How do I get rid of polishing scratches?

Coleroad

Coleroad

New member
How do I get rid of the polishing scratches. Products, best cones, a series of steps? Now that the paint has been corrected the exhaust tips stand out. Further and further down that wabbit hole.
c1218f6ed2c75f0a7eb95d945352cbb2.jpg




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I use a metal polish - Optimum Metal Polish - https://www.autopia-carcare.com/optimum-metal-polish-8oz.html#.WtEuGC5zb3g
Shake it up a lot to make sure it`s all mixed.. Try a white cotton towel first, to see what happens...

If the tip/s are really dirty, I use the products with 0000 Steel Wool carefully, to make sure I don`t introduce scratches into the finish..

Then, I use Wenol Blue or Red or both, depending on what works-- Blue - https://www.autopia-carcare.com/wenol-blue.html#.WtEu2i5zb3g
Red - https://www.autopia-carcare.com/wen-y-376.html#.WtEu-C5zb3g

Dont know how bad those scratches are from the pics.. Hope this helps !
Dan F
 
The little bit of soot that is on the inside is because I haven`t yet polished them this spring. Working in steps here. They clean and shine easy enough. It just has fine scratches from polishing. They are are pretty much straight lines. I`ve been using muggier`s mag polish on them, but that seems to leave polishing scratches in the direction that I polish. This is the case on both the inside, and outside of the exhaust tips.
 
Coleroad said:
The little bit of soot that is on the inside is because I haven`t yet polished them this spring. Working in steps here. They clean and shine easy enough. It just has fine scratches from polishing. They are are pretty much straight lines. I`ve been using muggier`s mag polish on them, but that seems to leave polishing scratches in the direction that I polish. This is the case on both the inside, and outside of the exhaust tips.
Click to expand...

Well, if the product and/or the media you are using has caused those scratches, better think of another plan.

Is that a chrome tip ? I have cleaned zillions of these on all the marques, especially German marques, and never had an issue scratching them using the products and media above..

I always go gentle on chrome because you never know how thin the layer is..

Are you able to replace those tips if they react badly ?
If you can, then I would experiment on them (only since its your own car), and see what happens with other products...

I know the Optimum Metal Polish has abrasives and chemicals in it and you need to really shake it up before use and during use..

On the looks like stainless tips on my TL Type-S, it cleans them really nice but does not give me the pop I want, so that is why I go over them after with Wenol Red tube and they come out beautiful..
Same with the 3" stainless tip on the back of my Grand Cherokee...
Dan F
 
Get a mothers powercone on your drill along with a polish protectant like borla exhaust polish. I have used them on 6 cars with no scratching, just mirror finish. Clean 1st with acetone before polishing.
 
Same thing as paint/wood/etc. just needs different stuff. Different stainless can be different hardness-wise, just gotta find what works/doesn`t. IF you want to get all Seriously Autopian about this, check out Caswell Plating. Heh heh...polishing my stainless steel is another thing I need to get around to doing one of these days.
 
To remove polishing scratches on your exhaust tips, use a quality metal polish with a soft microfiber applicator or a foam polishing cone for tight spots. For deeper scratches, wet-sand lightly with 2000-3000 grit sandpaper before polishing. Finish by wiping clean and applying a metal protectant to preserve the shine and prevent oxidation.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top