We have a tanker on our fire department that has water spots and calcium deposits. We have very hard water in town. The tank is an aluminum wrap with a mirror like finish. How can we polish this thing without sandpaper and then how can we keep it from geting like this again???? All feed back would be great!!
You might look into some of the chemical de-scalers but you might have to resort to some very fine steel wool. You may also want to try a hand held buffer and jeweler’s rouge. Once polished, (if you can open the tank) add a zinc block, you can find them in the boating sections of stores like Walmart or Samsclub or any marine supply. You can also use a high speed buffer and a product called “Knob Polish” which can be found on www.shtuffforbikers.com. You may also consider the use of a clear urethane spray coating or IF you have the funds for it, take it to your local powder coater and have then clear coat it. If you do go to a powder coater be sure to check out references and make sure they have experience with aluminum as there are some issues with out gassing. Good Luck!
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9 users responded in this post
http://gordsaluminumpolish.com/_wsn/page3.html
check this out hope this helps
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Most auto supply companies have an acid based cleaner just for that purpose.
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you can use a mild rubbing compound for painted surfaces ,and this will shine it up like new ,it works really well ,i have done it a few times on tanks and some wheels and it makes them look like chrome when your done with them,good luck,i hope this help,s.
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been a certified mechanic for 36 yrs.
Use rubbing compound (much finer than sandpaper) and then chrome polish wax job will close up the metal pores, keeping it from oxidizing and keep the calcium off.
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You might look into some of the chemical de-scalers but you might have to resort to some very fine steel wool. You may also want to try a hand held buffer and jeweler's rouge. Once polished, (if you can open the tank) add a zinc block, you can find them in the boating sections of stores like Walmart or Samsclub or any marine supply. You may also consider the use of a clear urethane spray coating or IF you have the funds for it, take it to your local powder coater and have then clear coat it. If you do go to a powder coater be sure to check out references and make sure they have experience with aluminum as there are some issues with out gassing. Good Luck!
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Try Mothers Billet polish works great and shines like a diamond. It's a little pricey but a little goes along way and also coats it so water beads of just wipe it down after washing . If its really dull you can use it with a Mothers Power Ball on a cordless drill take all the hand work out of the process.Good Luck
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I use 3M's Finesse-it with a variable speed buffer w/a wool pad.Use pure carnuba wax to seal.First coat off with the buffer,second coat off by hand with cheese cloth.
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FF/EMT/ENGINEER W/ 3 tankers
wipe it off with something like CRT to remove the caked hard water spots….rinse thoroughly.
You can use a rotational buffer with the following to get this thing looking like chrome.
3M 303 for really stubborn pitting or spotting
3M 606 for general polishing
Mothers aluminum polish for finish work (polisher and or hand)
Mother's billet for final cleaning (this needs to be done with a cotton diaper)
Waxing is optional…but it will help make the shine last longer.
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Sandpaper…no. A wet/dry emery paper starting at about 1500 grit should be a good starting point. You can work your way up to finer giits(2000and higher)until you get the desired finish.Polish with any appropriate aluminum polish.A good paste wax should prevent recurrences. As for the calcium deposits, I'm not sure if CLR or similar products will do the trick,but it's worth a try. Careful grinding may be the only solution and ,depending on the severity, may be you're most pressing matter. The calcium can definately eat away at the surface…Note: Always try these methods in an inconspicuous place before moving on to highly visible places on the tank. Good luck!
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mostly just experience
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