# Buffing al **URL:** \ **Category:** Yo-Yo Mods and Maintenance\ **Created:** [August 4, 2024, 2:58pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/buffing-al/406911 "2024-08-04T14:58:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Splizacular](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/splizacular/32/640487_2.png) [@Splizacular](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Splizacular)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 2:58pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/buffing-al/406911/1 "2024-08-04T14:58:59Z")
i know mfd has a buff they sell, but what are some home products yall use to clean or buff the al, or do you not bother? i have a couple of clear annos that look good clean and buffed up but I’m just using a jewelry cloth, whatever’s in those things ---
**Author:** ![archiesdad](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/archiesdad/32/310033_2.png) [@archiesdad](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/archiesdad)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 3:41pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/buffing-al/406911/2 "2024-08-04T15:41:44Z")
A jewelers cloth has jewelers rouge, finely crushed garnets. It is probably in some sort of medium,. but I don’t know about that. ---
**Author:** ![SML](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/sml/32/221290_2.png) [@SML](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/SML)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 5:56pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/buffing-al/406911/3 "2024-08-04T17:56:48Z")
I’m surprised that the jewelry cloth is doing anything for a clear anodized throw. I don’t think of anodized metals as being possible to polish, only clean. For raw metal, Mother’s Mag & Aluminum polish applied and wiped away with paper towels is inexpensive and has always done the job for me. I think I remember seeing someone in a video use a lathe & Nevr-Dull wadding to machine and polish raw “rims” onto a yoyo before. (Edit: He just uses a drill. Video [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U4chRQvvH0)) You’ll want to be careful, as some ano dyes can fade somewhat if they come into contact with the compounds used for polishing. In some rare cases, dyes will come right up. The dye that Aoda used with the Littles and Snow Fox being examples: ![IMG_8256](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/8/e/e/8ee4adc97dcdfce92459ed47872ec7e313143ca3.jpeg) Also, engravings on raw aluminum yoyos (like Tom Kuhns) appear whitish because of their rough texture. Polishing smooths the engraving down on a microscopic level and can render it almost invisible. (See the intact engraving on the SB2 vs. the polished one on the Pocket Rocket.) ![IMG_8253](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/4/a/8/4a84b6dcd396897a2eb3f4d4a3e534df1db4d1cc.jpeg) ![IMG_8254](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/d/d/a/dda965ce05e18be33d0de82bff325d293b6e7c03.jpeg) ![IMG_8255](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/7/3/c/73c7da495c3697b133c9045fe4c952f6fc0ad847.jpeg) (Also, note the black flecks all over the desk in that SB2 picture. Most metal polishes will blacken as they react with oxidized metal. Take precautions to avoid messes. Don’t do like I do and use dremels and/or cordless drills at your desk to polish while you browse. Be better than me.) ---
**Author:** ![SML](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/sml/32/221290_2.png) [@SML](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/SML)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 6:26pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/buffing-al/406911/4 "2024-08-04T18:26:30Z")
While I don’t think it’s really necessary, and might be more trouble than it’s worth, you _might_ have luck with a car wax? In the past, I’ve used Mother’s (not a sponsor, lol) Caranuba Cleaner Wax to gently clean typewriters with less risk of doing damage to the paint. One tin has lasted me for years, and I used to use it as a polish for raw aluminum yoyos as well before realizing that the Mag polish is much more effective and much easier to work with. ---
**Author:** ![Splizacular](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/splizacular/32/640487_2.png) [@Splizacular](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Splizacular)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 6:56pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/buffing-al/406911/5 "2024-08-04T18:56:34Z")
> [@SML](#): > > I don’t think of anodized metals as being possible to polish, only clean. oh it’s not polishing them at all. but it does make em look clean and sharp and grinds feel a bit smoother ---
**Author:** ![jhb8426](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/jhb8426/32/631_2.png) [@jhb8426](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/jhb8426)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2024, 12:46am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/buffing-al/406911/6 "2024-08-05T00:46:29Z")
If you really want to get serious about it… > [@How To Polish Aluminum](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-to-polish-aluminum/47632): > > This is an old article that is out of print as far as I can tell. It’s from from the September 2003 issue of Model Airplane News. I’m attaching a pdf file of it because the links I find seem to disappear. I’m also including a link I recently found. Here’s another article as well: [Polishing an aluminum spinner - RC Groups](http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1792373) (Note this is also an old article. The text is still there but the pics are gone.) [polish\_1.pdf](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/uploads/short-url/ySiYYWjisqJjHPazZklgkAKmv8t.pdf) (952 KB) [polish\_2.pdf](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/uploads/short-url/tYOmw4hrV4dNgvDWTI635RMbngY.pdf) (814 KB) Best bet is to download the PDF articles from… > [@How To Strip and Polish a Metal YoYo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-to-strip-and-polish-a-metal-yoyo/51228): > > Alright, so I am very bored and thought I would post this guide, for anyone hoping to strip the annodize of of there yoyos, or just fix beat up ones. What you need: Electric Drill(Try to get the fastest spinning one you can) 80-100 Grit Sandpaper 120-150 Grit sandpaper Wet sandpaper will help, it is not normal SP, so check your package 200-250 grit sandpaper 0000 Super Fine Steel Wool 3M Scratch Remover [http://www.amazon.com/3M-39044-Scratch-Remover-oz/dp/B002RNFP3A](http://www.amazon.com/3M-39044-Scratch-Remover-oz/dp/B002RNFP3A) Mothers Mag & Aluminu…