polishing aluminum....?

[roco racing]

whats a good grit for a final sanding? im making new motor rails and im finished with the 600 grit but i think i need to go finer i can still see some grooves in the metal..also is wet or dry better for aluminum?aluminum oxide or what type of paper should i be using it seems like the 600 grit wore out after a few passes.thanks for any help...

[HOSS]

Damn dude, you have along way to go! Keep stepping it up to 1600, then buff your ass off, wear a mask.

[Sangster]

The paper lasts longer when used wet....

[sidewound]

Hey keep goin
the more you sand and the finer grit you use the less polishing you have to do. I've found that my da sander and electric orbital sander in the begining stages saves a lot of time. These work better dry. Elbow grease will make the piece. I use mothers to finish. Scothbrite pads are a real help in oddly contoured places and comes in many grits. Rub it till your fingers bleed then come back in a couple days. Good luck.

[Wet Dream]

Scratches give it character. J/K. Just like everyone else said, the smoother you get it, the better it will look. 600 will give you a decent finish, but take it 1200 or 1600. And don't buff it until you get to this point. If you buff it and find that it isn't good enough, trying to get that smooth surface sanded again is tougher than going from the 600 to 800 to 1000 to 1200 to 1600.

[roco racing]

i had some real grainy aluminum, i started with 220 then 320,400,600,800,1000,1200,1500, then polished with a wheel that i put on my drill press,I used mothers and blue magic and it came out tits..thanks for the tips, they really helped me out..