Hitchcocks Forum

Guys,

I have some very light scratches swirls on my chrome tank , made the mistake of using autosol which I think has made them worse , any ideas of how , if or what I can use to remove or make better.

I read California gold polish meant to be good.

Thx Reds

Yes, sadly Solvol Autosol will do that, cause micro-scratches. All 'polishes' contain fine abrasive. I have found Rim Wax got for the car wheels to be an excellent chrome cleaner, note I said cleaner not polish. I have also found a car spray-painting/detailing final polish 'Britemax Black Max' which can remove 4000 grit swirl marks, which I have also used to take scratches out of spectacles, it's fine enough to do an optical polish. You could try that but note although it is ultra-fine, it is also fast cutting. Best used on a random orbit polisher like a Kestrel DAS-6. http://britemax.co.uk/acatalog/Black_Max.html

Solvol also make a dedicated (liquid) chrome polish which is gentler for chrome plate. A.

Problem is Reds now has micro-scratch swirling which is where the likes of Meguiars SwirlX comes in, it works on paint but it is still a bit coarse, and too soft for metal. Black Max is even finer and Britemax make metal polishes, so Black Max does polish metals rather nicely (note the fast cutting).



Problem is these professional polishing products really need professional random orbit polishers on a foam mop, they're not cheap. I have a DAS-6 because (a) my brother in law ran a little car-valeting/detailing company (the spell chequer wants to tune 'car-valeting' into 'ear-splitting ) and (b) I had a tatty old Benz-AMG I tarted up. You can just about use a small 'spot detailing' Velcro+foam mop on and electric drill but the typical B&D random orbit sander is far too slow. Most good car paint/body shops should oblige with a bit of polishing for you with their toys, every town has a car body shop for fixing prangs.



Note that if you use Black Max on paint, unlike Autoglym etc it has no silicones (so you can spray paint afterwards) therefore you have to seal it with something like Britemax Extreme Elements and let that cure.



Anything labelled as a polish is an abrasive, they vary in how fine and how hard.



Whereabouts are you Reds?

Jefrs,
I am in Hitchin Herts

Spell Chequer ?

I have used Talcum Powder made into a paste to get a really fine finish.

I'm in Newbury Berks, perhaps a little to far to pop in.



A spell chequer is an arcane device that tells you "misspelt" is misspelled. My arthritis produces some quite random typing that evokes dodgy suggestions from the thing.



Talc may well work, it's hydrated magnesium silicate and like most silicates is a hard abrasive albeit very fine.



The thing is it takes quite a serious effort to get a mirror finish on paintwork. It's not a good idea to keep grinding off the top surface of the paint with polish. Plus I don't think the RE paint job is all that thick and it seems pretty soft. I may well take the polisher to the engine cases but keep it well clear of the paint. I already know it polishes up aluminium like a mirror.

Nor does the indian chrome work seem particularly thick but at least it is harder than the paint - it should be well possible to polish the little scratches out.

I don't have a chromed tank but I am so not polishing the wheel rims, Rim Wax is keeping them shiny enough, and has cured the rust (from new) on the spokes; the rear gets covered in uck from the chain which can be wiped off the wax but it's a losing battle.

I use true Blue its a really nice cream that works well on chrome and alloy, it was developed to remove the blue on exhausts but does so much more.

Also to help redeuce the scratches buy some French polishing wool if I remember its AAAA and gently...GENTLY polish in small circles which will take out the scratches using the True Blue as the lubricant so lots of it..

Hi Try ALUTECH METAL POLISH FROM RACE GLAZE

www.raceglaze.co.uk and log onto alutech polish.

Best wishes

YORKIE