The Polish Guy - Polishing Videos Instructions - Polishing Tutorials, Tips and Techniques

Did poor headlight condition cause your vehicle to fail inspection?

The Polish Guy — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:09:15 +0000

It is always nice to get feedback from a viewer of our videos. This comment was in regard to a video we did about cleaning headlights from a Ford 150 pickup truck with Autosol polish sometime ago.

” thanks for the video.. i live in the uk and my car just failed its MOT inspection due to poor condition of the headlamps. the garage quoted me £260 to put it right.. One tube of autosol cost me £6.. Car now passed.. THANKS “

Well we know it works, now you know it works. If you are having a similar problem, why not buy a tube of Autosol or even better yet an Autosol head light polishing kit from our recommended USA supplier by clicking right here. Get some Autosol, it really works. To see the original post about how to clean a headlight with Autosol polish click here.

Confessions of a brass polishing addict

The Polish Guy — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:45:08 +0000

Are you a clean freak? Do you like copper items that are shiny…..I mean really really shiny? Did you ever wonder how do they get the copper finish to really pop and catch your attention at auctions ? Is your collection of copper wares that you display in your kitchen dull, greasy and in need of some spiffing up? Well this post for cleaning and preserving copper may be for you. I went out and purchased at a local tag sale a few weeks ago the worse condition piece of copper that I could find. Apparently keeping copper in good condition is not only hard but something that is quite a chore. As I had no problem viewing a large selection of pitiful specimens in just a few stops. I settled on this Manning Bowman tea kettle made in Meriden,Connecticut. I am using Wenol Metal Polish and a trick or two to put a little life back into this pot and extend the life of the polishing effort.

	Materials Used: Wenol Metal Polish in a 3.98 ounce tube Wenol Ultra Soft Polish Horse Hair Detail Brush Microfiber cloth Nitrile gloves Instructions and Application : 1 Squeeze a small amount of Wenol Metal Polish from the tube and apply it in 10 or so dabs about the size of your small finger on to the tea pot. Spread polish evenly with the finger tips of your nitrile glove. A small amount of polish goes a long, long way. 2. Let the polish stand for about 3 to 4 minutes and then polish with the finger tips of your gloved hand. Use a soft horse hair detail brush to work the polish into and out of the tight areas where handle meets the pot. This saves taking the handle off the tea pot which is another possible option. 3. If you want the look of an antique, you may have polished far enough at this point. However if you want your copper to be bright and really shiny, further polishing will be required. If the tarnish is still lingering or if there are stubborn spots and streaks of tarnish shadow on the copper surface, you might try this old trick. Apply more polish as in step 1, then take a small amount of 0000 steel wool and apply a quarter size dab of polish directly on it. Now start to polish the tea pot with very light pressure. The polish on the steel wool will act as a lubricant and make the polish glide along and clean & polish with out scratching the surface. Wipe the copper surface again with a clean soft paper towel or soft cloth. 4. Re-apply following step 1, just using polish and a cloth, but not the steel wool one last time. Buff to the desired sheen with a micro fiber cloth. Time elapsed to polish the tea pot was about 20 minutes. 5. If your copper is for cooking , serving food or beverage wash thoroughly with warm water and a little soap & rinse before using. If your copper is just for display, try this polishing trick. As a last step use Wenol Ultra Soft Polish, which the old timers called “Wenol Blue.” Just apply a few dabs right on to the copper surface and polish in with a soft cloth or a clean part of a microfiber cloth. It will keep the shine for months and it repels dust. For upkeep after that, just re-wipe once in a while with a cloth and your copper will look bright again. At some point of course you will need to re-polish, but using some Wenol Blue is well worth the extra time you will get between polishing periods. Cars guys often use Wenol Blue on their chrome wheels to give them that “show” finish after polishing with regular Wenol, which they call “Wenol Red.” If you would like to purchase some Wenol Red & Wenol Blue from our recommended supplier click this link. They have excellent product knowledge and ship quickly. 1/2 way through the polishing process & after using Wenol Red & Blue:

Materials Used:

Instructions and Application :

1 Squeeze a small amount of Wenol Metal Polish from the tube and apply it in 10 or so dabs about the size of your small finger on to the tea pot. Spread polish evenly with the finger tips of your nitrile glove. A small amount of polish goes a long, long way.

2. Let the polish stand for about 3 to 4 minutes and then polish with the finger tips of your gloved hand. Use a soft horse hair detail brush to work the polish into and out of the tight areas where handle meets the pot. This saves taking the handle off the tea pot which is another possible option.

3. If you want the look of an antique, you may have polished far enough at this point. However if you want your copper to be bright and really shiny, further polishing will be required. If the tarnish is still lingering or if there are stubborn spots and streaks of tarnish shadow on the copper surface, you might try this old trick. Apply more polish as in step 1, then take a small amount of 0000 steel wool and apply a quarter size dab of polish directly on it. Now start to polish the tea pot with very light pressure. The polish on the steel wool will act as a lubricant and make the polish glide along and clean & polish with out scratching the surface. Wipe the copper surface again with a clean soft paper towel or soft cloth.

4. Re-apply following step 1, just using polish and a cloth, but not the steel wool one last time. Buff to the desired sheen with a micro fiber cloth. Time elapsed to polish the tea pot was about 20 minutes.

5. If your copper is for cooking , serving food or beverage wash thoroughly with warm water and a little soap & rinse before using. If your copper is just for display, try this polishing trick. As a last step use Wenol Ultra Soft Polish, which the old timers called “Wenol Blue.” Just apply a few dabs right on to the copper surface and polish in with a soft cloth or a clean part of a microfiber cloth. It will keep the shine for months and it repels dust. For upkeep after that, just re-wipe once in a while with a cloth and your copper will look bright again. At some point of course you will need to re-polish, but using some Wenol Blue is well worth the extra time you will get between polishing periods. Cars guys often use Wenol Blue on their chrome wheels to give them that “show” finish after polishing with regular Wenol, which they call “Wenol Red.”

If you would like to purchase some Wenol Red & Wenol Blue from our recommended supplier click this link. They have excellent product knowledge and ship quickly.

1/2 way through the polishing process & after using Wenol Red & Blue:

Polish Guy Tip : “Wearing nitrile gloves not only keeps your hands clean, but also spreads the polish on thinly & economically. Plus it just makes good sense to keep chemicals away from your skin. “

Using Simichrome polish to clean a BARCLO open end wrench

The Polish Guy — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 18:02:27 +0000

This polish instruction tip shows how to restore and polish a dirty, greasy, rusted & tarnished Barclo wrench. This open end wrench was made in Buffalo, NY in the 30s or 40s. This brand of wrenches was often sold at Western Auto Supply Stores and old military guys remember when they were include in the Willy’s Jeeps. We brought new life to this old forged chrome molybdenn wrench with very little elbow grease and a dab or two of Simchrome Polish.

Materials Used:

Application:

1. Apply a small amount of Simichrome polish about the size of a pencil eraser in a couple of places on the wrench surface. Spread the polish out evenly and rub it on with the finger tips of your nitrile gloved hand in small circular motions.

2. With a soft paper towel rub the polish and remove excess, flipping the paper towel to clean areas to remove tarnish. When you see the black corrosion lifting off the wrench onto the paper towel, you will be glad you used the nitrile gloves to keep your hands clean.

3. Repeat steps one and two until you are satisfied that the chrome dullnessis gone and the shine is beginning to be restored. Then repeat the process on the other side of the wrench.

4. Next buff with a microfiber cloth to a shine. Simichrome will leave a film on the wrench that is not greasy. This retards corrosion and tarnish so your looks better longer. Also if you do get any grease or oil on it in the future, a microfiber cloth will will wipe the wrench clean far easier than before. Elapsed time to shine this wrench was well under 4 minutes.

You can buy Simichrome polish from our recommended reliable supplier by clicking here.

Before and After:

	_

Polish Guy Tip : “It is very wise to use nitrile gloves when using any brand of metal polish. Keeping chemicals off your skin is just good common sense. “

Using Autosol polish to clean & brighten brushed chrome

The Polish Guy — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 19:23:59 +0000

In this post a collectible brushed chrome Zippo tape measure is cleaned and restored using Autosol Metal Polish. This tape measure is of the type used as a promotional give away and is marked MARLAND. Over time it had become quite spotted & tarnished. It seemed a good project to see what a little Autosol metal polish could do to improve its looks.

Materials Used:

* Autosol® Metal Polish in a 75 ml tube (3.33 ounces) tube
* Microfiber cloth

Instructions and Application :

1. Apply a small amount of Autosol onto your finger tip and spread it thinly on the face of the Zippo. Just a small amount of polish is needed. Cover the entire surface and let it sit there and work for a minute.

2. Then using fairly light pressure rub the polish in the direction of the grain.

3. Using a soft microfiber cloth wipe off the polish residue. Then repeat steps one and two on the backside of the tape measure.

4. The top and sides were not brushed but just plain chrome, so the microfiber cloth took off the finger prints and it looked like new.

5. Total elapsed time to do this was around 3 or 4 minutes.

To buy Autosol polish used to shine this Zippo advertising tape click here.

Before and After:

Using Wenol metal polish to clean German stainless steel surgical bandage scissors

The Polish Guy — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 02:27:36 +0000

In this polishing tip an old pair of bandage scissors made of German stainless steel will be cleaned and restored using Wenol Metal Polish. You often see this type of medical instrument used by health care professionals or even in first aid kits.

Materials Used:

Instructions and Application :

1 Take the scissors apart for easier cleaning. Then squeeze a small amount of Wenol Metal Polish from the tube and apply a few dabs onto the scissors. Spread polish evenly with the finger tips of your nitrile gloved hand until the tool is coated completely on all surfaces. You may even want to use 0000 steel wool to help lift the stubborn stains off of the surface using the polish as a lubricant.

2. Remove all polish with a microfiber cloth or soft paper towel. Re-apply a bit more Wenol and let the polish stand for a minute or so.

3. Next wipe off the polish residue before it dries with a soft paper towel. Buff to the desired sheen with a soft micro fiber cloth for best results. Time elapsed to shine this set of scissors was about 10 minutes.

Where can I buy Wenol Polish you ask ? Click right here to order Wenol and receive it quickly from a reliable supplier.

Before and After:

Polish Guy Tip : “ Wash & rinse the scissors well and clean with an alcohol wipe, sanitizer gel or sterilize in some manner before using.”

Removing marks from our Step2 Lifestyles Kitchen

The Polish Guy — Thu, 20 May 2010 14:41:56 +0000

Need help removing markers from a Step2 Lifestyles Kitchen? Try Flitz polish. This kitchen was in great condition that we purchased at a local tag sale for our granddaughter. I did notice a number of different colored lines on the refrigerator door that I thought were probably made from a washable kids marker. WRONG ! They were a more permanent type marker that would not wash off with soap & water. I even tried some paint thinner. Fortunately I had some Flitz polish around and in reading the label noticed that it claimed to take off graffiti and dyes. Check out the pictures below to see the reuslts. FLITZ to the rescue again!

Materials Used:

Flitz Polish 1.76 ounce tube
Micro Fiber Cloth
Optional paper towel or small soft rag

Instructions and Application :

1. Right out of the tube place a small dab of Flitz on to a soft cloth. I used a micro fiber cloth.

2. Apply the Flitz with light pressure in the direction of the marker lines. I reapplied more polish in a few stubborn areas until the marker was gone.

3. I then turned the cloth to a clean spot and buffed off the remaining Flitz polish from the door.

4. The last thing was to wash the door of the refrigerator with warm soapy water and rinse before letting it be played with. Good as new.

Where can you buy Flitz polish? Click here to purchase from our recommended Flitz Distributor.

Step2 Kitchen refrigerator door before being cleaned & polished:

Step 2 refrigerator door Before and After:

Polish Guy Tip : ” We used Flitz polish paste in a tube, but liquid Flitz polish would give you the same good results. Flitz polish has a USDA label so I felt it was safe to use in this application, but you should wash and rinse any remaining polish residue from the surface before letting your child play with it.”

Simichrome polish used on 1989 Saleen Mustang chrome wheels

The Polish Guy — Fri, 07 May 2010 14:58:13 +0000

Recently an e-mail was sent to us from Ray in Oregon. He wrote as follows… ” I have a 1989 Saleen Mustang (photos to follow). My car has chrome wheels that get very dull and stained over time. So I have been using Happich polish to clean up my wheels since I bought the car new. I figure I have gone through 20-25 tubes of Happich polish over the preceding 21 years. I decided you had a great price on a can of polish so I went for a larger amount of the stuff. I found you thru goggle.
I polish the wheels and then I put a coat of paste wax on them. Usually about 6 months goes by before I have to do it again.”

We would recommended that you try Simichrome polish for this use also.

You can purchase Simichrome polish by clicking HERE.

Autosol polish directions for rusty wheel rims

The Polish Guy — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 20:36:25 +0000

In this polishing tip a very rusty & tarnished car rim is cleaned and restored using Autosol Metal Polish. We picked up this discarded rim by the side of the road. It is a great example of how quick and easy you can get superior results using Autosol metal polish. Be sure to look at the before and after pictures of the rim.

Materials Used:

Autosol® Metal Polish in a 75 ml tube (3.33 ounces) tube
Microfiber cloth
Nitrile Gloves
Soft paper towel

Instructions and Application :

1. Using a pair of nitrile gloves helps to keep your hands clean as well as being a good way to apply polish. Apply a small amount of Autosol onto your finger tip and spread it thinly on the surface of the car wheel rim. Just a small amount of polish is needed. .

2. I chose to only do about 1/2 of the rim so that you could see the dramatic difference after using Autosol polish to remove the rust and corrosion. Using light pressure rub the polish in small circular motions with either your gloved finger tip or a soft paper towel.

3. Turn the paper towel over to a clean spot and wipe off the polish residue. Repeat steps 1, 2 & 3 again if necessary.

4. Buff with a microfiber cloth to a nice clean bright finish.

5. Total elapsed time to do this was about 5 minutes.

Before and After Autosol Polish Pictures:

Click here to purchase Autosol from our recommended polish supplier.

Using Wenol polish to clean a stainless steel & aluminum coffee pot funnel

The Polish Guy — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:36:26 +0000

I picked this item for a polish demo because it is made with a combination of a stainless steel bowl and an aluminum spout. These were used on the old restaurant commercial vacuum coffee makers that I saw all over New England in diners years ago. Using Wenol Metal Polish I was able to remove stains and years of tarnish from it..

Materials Used:

Instructions and Application :

1 Squeeze a small amount of Wenol Metal Polish from the tube onto the funnel surface. Spread polish evenly with the finger tips of your nitrile gloved hand until the funnel is coated completely with a light even coat of polish

2. Let the polish stand for about a minute or so.

3. Wipe off the polish residue before it dries with a soft cloth. I prefer using a microfiber cloth as it picks up the polish residue easily and polishes the surface quickly with out any danger of scratching. Re-apply following steps 1 & 2 if needed. Time elapsed to shine this item was about 5 or 6 minutes.

Where can I buy Wenol Polish you ask ? Click right here to order Wenol and receive it quickly from our recommended reliable supplier.

Before and After:

Polish Guy Tip : ” Let the Wenol polish do the work for you! Just let the polish sit longer on the metal, no need to scrub harder.”

Cleaning Horstmann Brass & Copper Uniform Buttons with Flitz Polish

The Polish Guy — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 17:34:39 +0000

In this polish tip, Flitz polish is used to remove years of tarnish build up on an old W. H. Horstmann & Co brass backed copper button. Flitz polish is a great choice if you have military, police or any type of uniform buttons to clean & polish. Look sharp…FLITZ IT !

Materials Used:

Instructions and Application :

1. Right out of the tube place a small dab of Flitz on to the face of the button.

2. Spread it in a light even coat with your fingertips .

3. Buff off the Flitz polish with any soft cloth. We used a microfiber cloth as it’s soft textured weave will buff the button to a nice soft shine quickly and not scratch the surface.

4. If you would like a sharper brighter shine, just repeat the above steps until you get the shine you desire.

Where to buy Flitz polish? Click here to purchase from our recommended Flitz Distributor.

Brass back of Horstmann button after being cleaned & polished:

Before and After front of Horstmann button:

Polish Guy Tip : “When polishing old brass & copper buttons, using nitrile gloves helps to not only keep your hands clean but also enables you to spread the polish economically so you don’t waste any.”