands when you hit an edge?

[RikWCrlsn]

I just used the SOS for the 1st time after seeing this because all the vagrant polishers in the truck stops say it would scratch the hell out of the wheels....... I have not even used polish on them and been getting Compliments all over the midwest!!!! cant wait to use the polish.......wish i could post a pic of them they are WOW!!!!!!

[DCSuperShine]

@RikWCrlsn hehe yup a little trick I learnt years ago... works great to remove rust from chrome too... just don't use it on stainless cause then it will scratch

[MrHbarrera]

@dcSupershine, you do amazing work. tryin to do some polishing on some alcoa rims and tanks, but cant seem to find and 400 and higher sanding discs. found some but not made for sanders. can you tell me where i can find some? thanks, Henry

[DCSuperShine]

@MrHbarrera Hi! Henry, I just buy my sand paper from a local Body shop... pretty much any body shop will be able to set you up with what you need. I use 6 inch velcro on a 5inch back pad 180 to 1500 grits depending on the job. Hope this helps and thanks for watching!

[wsvitak]

I am trying to do a motorcycle job starting with rims...I want to cut down on the sanding time so I was going to go from black to brown to white do you think the black is good enough so I dont have to do a lot of sanding first...if not what would be a good power tool to sand the rims first before I polish them any help would be great...thanks

[DCSuperShine]

@wsvitak well depends on a few things... first of all are the rims painted or clear coated? if they are a good strong paint/clear coat stripper will save you a TON of time. If you're already down to the aluminum... cutting down on sanding is the wrong way to think, sanding will actually save you time and effort. for sanding tips see my post below that i made to Gleamxtreme.

[DCSuperShine]

@wsvitak as for a tool it all depends on what your rims looks like and how much detail there is... for fine detail you can use a die grinder or a dremel just requires a lot of patience and can be very time consuming if you want a really nice job. I hope all this helps, and would love to see some pictures of your finished rims when all done.

thanks for watching

[1976boutch]

GO CHECK ROOL N BUFF POLISHING MACHINE

[scar214x]

hey dude thats real nice how would i polish diamond plate aluminum

[Gleamxtreme]

Dude your damn good! Good video's! Hey I polish Snowmobile Tunnels what grit would you start with? Also on those tanks do you ever start with anything lower than 400 grit?

[DCSuperShine]

@Gleamxtreme for a good shine sand 320, 400, 600 then polish. for a show room shine start with 240 take your time and make sure all the pits and scratches are out then start moving your grit up by taking the previous grit scratches out. so 240, 320, 400, 600, 1000 and if you're picky go 1500 you'll be getting a shine by this time. & polish... and you have to remember it depends on the state of the aluminum when you start, no need to use 240 or even 320 if you're tank has no pits and scratches

[cdyehard]

Great video Dc, What type of sander should i use to do my freightliner wheels and what

grids to use? I use grinder with brown and white bars. Wheels shine good but i still

see some haze in the rim i cant seem to get rid of so i can get that mirror finish.

{alcoa freightliner wheel} Thanks dc keep more vids coming.

[DCSuperShine]

@cdyehard if they are smooth it might be that your rpm is too low, if they are pitted depending on the look and the work you want to put into it you have a few options.

for a good shine sand 320, 400, 600 then polish. for a show room shine start with 240 take your time and make sure all the pits and scratches are out then start moving your grit up by taking the previous grit scratches out. so 240, 320, 400, 600, 1000 and if you're picky go 1500 you'll be getting a shine by this time. & polish

[heavyhauler80]

whats up man i been lookin at grinders and sanders for polishin a aluminum dump truck body and the fuel tanks and everything on the truck... i was wonderin if it would be better to buy a 6000 or 8000 rpm grinder or if i would be ok to buy the makita 3000 rpm sander that comes in a polishing kit i saw... thanks man

[DCSuperShine]

@heavyhauler80 8000 rpm is too high if you're not experienced... I have One 8000 that I use on diamond plate stuff but thats about it. 6000 is definitely the way to go the 3000 rpm polisher can be used on hard to reach areas. hope this helps

and thanks so much for watching

[heavyhauler80]

@DCSuperShine thanks alot man i really appreciate your help with this 

[bryanp419]

Heyz Man great video! But i would like to know what type of cloth you used to polish the rim?

[DCSuperShine]

@bryanp419 100% cotton rags work best... on the final step of doing tanks I'll also use flannel I find it absorbs a bit better. Hope this helps and thanks for watching!

[bryanp419]

@DCSuperShine Thanks man. Thank you very much!

[bryanp419]

@DCSuperShine Thank you very much man!

[russellatwell2000]

Thanks Dennis, you make it look easy! great job hope i can make mine look that good. and thank you for all the video's on here,you are a true professional.

[1976boutch]

Go check ROLLNBUFF polishing machine video

[hatemyford]

Thank you for taking the time to post these video's on here. Your work is by far the best I've seen. Few questions though if you don't mind. Your brown and white bar, who makes that? How long does it take you to polish a wheel? Are you just polishing the trucks or polishing and waxing? Last question haha, what's the rate to polish just the tanks and wheels? If you wax, rate on waxing and polishing? Thanks