Does anyone have any idea what grit numbers, like that assigned to polishing compounds or emery cloth, would correspond to scouring powder and baking soda?

Thanks, I think...

Ahhhh, kitchen table gunsmithing 101. Scouring powder like Bon Ami is about 400 grit and baking soda is pretty close to 1200 grit. A typical wet dish washing rag is about 1400 - 1500 grit. Unless of course you mix it with scouring powder and/or baking soda. Dry Brawny paper towels are pretty close to 800 grit. However, for faster results I would recommend extra chunky peanut butter. FWIW, I wouldn't use the peanut butter for lapping lugs unless you mix it with a little parsley. Good luck with whatever it is you are doing!

Grit numbers are derived from the hole size in the sieve it will fall through. Different materials will have different cutting speeds.
Aluminum oxide will cut longer then garnet on metals etc.
So to answer your original question. I don't know what scouring powder or baking soda would correspond to. But if you had a set of sieves you could gauge it that way. But since they cut material differently it makes no sense to grade it.

I'm trying to polish very soft aluminum to a mirror finish, as close as it will get, which I realize won't really be a mirror finish.

It's about what a pop can is made of.

I tried that peanut butter thing on my mag wheels- worked great except if you don't get it all cleaned off elephants will suck the tires off the rims... and those stories of me being hospitalized are a pack of falsehoods, or my name ain't Shorty.

At that, maybe I should have posted this in the
African Big Game Hunting forum.

All responses appreciated, thanks, I have plenty to go on with the info provided.

Colgate toothpaste and a piece of felt. We use plain Colgate toothpaste to scour new diving masks so they will take spit better and not fog. It and a piece of felt should work great!

Don't use Flitz to brush your teeth, but it'll put a nice polish on aluminium.

You may not currently find it under your kitchen sink but this is what you want to polish aluminum: Nevr-dull

When I was a young troop on the flightline we used to use this to polish the wheels on the Commander's jet. Done right, mixed with a generous portion of elbow grease it will look almost like chrome.

How about what the knife guys us. Simichrome or Iaso (sic) they're about the same. I got an assortment of grit block with a wheel a while back, I believe the white one was for aluminum. Also Brownells 555 works well.

Rich

There are so many things to use . Red Hair . Blond Hair , Brunette Hair , Rabbit Beaver ?.

http://www.watchpolishing.com/

http://www.schaffnermfg.com/buffing-compound.html

http://www.britemax.com/products.html

http://www.bikedepot.net/wolfg...olish-for-bikes.html

Another vote for simichrome. Great product.

Being a mold maker we had polish tool steel to a mirror on occasion. Here's the short version, Works on just about any metal but the speed at which you can go to the next step depends on the hardness of the material.
As usual start off with fin sandpaper wet or dry type works well with a touch of oil or kerosene. Polish in one direction only then when you move up in grit change directions by 90 degrees and continue until all the previous marks are gone. Continue until you have reached a 1200 grit finish. Then use brownells 555 polish Gray first then white same thing change direction when you change grits. the 555 white on a soft felt wheel will produce a very near mirror finish. Then semichrome with cotton balls or the gunsmithing pads brownells sells. change them frequently and you should have a mirror.
Now keep in mind that not all metals are capable of being polished to this degree of luster. Some just don't have the quality need to produce a high finish.
You can polish all day long and still have a tiny pit that will not go away. It's a flaw in the metal and it can only be removed by cutting it out or polishing like a mad man to remove enough material to remove the pit.
Kerry