Polish

David Dixon · Post by **David Dixon** » 30 Jun 2012 7:39 am

Does anyone have a favorite chrome polish for end plates etc....

Butch

Ray Anderson · Post by **Ray Anderson** » 30 Jun 2012 7:57 am

I use Mothers' or Maguires wheel polish. The more you rub the prettier it gets. Hope this helps.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 30 Jun 2012 8:04 am

Yours are chromed? Cool.
Mine are all aluminum And I also use Mother's Mag and Aluminum Polish.

$5 at Walmart, doesn't need much elbow grease.
In about 10 minutes, there will be somebody to suggest a 30 dollar product that requires none.

Ron Pruter · Post by **Ron Pruter** » 30 Jun 2012 8:28 pm

I think I read that Mullen Guits. have chrome plated end plates. RP

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 30 Jun 2012 9:28 pm

One of my friends has all aluminum on his Zum polished AND CHROMED. Said it was a $500 option

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 2 Jul 2012 3:38 pm

Okay Lane! Okay!
Here's an important point I've left out of previous posts on this totally worn out subject! CONDITION! If you guitar has been cared for, and polished fairly often, any cheap product will probably work. If you're restoring a guitar that hasn't been polished in decades, and the aluminum is oxidized and looks more like lead or pewter, forget Maguiare's, NevrDull, etc. You're wasting your time, effort, and elbow grease. That's when you need the California Custom products. And,,, if the parts are scratched, swhirlmarked, etc, nothing will restore them to new-looking condition like a good machine buffing. Then you can use anything regularly to make them look nice. We don't know the condition of the OP's guitar.

And if the OP's plates are really chromed, CC products work great, and remove rust too. I feel like a 1920's John Deere salesman!
"But farmer Bob, you can plow twenty acres with a tractor in the time it takes you to plow one with your mules."
"Yeah, but my mules do the job."

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 2 Jul 2012 3:44 pm

Actually, John, I expect to get around to the CC products on the legs of the MSA. They have some rust spots taking out the chrome.
I've got nothing against them; I happened to have had some Mother's left behind by a previous gf.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 3 Jul 2012 7:39 am

I thought this thread and the other polish thread recently run should be named "How many ways can you spell Meguiar's?"

Actually, for years I thought the name was pronounced to rhyme with Jag-u-ar.

I tend to agree with John. If your aluminum is pitted, rough, badly oxidized, has deep scratches etc., it needs to go to a professional finisher to be sanded and buffed. No polish made will net you the results you're seeking.

Polish is a cleaning, shining agent. Any good, non-abrasive polish will restore shine to a smooth, well maintained finish. I'm just using what I happen to have on hand.

FWIW, I'm working on a guitar right now. I have Happich, Mothers, some stuff that came from Jagwire I believe called JSC alum polish, something named Scratch-Out, and another Mother's product, etc.

This guitar is 30 yrs. old. The alum. is in good shape. I'm using a 3 step method.

1: Happich Semi-Chrome for a base cleaning and shine.

2: Mother's Mag Polish for a nice gleam.

3: Rain Dance, regular old automotive carnauba wax applied with a soft cloth and buffed with another cloth.
I was amazed at the shine after the auto wax.

Whatever you use to polish your aluminum, try a good automotive polish as a last step and I think you'll be pleased. The Scratch Out stuff works pretty well as a final step also.

Allen Kentfield · Post by **Allen Kentfield** » 3 Jul 2012 3:32 pm

Sorry, I read it wrong. I thought there was going to be some great polka tab!

Bob Mainwaring · Post by **Bob Mainwaring** » 7 Jul 2012 8:34 pm

Hi David,
Like I've mentioned in quite a few threads regarding aluminum or chrome to be polished, the only great thing I've used over a period of a good many years is Solvol Autosol which comes in a black and gold coloured toothpaste sized tube.
It will also polish brass and copper.
You'll be "hooked" on it once you've used it believe me

All Z.B.est.

Bob Mainwaring.

Bent Romnes · Post by **Bent Romnes** » 8 Jul 2012 10:45 am

Bob I agree.Autosol is a great polish. Although I should try the California stuff since so many are touting it, Autosol is a favourite.
To me, aluminum has a life of its own. Sometimes it cooperates, other times it won't take on a shine.
Autosol has saved the day many times.

Bo Borland · Post by **Bo Borland** » 8 Jul 2012 10:57 am

it may have been a coincidence but, my newest steel was kept covered at home with a big name brand cover with a soft foam like interior.. the end plates just clouded over.
I tried all the usual products, the wadding, the pastes , nothing worked very well..
I went to the local big rig store a Peterbilt dealer and got the Cali Custom neutralizer and the purple polish.. it's a year later, the cover is in a closet somewhere.. and the end plates look like mirrors.
It took only minutes to bring the shine back.

Paul Redmond · Post by **Paul Redmond** » 18 Jul 2012 1:46 am

Simichrome available at many bike and/or cycle shops works very well. Apply it with a cotton ball or a piece of an old cotton T-shirt. Use it sparingly....it goes a long way.
PRR

Ransom Beers · Post by **Ransom Beers** » 18 Jul 2012 3:41 am

Lane Gray wrote:Actually, John, I expect to get around to the CC products on the legs of the MSA. They have some rust spots taking out the chrome.
I've got nothing against them; I happened to have had some Mother's left behind by a previous gf.

She didn't leave that Mothers for your guitar,she was hoping you'd polish up your act

(kiddin' Lane)

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 30 Jul 2012 7:42 am

Here's a couple of lousy pics from my ancient camera. But if you look close at the first pic, you can see the rust. 2/3 minutes later the rust is gone, with virtually no rubbing at all. Coulda done the whole leg in that time.

Rust completely gone.

CC Deoxidizer and Purple Polish