Polishing Compound

Metal Polishing Compound Bars — Professional-Grade Buffing Compounds for Aluminum & Stainless Steel

Every polishing compound bar that Evan uses on his builds, tested and proven on real truck wheels, fuel tanks, and stainless surfaces. Whether you are cutting heavy oxidation off neglected aluminum or putting a final show-quality color on competition-level wheels, there is a compound here for every step of the process. All compounds' pair with our airway buffing wheels for best results.

Aluminum Polishing Compounds

Brown Tripoli — The Workhorse Cut Compound

Brown Tripoli is the go-to first-step compound for aluminum polishing. It is a fast-cutting bar that removes sanding marks, belt lines, light pitting, and oxidation from aluminum surfaces. Use Brown Tripoli after sanding to knock down imperfections and prepare the surface for a color pass. Pairs well with orange (stiff) airway buffing wheels at standard RPMs.

• Best for: Aluminum wheels, fuel tanks, diamond plate, toolboxes
• Use when: First polishing step after sanding — removes scratches and sanding lines
• Pair with: Orange airway buffing wheels

Green Rouge — High-Color Finish Compound

Green Rouge is a color-finish compound that brings out deep shine and luster on aluminum. Apply after a Brown Tripoli cut pass to add brilliance and a mirror-like finish. Green Rouge delivers more color depth than white compounds and is a favorite for show-quality aluminum polishing. Works well with softer buffing wheels at moderate pressure.

• Best for: Final color pass on aluminum wheels, tanks, and trim
• Use when: After cutting with Brown Tripoli — adds mirror shine and color depth
• Pair with: Yellow (soft) airway buffing wheels

Stainless Steel Polishing Compounds

Black Rouge — Stainless Steel Cutting Compound

Black Rouge is specifically formulated for cutting on stainless steel surfaces. It handles oxidation, discoloration, and surface imperfections on stainless bumpers, exhaust stacks, visors, and trim. Also works on actual steel surfaces.

• Best for: Stainless steel bumpers, stacks, visors, trim, and steel surfaces
• Pair with: Orange or yellow airway buffing wheels

Kocur Yellow Rouge — Stainless Steel Color Compound

Kocur Yellow Rouge is designed for coloring stainless steel to a bright finish. Use in small amounts with a green buff at higher speeds for excellent results on stainless surfaces.

• Best for: Color and shine on stainless steel
• Pair with: Green airway buffing wheels at higher RPMs

Multi-Purpose & One-Step Compounds

Yellow One-Step — Cut & Color for Aluminum

Yellow One-Step combines cutting and coloring in a single compound for aluminum polishing. May require more pressure or additional passes compared to a two-step process but saves time when a separate cut and color pass is not practical.

Black One-Step — Cut & Color for Stainless

Black One-Step handles both cutting and coloring on stainless steel. Versatile enough to work with both soft and stiff buffing wheels, making it a great all-around stainless compound.

Purple Rouge — Ultimate Premium Finish for Aluminum and Stainless

Purple Rouge is a fine finishing abrasive to produce a high luster, mirror-like surface on metals such as aluminum, brass copper, & stainless steel. Purple is the final step in a multi-step process. Pairs best with 40-ply loose domet flannel or the 20-ply center plated flannel.

Show-Quality Compounds

Show Brown Rouge — Premium Cut for Pre-Polished Aluminum

Show Brown is a premium cutting compound for aluminum that is already in good condition. It pairs well with yellow buffing wheels for a refined cut that prepares the surface for a show-quality color pass.

Show Green Rouge — Premium Color Finish

Show Green is a premium high-color compound for the final polish on show-quality aluminum. Pairs best with 40-ply loose domet flannel or 20-ply center plated flannel buffing wheels at 1800 RPMs for maximum shine.

Important note on Show compounds: Show polishing compounds are designed for aluminum that is already in good or excellent condition. They will not transform rough or neglected surfaces into show quality. If your metal is in rough shape, polish it first with the standard Brown Tripoli and Green Rouge compounds before moving to show-grade bars.

Not Sure Which Compound You Need?

For a typical aluminum polishing job (wheels, tanks, diamond plate), start with Brown Tripoli to cut, then follow with Green Rouge to color. Finish by hand with Time2Shine Aluminum Hand Polish for the ultimate mirror finish. For stainless steel, start with Black Rouge and finish with Yellow Rouge.