I've been farting around with the Megs Hot Rims mag and aluminum polish and the Mothers mini ball. Rims are the uncoated polished aluminum.

Question I have is, while polishing obviously you get the black residue by looking at the ball. Now is this residue actually oxidation? Or what is it exactly? Is there no end to the black residue while polishing?

I ask being under the assumption that once the black residue would no longer appear the polishing job would be complete. Enlighten me please.

 

I too have been wondering that. I have classic lock wheels and have been tring to polish them and can never seem to get the black residue to stop come up!

 

The residue is actual metal. This is why a coated rim will not yield the same 'black stuff' as what an uncoated rim will yield.

Like polishing paint, you are removing a certain degree of clear coat to get the paint back to 'flat' or optically perfect (or in the case of metal, shiny).

 

Also... be VERY careful with the Powerball.... especially now that you have it laying on bare ground.

The same is true for that foam device as it is for a foam pad... if you get a tiny amount of grit/grime/sand/etc in it, it can and will thrash any type of surface.

-RP-

 

Thanks once again RP.

I'll tell ya, that power ball is an excellent polishing tool, especially with the extension rod. You can hang on to the rod while the tool spins for better control--very nice. I highly recommend it for those interested. A real time saver. Same goes for the Hot Rims polish. The polish will eventually make you hungry for a Cinnamon roll however.

 

I hope you have some good wheel sealer to put on those after all that polish. Doesn't seem to take long out in the weather to lose that nice shine, unless you don't mind doin it every few weeks. At least that is what has happened to every aluminum wheel I ever owned.

 

I tell you one thing-- that particular polish worked wonders on my toolbox today. Sorry, no pics, but imagine a 1.5 year old toolbox that has only been washed (never polished) until today. It wasn't bad to start with, but it's excellent now.

After wearing out my arm in the sun today, I may have to invest in a powerball for this task (a few friends are already requesting this service...)

In answer to your question, Stop when the wheel is shiny enough for you. It'll take for freaking ever to polish through the wheel, so I wouldn't be afraid of that...but yes, the black is the metal itself. Aluminum that's oxidized is white, not black.

 

Believe it or not I purchased these wheels at a local junkyard for a hundred bucks. I had to take them off myself and they were buried in a mud hole. They were black and crusty brown color when I got them home. That was two years ago and it's taken me this long to finally get the shine back. I didn't have much faith in the power ball but I got real tired of rubbing on them by hand and getting no where. That power ball is amazing. Hell I used the thing on my taillight lenses with some plastic polish. Unbelievable shine it produces. I'm very satisfied with it.

I have sealer yes, and thanks.

 

Ahh- sealer...That reminds me... I've never thought about getting a sealer, but the thought crossed my mind to get some rims...Which sealers do you use??? (ie: will any synwax do???)

THX

 

You'll want to go with a synthetic as it will have more tolerance to the high temperatures generated by the brake systems.

There are some 'wheel wax' products out there -- I haven't tried them -- but, the general concensus is that they aren't really worth their weight in gold and that a standard synthetic will work just as well.

-RP-

 

sweet. That means I don't have to burn any more $$$... (Or I can just opt to put it towards something else....)

 

I was going to use the Aquawax. I do have the NXT and #20 also.

 

I have used all types of regular waxes with no lasting protection for long. I guess the heat of the brakes or something breaks it down. I am trying a wheel sealer on different types of wheels to see how well it works. Time will tell I guess.

 

What about poorboys wheel sealant...I used it on my old wheels...chrome 22"s on my lightning...there was no brake dust ever on the wheels in the 5k miles I had them...clean as a whistle

 

I think I'm going to use the NXT and put Auquawax over the top. That outta hold it for a while.