Quote:
Originally Posted by 2003 GMC Denali 
Mike... how do you know, when the Buff Ball is spinning around at a 1000 RPM, that there isn't a particle of Dirt on there too, scratching away ? |
Sometimes,
All you can do is all you can do...
By this I mean that before machine polishing ANYTHING, paint plastic, aluminum, chrome, etc., you should wash it thoroughly.
If you read enough of my posts I always type,
Work clean.
I say it in my videos, I teach the idea in my classes and I practices when I detail cars. If you do a great job of washing your wheels before machine polishing and then rinsing to get any dirt particles out of any crevices that make up the design of the wheel you will have done all you can do practically speaking to prevent any dirt particle from entering into the machine polishing process.
If possible you could do things like blow the cracks and crevices on the wheel with a blast of compressed air if you have an air compressor, so washing isn't your only option but it's the one "most" people can do.
Besides reducing the potential for the scenario you present, the next thing you can do is to STOP and inspect your work periodically and look to see if an abrasive particle has entered into the process and is scratching the surface, if discovered, remove the abrasive particle.
Another option if a person is concerned about scratching a surface when machine polishing is not machine polish but instead hand polish and avoid the machine altogether. You'll still want to inspect by hand as you could possibly still have the same scenario you propose play out by hand.
You could also take your wheels to someone that does as a business and let them assume the risk. Take pictures of your wheels beforehand to show there were no scratches to begin with and make sure the company you use offers some kind of warranty for their work.
How's that?
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2003 GMC Denali This would be my biggest fear, using something like this, on a Chrome Rim.
Would you ever use this on a neglected Chrome Rim ? |
Yes.
First, if I was polishing a neglected chrome rim because it's neglected I would first fault the person that neglected it for it's current state of appearance.
Next, if the chrome surface is neglected, it will usually start to rust and the chrome will begin to flake off, at this point if my goal is to make the chrome shiny, then "IF" it were to get a scratch in it from machine or hand polishing, that would be the least of my worries as the wheel already started out from neglect.
I've owned neglected chrome wheels not because I've neglected them but because the came that way on a car, here's an example, chrome Cragars on a very rare 1973 2-wheel drive Blazer. They make approximately 3200 2-wheel drive Blazers in 1973, so they are indeed very rare in now this year of 2010
When I get a set of neglected chrome wheels the first thing I do is clean and polish them and then after that ALWAYS keep them washed very, very well. The reason why is chrome is almost impervious to any kind of chemical attack but if you let dirt build up and then trap moisture onto the chrome surface, it will deteriorate the chrome and cause rust to form onto the underlying steel and once that happens you pass the point of no return and it will only get worse and worse, it will never get better and better.
So the key to keeping chrome from deteriorating is to keep it very clean, dry and coated with a wheel wax.
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