Is this as good as polishing my wheels is going to get?

[ali-d1936]

Had a go at polishing my wheels myself as i cant find anyone to do them for me, im looking for a close to mirror finish as possible on the face of the wheels,
The wheels where not as bad as i though they where, a good soaking with thinners took off a heap of crap that had built up,
so seeing as they where in deacent condition i started with 600 grit wet, hand sanded the face for about 10 minuites, then moved up to 800 grit for about 20 minuites,
then got the orbital sander with a 1200 grit disk and went to town on it for 15 minuites,
the surface looks all cloudey at this stage but there are no marks or scratches from the sandpaper, then i put on Meguires nxt generation Metal Polyish, it brings up a shine alright but not near as close as i want,

so for the next wheels i did the same and after the 1200 grit on the oribet sander i got 2500 grit paper and hand sanded for 20 min, but the polish on these didnt come out near as well as the other wheels,

the first wheel

and the second


i sprayed between the spokes and centeres to clean them up for these pictures as it would take far to long to polish them up too,

so what do ya think? if i went at them again and started at 400 grit and worked up would they come out any better? am i not spending enough time between grits? or is this the best the wheels are going to get?

[babyeater690]

good job lad but no need for 2500 now the 1200 is done use the polish then you need a buffing wheel my mate got one for a drill its savage had a exhaust lookin like a mirror with a small bit of Tcut on it id try that next

[ste]

lad its a fucker of a job i just did adfvans last week

i started at 180 to remove lacquer then 320,600,800,.
then 1200 wet and dry, 1500 wet and dry then 2000 wet and dry.... then done them in rubbin compound to remove scratches ad then autosol to shine them up..

i done all the above by hand and her is the result







fucker of a job but can be worth it

[ali-d1936]

I remeber you said you polished them before Evan ment to text you and ask you but said id find out the hard way LOL there alot better than they where now anyhow for a days work, wont be dippping them i just thought i could get a bit of shine like the lips if i went hard enough!

lad its a fucker of a job i just did adfvans last week

i started at 180 to remove lacquer then 320,600,800,.
then 1200 wet and dry, 1500 wet and dry then 2000 wet and dry.... then done them in rubbin compound to remove scratches ad then autosol to shine them up..

i done all the above by hand and her is the result



fucker of a job but can be worth it

the lips came out class man fair play im going to go at the lips now the next day im off work ill take out all the bolts like you aswell as there is all tar lodged around them and cant get it off with them in, u should be proud of them

[Quille]

hey im sure u did this but ill say it anyway if u strip the wheel like u did then put it back on the car on the rear and it up on axle stands and leave it idle in second or third so it spins the wheel. it is a bit easier still takes a while but takes the labour out of it..

[hunty_sideways]

hey im sure u did this but ill say it anyway if u strip the wheel like u did then put it back on the car on the rear and it up on axle stands and leave it idle in second or third so it spins the wheel. it is a bit easier still takes a while but takes the labour out of it..

Just too clear something up its the inner spokes lads not the rim, he can polish the mirror rim and bring it up as new because it's designed to be able to do so , but it's the inner 5 spokes he wants to polish so no axles stands that would be fatal ,

@ Alan ya dude I had them like you have now but unless you protect the work you have done (clear coat) they tarnish again even with a drop off water it leaves water marks and goes a dirty grey colour again

[hunty_sideways]

The face off the wheels will never have a chrome/mirror finish as the type of steel there made off don't allow it to buff up too what your looking for the Andrew v wheels come dipped with a mirror finish but that eventually corriodes off and brings it back too the metal your at now iv tried everything with them wheels and carpo was the nearest I got with the chrome dipping crowd in England