How good is Simichrome Polish? We test it on a heavily rusted spoked wheel
We put Simichrome Metal Polish to a tough test to see if it could remove heavy rust from a spoke wheel on baby stroller. The instructions & tips will show you a how we restored this stroller that had been left in an unheated, dirt floor garage and never been polished so that it looks shiny and new again using Simchrome Polish.
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Materials Used:
- Simichrome Polish in an 8.82 ounce Can
- Microfiber cloth
- Nitrile Gloves
- Fuller Moldable Horse Hair Detail Brush
- Paper Towels
- 000 Steel Wool
- 0000 Steel Wool
Application:
1. Apply a small amount of Simichrome polish right out of the can about the size of a dime and spread it evenly over the entire surface of the wheel rim with your nitrile gloved hand. Repeat until the whole surface of the wheel rim is covered. Use the polish sparingly, a little goes a long way.
2. Let the polish stay on the wheel rims for several minutes, but do not let the polish dry.
3. Take a pad of 000 steel wool and unroll a 2 to 3 inch piece and tear off.
4. Work the polish with the steel wool with mild pressure over the rust and remove it.
5. Wipe the polish/rust residue off the wheel rim with a soft paper towel or cloth. Repeat steps 1 -3 until the heavy encrusted rust has been polished off. Please note that Simichrome will not take out pitting or deep scratches.
6. At this point apply additional dabs of Simichrome with the tip of your nitrile glove all over the surface of the rim. Allow to sit and work for a several minutes, but do not let the polish dry.
7. Change to 0000 steel wool ( the finest grade )and gently rub the Simichrome onto the surface, polishing the remaining rust and corrosion from the wheel.
8. Wipe off excess polish / rust residue with a soft paper towel or cloth.
9. Apply a some Simichrome polish with the finger tip of your nitrile glove from the can onto the wheel spokes. Again let sit for a several minutes and polish with more 0000 steel wool.
10. Use a Fuller Moldable Horse Hair Detail brush to get the polish into the area of the wheel where the spokes attach to the rim and the hub. Take a clean paper towel & remove the remaining polish residue of the wheel and spokes. Check your work and if any rust or corrosion is still present reapply the polish and work with 0000 steel wool until you are satisfied that it is as good as you can get it. Wipe off all residue with another clean paper towel.
11. Buff the wheel with a microfiber cloth to a high shine mirror finish. Simichrome will leave a film on the wheel that is not greasy. This retards corrosion and tarnish so your wheel will look better longer. Elapsed time to shine wheel was under an hour. This was a good test of what Simichrome polish is capable of doing. The polish and a little TLC brought this stroller that was purchased at a tag sale for $5.00 into a nice usable piece of equipment. That salvaged it from the local landfill . If you have a tough job to do, don’t hesitate to try Simichrome polish on it. Think green–recycle!
Before and After:
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Polish Guy Tip : “This project is a good example why its a good idea to use nitrile gloves when using polish. Not only will it help to keep the rusty grime off your hands but it also helps to apply the polish evenly right where you want it..” |
Episode #9 - How to Polish Church Appointments - Chalice and Candle Stick
In this demonstration we use a Church Polish & Cleaning Kit that includes Simichrome and Flitz to polish a brass chalice and candle stick. The tutorial includes detailed work instructions and best practices.
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Materials Used:
- Church Polish & Cleaning Kit
- Micro Fiber Cloth
- Pair of nitrile gloves (Optional)
- Paper towel or small soft rag
Instructions and Application :
1. Apply an ample dime size spot of non-toxic Flitz polish onto the finger tip of your nitrile glove. The nitrile gloves is an easy way to apply a controlled thin amount of polish onto the chalice with out wasting any, as you would if it is applied with a cloth. The gloves also aid in keeping your hands clean. Cover the entire brass surface of the chalice. Wait a minute or so and then wipe off the polish with a soft rag before it dries. The use of a microfiber cloth that comes with the kit works very well. Turn it often to get to a clean spot and buff briskly to a high sheen as desired. No mater what polish you use, always wash with warm soapy water, rinse and dry before using the chalice.
2. On the candle stick we used Simichrome polish that comes with the kit. It is a more aggressive polish than Flitz . It will clean and shine items like the brass candle sticks we are using in this demonstration quickly and easily. On items where there may be a heavy build up of candle wax, it is helpful if you remove the wax with hot water or even a hair dryer and wipe the wax clean with a paper towel before polishing. Follow the same basic steps that were used to polish the chalice on the brass candle stick. A Fuller Horse Hair Detail Brush is also included with this kit for use on any intricate designs that may exist on your ornate church appointments. The brush is handy for getting the polish in and out of these areas.
3. Try using the micro fiber cloth that comes with the kit for all your church dusting. You will be surprised how easily dust and dirt are trapped by the fabric. It does not just spread the dust around but actually traps it in the fibers. Microfiber cloths clean streak free and lint free. They also work very well on glass and mirror surfaces with out any chemicals. Micro cloths are reusable 100s of times. To clean just machine wash warm with colors and air dry.
4. When using any polish, it is always advisable to try it in a small inconspicuous spot to see if you like the results especially on thinly plated items.
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Polish Guy Tip : “Did you know that you can burn over 200 calories per hour cleaning your church? That’s good for your heart and your soul ! .“ |
Before and After: Chalice
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Before and After: Candle Stick
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Polishing & care of an antique silver brooch pin with Top Brite Metal Polish
In this polishing tip a classic antique silver brooch pin will be restored using Top Brite Metal Polish.
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Materials Used:
Instructions and Application :
1 Squeeze a very small amount of Top Brite Metal Polish in small dabs in a number of places on the silver pin.
2. You will find it easier if you use a Fuller Detail Brush to work the polish into the tooled patterned areas. You may also work in the polish with a clean soft cloth and the tip of your finger nail. Let the polish stand for a minute or so .
3. Wipe off the polish while still wet with a microfiber cloth and buff to the desired sheen. A soft cloth will also work, but we have found that the micro fiber cloths shine streak free, scratch free and shed no lint. They are also good for touch up shining with out polish or chemicals for upkeep of your fine jewelry. Time elapsed to polish this brooch pin was about 5 minutes.
Before and After:
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Polish Guy Tip : “On any of your jewelry, consider using a soft horse hair detail brush. Old tooth brushes have bristles that are too hard for soft metals that fine jewelry are often made of.” |
Episode #8 - How to Polish Ford Ranger Alloy Rims Using Autosol
In this demonstration we use Autosol to polish an alloy wheel on a 2004 Ford Ranger 4X4 pickup truck. The tutorial includes detailed work instructions and best practices.
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Materials Used:
- Autosol Metal Polish
- Moldable Horse-Hair Detail Brush
- 5″ Flitz BuffBall
- Micro Fiber Cloth
- Pair of nitrile gloves
Instructions and Application :
1. If necessary, wash your wheels and let dry. Then apply a heavy dime size spot of Autosol Metal Polish onto the finger tip of your nitrile glove. Cover the entire surface of the wheel with a thin layer of polish and let sit for a minute or two.
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Polish Guy Tip: “The nitrile gloves will help keep your hands clean as you reach into the openings of the wheel castings to apply the polish. It also wastes less polish than you would if you applied the Autosol with a rag. But either application will work for you. |
2. On hard to reach areas like around the lugnuts or to get into the sharp edges of the wheel casting, the use of a horse hair detail brush allows for easier application of the polish. The Fuller Horse-Hair Brush is soft and will not scratch the surface of the wheel like some brushes do, but is still stiff enough to get the polish right in where you want it to be. Also the brush’s handle can be held under hot water and molded to any shape you need to help get it into tight areas where a rigid handle brush might not be able to go.
3.You can just polish your wheels with a cloth at this point, or to speed things up, use a Flitz 5″ Original BuffBall attached to your drill. It makes the work much quicker & easier. Start the BuffBall slowly so as not to spatter the polish all over and then increase the speed. Keep the BuffBall moving and run it in and out of the wheel casting. It forms right into the size necessary to polish the openinngs. It really worked well for us in this demonstation. Always polish with the Flitz Buffball turning in the forward or right rotation.
4. After you have completed step 3, clean up any remaining polish residue with a microfiber cloth. Polish to a high shine as desired. To keep your wheels looking good, periodically wipe down with the microfiber cloth to remove brake dust and light grime.
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Polish Guy Tip: “Flitz recommends that their BuffBall be cleaned by hand washing. For best results soak overnight in a bucket of soapy water. Liquid dish soap works well. Remove from bucket and rinse well. Air dry and fluff.“ |
Before and After:
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