How to polish the lips of your rims

[rexmitchell]

So I picked up an old R6 wheel on craigslist to try out wheel polishing. I want to polish my R1 wheels but don't want to mess them up in the process. I used this stuff
http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq73/rexmitchell/P4111094.jpg

Let me warn you know if you use this get a mask or spray it and move away, I thought i was going to choke at the first breath of this stuff. I didn't clean the wheels before, and actually left a piece of ductape that was on the rim and just sprayed this stuff on, it took it all off.

First I taped of the rim along the inner lip(the rough part) and it made for making an easy straight line with the painters tape I used.

Note: I did this with the tire on. The tire was flat and will have to be replaced so I didn't worry about spraying the stripper on the rubber. It eats through it pretty good, so you want to take the rubber off or make sure you don't get any on there. This can sprayed like spray paint so I would of had a really hard time keeping it off the wheel.

This is the rim before.
http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq73/rexmitchell/P4111086.jpg

The can said to wait around 10-20 minutes but when I sprayed it on, this bubbling occured within about 2 minutes. I left it on around 5 minutes.
http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq73/rexmitchell/P4111085.jpg

I wiped it off with rubber gloves on, as this will irritate your skin pretty good so be careful.
This is after the first wipe.

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq73/rexmitchell/P4111087.jpg

I repeated this process 2-3 times depending on how much came off.

Starting too look better here.

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq73/rexmitchell/P4111088.jpg

And this is the first side done. It is kinda dark in the picture but it is a lot better looking than when I started.


http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq73/rexmitchell/P4111090.jpg



And the other side before I start.

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq73/rexmitchell/P4111092.jpg

And finished, I didn't wet sand or polish it, this is just what the stripper did. I will post some more pics when I polish. Mad Bohemian feel free to add on here, since I know you put a little more work into your stuff..

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq73/rexmitchell/P4111095.jpg

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq73/rexmitchell/P4111096.jpg

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq73/rexmitchell/P4111097.jpg

Next are my R1 rims, I am going to not do the middle of the wheel and leave it black on my Rims, it looks pretty good.

[YamahaFan]

looking good. I'm waiting for more pics.
Where can I get the stripper? local auto store? hardware store?
I might do this on my truck's wheels.

[rexmitchell]

it can be had for around 6 bucks at autozone

[Mad_Bohemian]

Wheels look great Rex!
Here's what I've been doing on parts from my engine. Here's the latest cover I did. It didn't look to bad to start with , but you can see some blemishes in the finish even after the initial polish.
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii98/bnemo/buffing/100_9353.jpg

First I took the aircraft cleaner to it. Sprayed it on , let it set for 10-15 min then wiped it off. The gave it another coat and cleaned the 'YAMAHA' out with a nylon brush and running water.
Then I took 1200 grit wet/dry paper, used wd40 for the wetting agent and a rubber sanding block and sanded everything down. Always try to sand in one direction so you don't get any deep gouges. It's just like wet sanding a paint job. If you get a piece of grit between the paper and your item being sanded, you'll hear it. Wet everything down to remove the grit and sand some more. When I got done sanding it had a nice satin finish to the part.
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii98/bnemo/buffing/100_9355.jpg

For small tight areas like these, you can get a polishing kit from Harbor Freight for about $15. I also got a kit for my dremel tool from HB for about $8 for even smaller/tighter spots.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii98/bnemo/buffing/100_9358.jpg

This is the setup I used on this particular piece:

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii98/bnemo/buffing/100_9356.jpg

Polishing is kinda like painting a room, do the corners and small spots first and then the wide open parts last. After I got the corners cleaned out I used this polisher.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii98/bnemo/buffing/100_9360.jpg
Got this from...where else HB...for $80

Here's a little vid of how easy it is to polish with a buffing wheel..

First this is how I load the buffing wheel with buffing media...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKZKvy9pBp8

Then the actual buffing of the part
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDKM5OTvJXs

The trick w/buffing, I am finding, is to use firm pressure on the wheel. The buffed part can get pretty warm where you're buffing so sometimes I'll use some leather work gloves I have....that and it hurts a lot less when the wheel grabs your part and buffs your hand instead of the part :eek:

After about 10-15 minutes of buffing and a little cleanup with 'Never Dull' polish the part looks like this.
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii98/bnemo/buffing/100_9364.jpg

Not as nice as new chrome...but for right around $100 and some elbow grease, I can live with results like this.

[rexmitchell]

That looks great, I want mine to look like that.

[rexmitchell]

Is nevrdull all you used to polish?

[Mad_Bohemian]

Is nevrdull all you used to polish?
No, I just use that to clean up any residue left from the buffing compound. Like in this case , inside the YAMAHA letters.

[rexmitchell]

What else did you use?

[ironhide_nate]

Swweeeet...thats some wild stuff...where did you get that? never heard of it

[rexmitchell]

I got my stuff at autozone

[Mad_Bohemian]

Here's the buffing kit from Harbor Freight
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=98707
I used the white compound that came in the kit to buff this piece out.
And this is the buffing kit I got for my dremel tool...
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=47644

[YamahaFan]

From your experience (well, all who know) which RPM would be good and which size of the buffing wheel?
I mean, if I recall correctly, those table grinders are around 6k RPM, and Sears sells some small buffing wheels (around 2-4 in. dia.) that you can plug onto the cordless screwdrivers which go at 1.5k RPM (which mean waaay slower).
Reason I'm asking is, I can't bring the wheel to the table grinder/buffer (like Rex with his wheel), will I have to purchase a portable grinder/buffer or the one with cordless screwdriver should be fine?
Or is it simply the faster the better as long as I can resist the heat?
Yes I'm serious about doing this to my truck wheels because they look like crap! Darn you all for bringing me another project this summer!!! :D

[rexmitchell]

From your experience (well, all who know) which RPM would be good and which size of the buffing wheel?
I mean, if I recall correctly, those table grinders are around 6k RPM, and Sears sells some small buffing wheels (around 2-4 in. dia.) that you can plug onto the cordless screwdrivers which go at 1.5k RPM (which mean waaay slower).
Reason I'm asking is, I can't bring the wheel to the table grinder/buffer (like Rex with his wheel), will I have to purchase a portable grinder/buffer or the one with cordless screwdriver should be fine?
Or is it simply the faster the better as long as I can resist the heat?
Yes I'm serious about doing this to my truck wheels because they look like crap! Darn you all for bringing me another project this summer!!! :D

What condition are the truck wheels in now that you want to do this?

[Mad_Bohemian]

I'm not expert by any means.You can try it with the cordless. But I think you'll find it takes a lot longer, and the buffing media will kinda clump at lower rpms. The heat generated from the buffing helps the media 'flow' and cut better. If it's in your budget, this looks like an inexpensive addition to your toolbox. Keep in mind (if you're anything like me) once you see how you can bring the shine back to something, you're gonna start finding all sorts of things to buff out...lol So it might be a worthwhile investment.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=44141
Not sure if this unit has variable speed though. The buffing wheels in the polishing kit from Harbor Freight are rated at max rpms of 2800, the felt bobs are rated at 20,000 rpm so keep that in mind when you're looking at different options.

[YamahaFan]

What condition are the truck wheels in now that you want to do this?

It has ... what do you call it again? dioxide? corroded? that I cannot clean it out by using regular cleaners (or maybe it'll take like a million times to do it), in fact the clean areas are not shiny anymore, so I'd like to shine it up.

Keep in mind (if you're anything like me) once you see how you can bring the shine back to something, you're gonna start finding all sorts of things to buff out...lol

Tell me about it lol. I'm sure I will. I've been eyeing for a table grinder for a long time now, just didn't have a work bench yet, maybe a portable grinder/buffer is the next thing

[Mad_Bohemian]

It has ... what do you call it again? dioxide?....

Oxidized? but yeah, we know what you mean. If I have a part that is corroded I'll use this on it first.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii98/bnemo/Misc/100_3856.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii98/bnemo/Misc/100_3855.jpg

It's like a scotchbrite pad for my die grinder. They're pretty flexible so I can get 99% of most parts with that, then I'll proceed to sanding with 800grit, then 1200 grit, then buff.
Kinda hard to see in this pic, but the transfer case cover had some corrosion action going on.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii98/bnemo/82%20750%20Maxim/engine-before1.jpg

I used the die grinder w/the black pad (which I got from Grainger's Supply) I only sanded the areas the pad couldn't reach with wd40 and 800grit ( I got lazy on this one)
Here's before the buffing..

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii98/bnemo/82%20750%20Maxim/tc-coverstart1.jpg

Here's after..

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii98/bnemo/82%20750%20Maxim/tc-coverfinish1.jpg

I will probably go back and sand this down again w/1200 grit so it has a better finish and matches the other parts better. :D

[Archangel]

I am currently working on my bikes motor covers as well I have been using the drill buffers in the first pic instead of the electric grinder.
They do work but take much much longer .
The results are about the same.
I wish Harbor Freight had the pointy pads in the kit but no luck so I have been using the dremel.

[jonkun227]

The "pointy pads" and the mushroom shaped buffs can be hard to find. Every now-and-then Harbor Freight has a kit in stock that includes a couple, but you have to buy a bunch of other stuff which, if you're like me, you already have.

I finally found the specialty shapes at a local jeweler's supply place.

Caswell has GREAT info on how to buff. I wish I had read it before starting my project. I'll see if I can take some pictures of my setup today. I spent weeks sanding and buffing an engine from an 85 Shadow VT700C. It's gorgeous! (Then when I got it installed I discovered that I had one valve sticking in each cylinder. Still haven't fixed that yet.)

What I learned:

* You don't need to sand finer than 400 grit wet IF you start buffing with the black compound. That's basically a 400 grit suspended in wax. Any time spent sanding with 600 or 800 grit is basically wasted because it's so much faster to buff. The exception is odd shaped areas where you may find it easier to use sandpaper than a buffing wheel. You'll only know which cases are which through experience.

* You're going to get messy. Your wife won't want you to touch her for weeks if you do this bare-handed. At least get some neoprene mechanics gloves.

* YOU DON'T WANT TO BREATHE THIS STUFF, OR GET IT IN YOUR EYES. It can get really hot with safety goggles and a particulate mask, but you'll live and see longer.

* Pressure is the key. Push the workpiece into the buff hard enough that you really slow it down. You want a strong motor that will fight you. The whole idea is that you're creating enough friction to actually melt the surface of the metal. There's a magic point where you go from changing the look of the piece a little to achieving a mirror shine. It jumps that gap very quickly when you get the pressure, speed, and volume of compound right. Once you figure that out you can buff very quickly. (Most of the videos on YouTube of guys buffing seem to be of people who have figured that out, but they rarely verbalize it well. I saw how quickly they went from ugly to gorgeous with their pieces, yet it wasn't working like that for me until I understood that you really have to push.)

* Pushing a piece of metal into a course wheel that's spinning at several thousand rotations per minute can really create an effective projectile!

* The wall, ceiling, floor, and operator in line with the rotation of the buffing wheel will get dirty.

* Actual buffing machines are better than grinders with buffing wheels, because they stick out WAY further and you can really get a lot better angle on your workpiece.

* Use the workpiece behind the compound when you dress the wheel to force the compound into the fibers. If you just apply the compound to the wheel it will spit all over and you'll waste a lot of compound and make a bigger mess. It takes some coordination with awkward pieces, so keep a piece of scrap on hand to force it in when the workpiece is too awkward.

* Don't clean up the buffing compound with harsh chemicals! It's very sad to watch instant, splotchy oxidation appear on a freshly polished part because you used something too harsh. Stick to chemicals that are designed for cleaning & polishing aluminum!

* Die grinders are fantastic. Get a tapered arbor/mandrel (can never remember which is which; one has a screw to hold the wheel on, the other is just the shaft) for quick changes between wheels & compounds. Obviously you'll need a high capacity and/or fast air compressor to keep up, but if you can this is a great way to work on large pieces. Sometimes you want a straight grinder, sometimes you want an angled one. It depends on what you're working on. Get both kinds and you'll be happier.

* 3M "Roloc" pads are AWESOME. My brother introduced them to me after I had already done most of my polishing work. I could have saved SO MUCH time with those! Same goes for aircraft stripper. The factory clearcoat is very hard to sand through, but the aircraft stripper takes it off in seconds. I sanded with 320 & even 240 to get through it, which created rough gouges in the soft aluminum under the clearcoat, which then required a very long time to clean up with 400 grit. Aircraft stripper would have worked so much faster, but I didn't know about it until later.

The 3M pads are sold at Walmart, Lowe's, Autozone, Checker, and lots of other places in packs. But NAPA and PartsPlus sell them to me by the piece, and at a rate slightly cheaper than the packs even at Walmart. only Harbor Freight has a cheaper rate per piece, but you have to buy them in the big packs. They call them "surface reconditioning pads".

* The only time to use a course grade reconditioning pad on aluminum is if you're drastically changing the shape of the aluminum. I use it to remove casting lines, or to smooth down a sandcast finish, or to completely remove features I don't want. Otherwise it's too rough and it's very hard to remove the gouges it makes. Start with fine and only if that's not strong enough should you move up to medium. Usually fine is plenty for most aluminum work. You can sometimes go straight from fine to buffing and skip the 400 grit.

* Buffer/grinder stands are great. Harbor Freight sells them for $30. I built one out of scrap 2x4s for basically free. You want something with a wide base and a cap just big enough to mount the base of the grinder so that the support structure is never in the way of the workpiece.


http://caswellplating.com/
http://caswellplating.com/buffs/buffman.htm

Click the "download complete" link. Read it a few times through before taking on a big project. Read it all before buying any equipment.

One of the best things that will teach you is what speed to use for any given size buff. A cordless drill with a 2 or 3" buff simply cannot achieve the linear speed needed to buff. The smaller the buff the faster it has to spin. That's why you can buff at 3-4krpms on a grinder/buffer, but you need 20-30k on a dremel.

That's all I have time for right now, but I'll share more of my Lessons Learned later.


- Jon

[Chuck A]

wow, i will be looking into purchasing some of that, very shiny indeed

[jonkun227]

Everyone knows to not grind aluminum with abrasive grinding wheels or bits, right? It will just clog and ruin the wheel. You have to use a toothed carbide or similar bit to grind aluminum.

Just thought I'd mention that.


Anybody used both electric and air die grinders? I'm wondering how much power you need in an electric to get similar power output as an air grinder. I've only used the air grinders. I know that dremels get overwhelmed fairly easily, though that's why they make Foredom and similar heavy duty rotary tools. Dremel is a hobby tool.

Anyway, anybody have any experience here?


- Jon

[rexmitchell]

Alright time to stick this one.....its getting quite useful.

[Archangel]

I found That a battery powered drill and a buffing wheel will work but it takes way to long so I used a electric drill much better.
I started with the em plastic scotchbrite pads and a 4 1/2" hand grinder worked very well then I used 1000 grit sand paper to smooth out the transitions then buffed using white and red buffing dressing I had very good results but A large buffer would be much better to speed up the job.
I left on my oil cover and did it on the bike using a small dremel and a buffing wheel for it and it worked very well because of the speed increase from the elect drill.
I will remove the cover the next time I change my oil but tell then it is way better than before.

[rexmitchell]

I found That a battery powered drill and a buffing wheel will work but it takes way to long so I used a electric drill much better.
I started with the em plastic scotchbrite pads and a 4 1/2" hand grinder worked very well then I used 1000 grit sand paper to smooth out the transitions then buffed using white and red buffing dressing I had very good results but A large buffer would be much better to speed up the job.
I left on my oil cover and did it on the bike using a small dremel and a buffing wheel for it and it worked very well because of the speed increase from the elect drill.
I will remove the cover the next time I change my oil but tell then it is way better than before.

Post some pics when you get a chance.

[Archangel]

I posted a few on my photobucket account and linked them below.

I was kinda Pi**ed I took the bike out for a ride after buffing and a rock flew up and hit one side :eek:cover now it has a small scuff/ dent but guess that is life.
I may re do that side and to tell the truth I want to do a better job over all but for now not bad I also buffed the forks and they look sweet but I'm not done yet with any of the parts.

http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt275/Archangel_photos
/Honda%20Cb650c%20Repairs%20Project%20pics/Buffing%20Pics/beforebuffing00.jpg

http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt275/Archangel_photos/Honda%20Cb650c%20Repairs%20Project%20pics/Buffing%20Pics/beforebuffing01.jpg

http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt275/Archangel_photos/Honda%20Cb650c%20Repairs%20Project%20pics/Buffing%20Pics/Afterbuffingforks.jpg

http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt275/Archangel_photos/Honda%20Cb650c%20Repairs%20Project%20pics/Buffing%20Pics/Afterbuffing2.jpg

http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt275/Archangel_photos/Honda%20Cb650c%20Repairs%20Project%20pics/Buffing%20Pics/Afterbuffing1.jpg

Not to bad for using only a Drill with a buffing wheel and a dremmel with a small wheel what you think so far.:)

[rexmitchell]

Dang man that still looks great!

[Archangel]

I missed the before pic of the left side here it is


http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt275/Archangel_photos/Honda%20Cb650c%20Repairs%20Project%20pics/Buffing%20Pics/beforebuffing00.jpg

[jonkun227]

Excellent work! I truly know what a pain it is to get down inside those complex/compound curves, especially the tight ones.

I don't want it to seem like I'm trying to compete so I'll wait to show off the engine I polished. :)


- Jon

[Mad_Bohemian]

Excellent work Archangel!! Looks %1000 better. Plus you get the added bonus of standing back looking at it and saying to yourself "Dayum,the does look schweeeet!!!" And people wonder why your're walkin' around with a big 'ol grin on your face... lol :D

Let's see the pics jokun. It's not competition, it's a joint effort to educate and display to forum members the benefits and process of polishing/buffing,with before and/or after pics, so they can feel empowered to do the same...





(Plus it's a great way to show off ur crap and brag...:eek:) BWHAHAHAHAHA....:D

heck , if you put in the time and effort, you deserve some kudos .. :cool:

[Mad_Bohemian]

Here's a question... What have you done to seal the parts after you buff them? My time has been occupied with other things lately and have not been working in the bike. Went to do some more work on it today and all my buffed parts are starting to get oxidation :eek: I had polished everything after buffing with some mag polish... I sure don't feel like having to polish all the aluminum every 30 days, all year long :thumbsdown: Has anyone tried clear coating? I know casewell has a sealant kit you can get for something like $100 but 'there's got to be a cheaper/easier way'....(that's my mantra for life :D )

[rexmitchell]

Here's a question... What have you done to seal the parts after you buff them? My time has been occupied with other things lately and have not been working in the bike. Went to do some more work on it today and all my buffed parts are starting to get oxidation :eek: I had polished everything after buffing with some mag polish... I sure don't feel like having to polish all the aluminum every 30 days, all year long :thumbsdown: Has anyone tried clear coating? I know casewell has a sealant kit you can get for something like $100 but 'there's got to be a cheaper/easier way'....(that's my mantra for life :D )

Im pretty sure thats the best and maybe only way to do it.

[Mad_Bohemian]

For those of you with a buffer, here's a cheap solution to keeping the buffing dust and debris from going everywhere....
I made this out of some scrap lumber I had lying around and a piece of plastic from an inner fender.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii98/bnemo/buffing/100_9897.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii98/bnemo/buffing/100_9899.jpg

The hole at the back of the plastic is just big enough to fit the hose from my shop vac. So when I'm buffing the shop vac sucks up about 90% of everything.What is doesn't get falls in the bottom of the unit and I vacuum it up when I'm done....and the rest of the garage stays clean :thumbsup:

[Archangel]

I wish I had a buffer like that but all I had was a drill and a buffing wheel.
that is a great set up to keep the wax from going every where.
One problem with buffing on the bike is all the over spray of the wheel wax gets on every thing and then you have to clean the bike all over afterwords.

jonkun227 Please post the pics I love to take pride in other peoples hard work and accomplishments.

Here on the forum we love to see each others ideas and hard work and it pushes us to do better with our bikes and what not .:71baldboy:

[Bar Jesus]

Lots of good information, keep it coming.

[Koda Coyote]

Great thread. I see it has been a while since anyone has posted future results. I would like to see more and learn more if anyone has anything else to share on this topic.

[EatSomeIron]

anyone ever used never dull? i remember my dad polishing things with it, and it was remarkable.

[Koda Coyote]

anyone ever used never dull? i remember my dad polishing things with it, and it was remarkable.

It helps for some things but it won't give you that chrome shine. If you want that you have use a buffing wheel. However, if you want a good shine you can always use a polishing kit for your drill. They are about $14 bucks from Harbor Freight. I have a local store here and picked one up a while back. not as good as a polishing wheel but you can do a lot of stuff still on your motorcycle without having to remove parts, which of course you have to do an oil change for things like your generator covers and crankcase covers. They give you about10 different attachments and it gets in the nooks and crannies pretty well. Here is an example for you done with this kit...and its not even done yet. I still have a final stage to go on both the generator cover and crankcase.

BEFORE - keep in mind that is not mud, its flaked off clearcoat on which I used Aircraft Stripper first

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q133/Katana936/Honda%20CJ%20360T/DSCN2333.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q133/Katana936/Honda%20CJ%20360T/DSCN2368-1.jpg

After - Before final polish stage

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q133/Katana936/Honda%20CJ%20360T/DSCN2487.jpg

After - Generator Cover still needs final polish coat also

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q133/Katana936/Honda%20CJ%20360T/DSCN2504.jpg


Personally I think it looks fantastic and its not even done yet. I am going to get them finished at the next oil change.

[Jasonuncloned]

I hope you guys don’t mind a troll asking a few questions here, but I’ve been researching polishing aluminum a TON and this is be far the most helpful application specific thread I have found so I’m hoping some of you still post regularly and can answer some questions.

I’m trying to refinish the oxidized polished lip on my car wheels. The polished lip is discolored and the clearcoat is flaking. I do NOT want to to strip the entire wheel because the paint is still good and this is really just my attempt to clean up the wheels good enough to make them presentable for one more summer. Next winter I want to buy new wheels anyway. I don’t want to drop $600 on refinishing these. I might as well buy a set of dif set of wheels in better shape if I’m going to do that.

I’ve thus far been afraid to try aircraft stripper to remove the clearcoat because I was afraid that it would eat the paint too on accident. It looks like the person in the quote below didn’t have that issue though:



The can said to wait around 10-20 minutes but when I sprayed it on, this bubbling occured within about 2 minutes. I left it on around 5 minutes.

I wiped it off with rubber gloves on, as this will irritate your skin pretty good so be careful.


So I want to ask to you, was it just normal painters tape that you used? You didn’t have any issues with the aircraft stripper eating through the tape to get to the paint? I plan on applying it sparingly with a brush, I just want to make sure it won’t eat through the tape too.

Next Point brought up:


One of the best things that will teach you is what speed to use for any given size buff. A cordless drill with a 2 or 3" buff simply cannot achieve the linear speed needed to buff. The smaller the buff the faster it has to spin. That's why you can buff at 3-4krpms on a grinder/buffer, but you need 20-30k on a dremel.

2) At first I was thinking more along the lines of using a polishing wheel kit with an electric drill, but I’m getting the impression from this thread that the drill simply won’t produce enough RPMs? My drill is a 5.0 AMP and it says it only produces 800 RPMs! Considering that I don’t own any air tools, etc. am I better off just using a variable speed dremel for polishing? It’s probably going to be a bit tedious to use such a small wheel or tip, but considering that the lip of the wheel is only about 1” wide it won’t be bas bad as polishing a fat 5 spoke wheel or say a valve cover.

If that doesn't work too well I'll consider buying the electric die grinder mentioned below:

I'm not expert by any means.You can try it with the cordless. But I think you'll find it takes a lot longer, and the buffing media will kinda clump at lower rpms. The heat generated from the buffing helps the media 'flow' and cut better. If it's in your budget, this looks like an inexpensive addition to your toolbox. Keep in mind (if you're anything like me) once you see how you can bring the shine back to something, you're gonna start finding all sorts of things to buff out...lol So it might be a worthwhile investment.

Not sure if this unit has variable speed though. The buffing wheels in the polishing kit from Harbor Freight are rated at max rpms of 2800, the felt bobs are rated at 20,000 rpm so keep that in mind when you're looking at different options.

And lastly, going by the “use what I have already” mantra, do you guys think a finish sander like this would be any help at all when I’m sanding in the beginning stages?:

Since the wheels are aluminum I don’t want to use any kind of Dremel sanding drum in fear of gouging them so I’ll probably hand sand from 220 to 400 or 600 before I use the polishing bits. I was thinking about at least trying one of these things out though and going in a crossing pattern as I sand to avoid getting too many directional scratches.

EDIT: Had to remove all the links and images per posting restrictions (need 15 post count to use links or images :( ) so I appologize that this isn't as clear now.

[rexmitchell]

Yes, just the plain old blue tape and I had no issues with it eating through it. Remember that I didn't leave it on the specified time though.

[Mad_Bohemian]

....
Since the wheels are aluminum I don’t want to use any kind of Dremel sanding drum in fear of gouging them so I’ll probably hand sand from 220 to 400 or 600 before I use the polishing bits. I was thinking about at least trying one of these things out though and going in a crossing pattern as I sand to avoid getting too many directional scratches..

Hi Jason. I would NOT recommend using a crossing pattern. That will introduce scratches that will be VERY difficult to work out. Keep in mind also that the finer the grit you finish with during sanding , the easier polishing will be. Don't be afraid to take it up to 1500. When you the sand parts prior to polishing ,wet sanding will help you paper to last longer and not get loaded up with aluminum. When I polished some car rims I actually had a garden hose with a trickle of water running on the wheel while I sanded.