Polishing Metal Parts

Bare aluminum brakes, seatposts, handlebars, stems, cranks, etc. tend to look a but dull over the years. You can make them look close to new again with some polish. Here's an old aluminum brake that I took apart a long time ago:

It looks a bit dull so I thought I'd use it to show how I polish metal parts. First I rub a thin layer of polishing cream onto the surface:

Then I use a small towel to rub the polish into the surface. I stop when I see a black film appear:

 

The last step is to buff the part with a clean, soft towel:

All done:

The difference is more noticeable in real life, but you get the idea.