Polishing an Aluminum Intake

Here is something I started that I wished I didn't start at the time. Like most thing we do in this hobby, it sound good at the time but now I had to finish what I started. This is the first time I took on polishing. I was learning as I went and I most likely I went about it wrong, but I got there. I started by knocking down the texture with a grinding stone on my Dremel. Then I used a flapwheel on the flat surface of the runners. That was the easy part.

Now getting between the valleys and corners and other places where I couldn't get the tool bits is a different story. The pits and scratches are deeper than first expected. The only way to get to them is by hand. I started out using 180 grit sandpaper the work myself up to 400 then a green scrub pad and 0000 steel wool pad. Getting a shine is easy with the small buffing wheels and rouge.

 A green scrub pad works miracles. Better than all the attachments I bought. I cut a 1x4 piece of scrub pad and made a 2 blade flapwheel to get into tight places and it accidentally knotted up when spinning and started eating the aluminum and leaving a smooth satin shine. It was more productive, but it sure does wear out fast, like 15 seconds. I bet I got over 80 hours all together in labor. Thanks Charles for all the tips and encouragement, ...my fingers are bleeding!!
 

Gotta have "Before & After" pic's	Knocking down the texture	The hard part
After 20 hours of sanding	Close up shot, ready to buff #7	One Runner polished ...7 more to go
My tools of the Trade	Edelbrock Torker 289 Tarantula	This is the "After" pic
Might as well while it is off	Intake Port Matching	Bolting it back together