Tripoli Brown Compound

This is a specially formulated cutting compound designed to remove scratches in aluminum, brass, copper, zinc and other soft nonferrous metals leaving a semi-bright finish. It is generally used with a Spiral Sewn or Firm Airway buff as the first step in a two step process. Scratches and imperfections that are not removed with this compound will need to be sanded out and finished to at least a 320 grit surface and rebuffed. If your buffer is not strong you will need to sand to a finer grit. Tripoli is an excellent compound  for softer metals because on a microscopic level, it grabs the metal and moves it around thus giving the metal "a skin". It basically mars on the grain boundaries, causing the grains to overlap one another creating the "skin". The skin creates a better surface to plate. Therefore, if you use a Gray or Black Emery on aluminum, brass, copper and zinc it is too harsh and you cannot achieve a bright of a shine as the Tripoli will yield. The Emery cutting compound is desi