I can think of a couple of methods you might try. I have 2 aluminum boats but have never bothered trying to make them shine. Go to the auto parts store and get some of the cleaner made specifically for aluminum wheels. Careful with it as some of these contain some nasty stuff. It might or might or might not work. Method 2 would be to get some rubbing compound, I like Meguiar's, and go after it with a good random orbit buffer. A lot of work for sure. C.G.B.
Mothers aluminum polish and a foam polishing wheel on a drill or as said above, a buffer.
I just got done doing a set of aluminum rims last week. They looked white and chalky, they were so oxidized. They look like new now. It took about 2 hours to polish all four rims.
Posts: 574 | Location: Utah | Registered: 30 January 2013
Just a caution: check your rivets after you buff it down. As an old airplane mechanic, we used to buff some airplanes down until they looked like chrome. HOWEVER, polishing does remove some of the outer surface and you can check you rivets. Usually the need for polishing comes from oxidation (if the canoe was steel, you'd say it was rusting. Oxidation is a different kind of rust.) After you finish, you might consider putting a thin coat of wax over it to prolong the shine and slow down the repeat oxidation.
If you want to keep it shiney you might consider taking it to an auto-body or airport paint shop. Have it bead blasted, primed, and 2 part silver painted.
Posts: 3863 | Location: SC,USA | Registered: 07 March 2002
The guys who used to polish truck fuel tanks at truck stops used a wheel that looked like many discs of cloth stitched together on an angle grinder along with bars of jeweler's rouge. They would use a couple different grades of rouge.
Some trucking companies use something like "aluma-brite" which is acid based on their aluminum tank trailers. Of corse that wont give a shine perse, but it cleans it up. Might be a good idea to try something like that to get rid of oxidation first and then use a buffer.
AK-47 The only Communist Idea that Liberals don't like.
Posts: 10190 | Location: Tooele, Ut | Registered: 27 September 2001
The military use to use Never Dull (sp). It's a batting type of material impregnated with a polish use to come in a can. I know they polished aluminum aircraft fuselages with it. It's very good.
There's a guy out here that restores old cars + airstream trailers. When the trailers leave they shine like new. I have no idea what he uses but it must be commercially available to use in that quantity. I use Flitz on S/S but that comes in a tube.
Al
