Polished or Brushed Finish?

[PANAVIA]

Painted. I am different too.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by PANAVIA

Painted. I am different too.

Steve, paint is normal. Bare aluminum is different.

I'm fairly sure this has been discussed on CC before, but according to the "Swift Method":

"Maintaining the Mirror Finish

Swift has found the mirror finish produced by their polishing method holds up very well to the elements. Remember, they are polishing aircraft that are exposed to the same rain and bugs as your car…only they are traveling at over 150 miles an hour.

To periodically clean the mirror finish, Swift recommends washing the polished surface with plain water (no detergents). Rinse the surface with clean water and then mop with a clean cotton cloth soaked in water to remove any surface contaminants. Flush the polished surface with fresh water to wash away any remaining particles. Dry the surface with a synthetic chamois (Swift recommends “Absorber”). You can follow this with a clean polishing cloth to be sure the surface is completely dry.

Swift notes that the high gloss finish does not require as much re-polishing as other methods they have tried. A quick touch up with the Nuvite S is generally all that is necessary to periodically restore the mirror-like finish."

If your bare polished aluminum surface has not been neglected, and has not significantly weathered then:

"The final polishing step uses the Cyclo3 Model 5 polisher, Nuvite S polish and Swift’s 95/5 material,4 similar to a very heavy weight sweatshirt fleece used as a polishing cloth. The Cyclo is an industrial strength polisher with dual counterbalanced heads that move in a random, overlapping pattern. It is also a great polisher for painted surfaces since it will not burn paint finishes or leave swirl marks like high-speed rotary polishers. Swift has experimented with different types of polishing pads, cloths and types of polishers and has found the above combination to work the best."

If you don't have a Cyclo, then polish by hand. Takes a bit longer and isn't as good as a polisher.

Let's not make it out to be brain surgery.