As one of the most commonly used aluminum alloys on the general market, 6061 is found primarily in areas where a light- to medium-strength aluminum with easy weldability is necessary. Because it's so widely used, 6061 aluminum is often placed in areas where it can serve as decor as well as structure. This is often the case with aluminum parts used on motorcycles or custom automobiles where polishing the material may be desirable to make it stand out more. While there are plenty of machine polishing solutions, hand polish 6061 aluminum for the best results. The extra time and effort put in can yield stunning results, as the aluminum appears nearly chrome-like once you've completed the polishing process.
Sand the aluminum surface smooth with coarse, 220-grit sandpaper. Sand the piece to remove all signs of machining from the surface for a smooth, unlined appearance. Switch to a medium-grade sandpaper and go over the surface of the part again. Concentrate on removing the tiny scratches left from the coarse paper. Continue moving up in sandpaper grade until you reach a fine, 2000-grit sandpaper. Use the 2000 to remove all signs of sanding from the part, leaving the surface smooth and unmarked. Wipe away sanding residue from the aluminum with a clean cloth.
Place a small pool of aluminum polish onto a soft cloth and work the polish into the cloth thoroughly. Polish the sanded aluminum with the cloth. Wipe the polish into the surface of the metal using small circular motions to apply it evenly across the part. The cloth will turn black when applying the polish. Change the cloth as necessary when you run out of polish on the current cloth.
Change to a clean, dry cloth and buff the applied polish from the aluminum using the same small, circular motions. Buff the part until you remove all the polish, changing cloths if the process blackens the one in use. Repeat the polishing process if the first round does not achieve the level of polish desired.
