# How to clean old aluminum rims? **URL:** \ **Category:** Yo-Yo Mods and Maintenance\ **Created:** [September 9, 2020, 4:50pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-to-clean-old-aluminum-rims/326882 "2020-09-09T16:50:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pinktweetybird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Pinktweetybird](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Pinktweetybird)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 4:50pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-to-clean-old-aluminum-rims/326882/1 "2020-09-09T16:50:30Z")
I found a couple old posts including links on how to polish aluminum planes etc but all the images are missing by now. Basically I just got back my old YYJ Jamboo and I want to give it the makeover it deserves. Can aluminum be cleaned before polished? Sealed? If it’s tarnished am I too late? Bonus points for anyone that knows how to spruce up the bamboo. I figure that’s a long shot though :joy: ---
**Author:** ![YoYoExpertGarrett](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/yoyoexpertgarrett/32/1543_2.png) [@YoYoExpertGarrett](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/YoYoExpertGarrett)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 5:05pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-to-clean-old-aluminum-rims/326882/2 "2020-09-09T17:05:50Z")
Never-dull is what I use. Works fantastic. Just rip of a little piece, hold it in a piece of paper towel and rub around the rim. May want to wear gloves to keep your hands clean. ![nevrdull](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/8/6/4/864985e8cb2490f2aca5683cae43e2dc6c16505f.jpeg) ---
**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:** [September 10, 2020, 1:20am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-to-clean-old-aluminum-rims/326882/3 "2020-09-10T01:20:43Z")
> [@Pinktweetybird](#): > > I found a couple old posts including links on how to polish aluminum planes etc but all the images are missing by now. > > Bonus points for anyone that knows how to spruce up the bamboo. I figure that’s a long shot though :joy: There’s a pdf of the polishing article here with photos. > [@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… Wash the jamboo, maybe wipe it down with zippo lighter fluid first. Rub it down with a very fine steel wool, like 000 or 0000 grade. Finish it off with a coat of polyurethane. ---
**Author:** ![Pinktweetybird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Pinktweetybird](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Pinktweetybird)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2020, 3:49am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-to-clean-old-aluminum-rims/326882/4 "2020-09-10T03:49:29Z")
Thank you this is one of the posts I read that I didn’t understand or find helpful but I didn’t download the pdf’s as I was on my work computer. I appreciate your break down of it for me! I’ll post before and after pics of this unique grassy boi after following the steps in the pdf. ---
**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:** [September 10, 2020, 4:49am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-to-clean-old-aluminum-rims/326882/5 "2020-09-10T04:49:02Z")
Here’s more on the jamboo. > [@I had to finish off my JAMBOO](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/i-had-to-finish-off-my-jamboo/19006): > > There’s been a lot of comments about the raw wood on the jamboo, some good, some bad. I’d say it’s in between. But this yoyo deserves a nice finish. Mine was relatively smooth to start off so no major complaints in that department, but YYJ just didn’t finish the job. So I did… Besides, raw wood yoyos get nasty looking from oil on your hands. I used 3 coats of Watco clear oil topped off w/2 coats of clear poly. Before and after [ImageShack - Best place for all of your image hosting and image …](http://img368.imageshack.us/img368/287/jamboo1aha8.jpg) The imageshack pics are all dead so here’s a few of them on their own… before pics ![IMG_1272](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/c/1/1/c11e9c6ce6afe80249140f857babc45951bc4eab.jpeg) ![IMG_1269](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/7/9/0/790ed16ca58fc98a5d548ec4fda1fabbffe78754.jpeg) Here’s some after pics ![IMG_1314](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/9/2/7/9272b2576ac902d75a7cf0e729cbfdf34e4db588.jpeg) ![IMG_1319](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/a/3/7/a376218ad9842a55437221092a415be9c64fef07.jpeg)