I always feel like I'm playing with fire when I do my polishing. I wear gloves and wash carefully, but I am reminded how toxic aluminum dust is on the skin. If I recall, Buddy Ebsen was the original Tin Man in the movie the "Wizard of OZ", but he had to bow out because he got so sick from the aluminum based makeup they were using. The James Bond "Goldfinger" character killed his female victims by painting them in Gold body makeup. Aluminum is also associated with alzheimer's and immune disfunction. I keep everything as wet as possible and rub slowly by hand to keep the dust down, and still inevitably a glove tears or I get some liquid aluminum debris on my leg. I just love the whole process from the initial rough filing to the most important step of 100 grade to rough out the new shape. By the time I'm finished with 220 grade I know if it will come out well. After that it's fast going through the rest of the grades ... 300, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500, rubbing compound and then simichrome and then polishing wax. Somehow Ray Dobbin's work is one little step better than my own, but I prefer it a few months later when it's not quite so shiny anyway. Then it looks more original.
Garth Libre in Miami Fl USA