White Diamond metal polish

[paulbaker1954]

Anyone ever used, read it's the dogs b*******

[Matt_Harrington]

Never heard of it - mind you. theres a lot I don't know! 

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Never heard of it but then again there are probably hundreds  of brands out there - all claim to give the best shine ever!

I have a tin of Duzzit Metal Polish that also polishes SS, Aluminium, Silver etc costs £0.85 pence for 125 ml from local discount store - looks good value against £22 for 335 ml. Works great on tarnished silver. 

I guess it depends on what you are polishing & how much elbow grease you will use - my buffing wheel gives great results but it ain't a ten minute job.
I find that Solvol Autosol is great on chrome but when used on highly polished aluminium it leaves a dull finish compared to a very fine finishing soap.

[Seabeowner]

Anyone tried Simichrome? I have some but can't afford to use it.

[Athame57]

I guess it depends on what you are polishing & how much elbow grease you will use - my buffing wheel gives great results but it ain't a ten minute job.
I find that Solvol Autosol is great on chrome but when used on highly polished aluminium it leaves a dull finish compared to a very fine finishing soap.

What is finishing soap? I did google gagga but only got soap finish a wood subject! I've got saddle soap but not for my bike saddle, I polished that and slid onto the tank!

[davidcumbria]

Ive got some white diamond. No better than solvol on chrome. Only clean chrome pledge seems as good as both. Use mothers on aluminium. 

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I guess it depends on what you are polishing & how much elbow grease you will use - my buffing wheel gives great results but it ain't a ten minute job.
I find that Solvol Autosol is great on chrome but when used on highly polished aluminium it leaves a dull finish compared to a very fine finishing soap.

What is finishing soap? I did google gagga but only got soap finish a wood subject! I've got saddle soap but not for my bike saddle, I polished that and slid onto the tank!

It's the fine grade soap block that I load onto my buffing wheel that gives you the mirror type finish.

[Athame57]

It's the fine grade soap block that I load onto my buffing wheel that gives you the mirror type finish.

Any chance of a link? Interesting because I'm about to start using my own buffing wheel, I use colour coded metal polishes for it and solvol. If something new is to make the job easier I want to know! 

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I have ended up with four different grades of soap, coarse, medium, fine, very fine. They appear to be generally marketed by colour grade - first snag is there is no uniformity so not all colours are the same grade.

The second hurdle is deciding on what type of mop to use. I use what came with my buffing wheel. My machine is a Warco 750w with 8inch diam polishing mops.
I will post a link for the soap bars I use. I have found that the weight of my machine is such that I have not bolted it to my bench I just have a block of wood at the back to stop it moving backwards. I am still learning how to use the wheel to best advantage. Most of the time I use minimal or very light contact between part and wheel.
Once you start to get used to using the wheel it becomes quite intuitive in terms of applying pressure & how much soap to use.
It's quite a messy process as you get black hands if you forget to wear gloves. You eventually end up with muck on the bench & floor but tbh not as bad as I thought. Obviously for safety you do not want the object you are polishing to fly out of your hand  into the air so it is damaged. Some good videos on U tube but a lot of liars in terms of how long it actually takes to get a good result. How long you spend at the wheel depends on how fussy you are. As Ken will testify pre- buffing preparation is essential if going for perfect.

Link to follow as I'm on my phone ATM.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223717853288?var=522434153895

I started with medium & fine - I soon realised there are no shortcuts - Ken is probably the Grand Master in Polishing having seen some of his outcomes. He did a grand job on my 400 speedo bottom housings.


Red 455g - Ideal for Polishing Articles of Jewellery and Precious Metals such as Gold and Silver. This Compound can also be Used with Plated Metals
Green 495g - Provides a High Shine Finish on Hard and Soft Metals. Excellent Results with Platinum, Chrome and Stainless Steel
White 440g - Ideal for Final Finishing Particularly on Harder Metals or a Lighter Cut on Soft Metals
Blue 445g - General Use Compound for all Metals
Black 550g - Great Performance where Removal of Scratches. Pitting and Rust from Metallic Surfaces Due to the Impregnation of Emery in the Compund. Use of this Compound will Save Time and Start the Polishing Process
Brown 480g - General Purpose Rough Starting Compound for Initial Buffing and Polishing. Can be used to Cut and Remove Scratches and Leave a Smooth Finish. Best Used with Softer Metals Such as Brass and Copper. The Brown Polishing Compound can also be Used on Wood


PS My Warco machine had to be repaired by the supplier when it made some loud bearing noises - they collected it - replaced the bearings - delivered back all f.o.c. I think it had been stored in a damp warehouse. I would neither advise against or recommend Warco. A lot to be said for buying a used machine built in the 1960's!

Sorry if I have drifted a tad off topic - I have to say my learning curves has not been rapid but I do now find it enjoyable in a strange way - the hypnotic thrum of the wheel the changes as you start to start to get the hang of it - then when you think its easy you do a final finish that ends up duller - that's when you realise its time for a cup of tea & a Kit-Kat. I let my machine have a break every 30 minutes or so to ensure I do not overheat it.

[Athame57]

Hi Ted
Thanks for the link, it seems I already have soaps then, just never heard of them called that before. I don't have the facilities to get a buffing wheel and rely on using a hand drill for the same job. I'm doing some polishing today, wish me luck! 

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Hi Ted
Thanks for the link, it seems I already have soaps then, just never heard of them called that before. I don't have the facilities to get a buffing wheel and rely on using a hand drill for the same job. I'm doing some polishing today, wish me luck! 

On small odd shaped parts I use a small buffing wheel in my cordless drill it works a treat - I do not have the energy levels to use a hand drill.

You do not need luck - just perseverance & time on your hands!

[paulbaker1954]

Well folks
Used some and it’s very good on alloy cases, brings them up way better than solvol and apparently it seals as well so less often polishing

Expensive but very good and goes a long way

Would recommend

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

How are you polishing - by hand with a cloth or mechanical ?

A picture of the result would be good for your review.

[Martin6]

I use White Diamond and have found it is disappointing on chrome and any lacquered alloy, but the best I have used for hand polishing on bare alloy. It seems to last longer than Solvol too.