Quick question. I recently polished out a few pit marks on my tank. The aluminium has lost its brushed appearance and is now shiny in this area despite different grades of water paper.

Any ideas why this might be? How can I retore the appearance of the aluminium?

try using a bit of wire wool

Quick question. I recently polished out a few pit marks on my tank. The aluminium has lost its brushed appearance and is now shiny in this area despite different grades of water paper.

Any ideas why this might be? How can I retore the appearance of the aluminium?

From what I remember at college (no, I wasn't the janitor) the brushed effect on the surface is aluminium oxide...which is quite hard (used in grinding wheels etc..).

Since you've removed the hard surface, unless you can prematurely age the metal (got a bottle of liquid oxygen around?), you're stuck with having to make the whole bike shiny? ..like a new pin.

Or are you determined to have a dull bike?

3M scotchbrite- continous rubbing in same direction will give you the desired effect, same for 4rt tanks etc