I can gussy up a brass with Brasso and silver with silver polish…
But what the heck do you do to make aluminum look good again?
Doc
Steel wool. 0000.
Great on shiny aluminum, but will remove that nice steel grey finish on O’Briains for example, as I found the hard way.
Philo
Just bury in soft peat for six months, rinse well, and the grey finish is back.
A heavier grade of steel wool will give you a nice brushed finish if you twist it as you pull it down the tube.For a high polish jewlers rouge and a buffer
Do I have to sit there with it?
Philo
You could try vinegar or lemon juice.
I just tried a little vinegar on my Syn - it does take some of the oxide off with a good rubbing, Perhaps a good soak for an hour might do the trick, but I have no idea what metalurgical side-effects there may be 
Sorry, PhilO, kind of shot you down for that one, didn’t I?
I suggest a bottle of Single Malt; it’s got a lot of peat already in it-drink a little, polish a little, drink a little…by the end of the bottle, your whistle will be very clean and shiny! But do a test bottle on O’Briains!
I use toothpast and a tooth brush. Shines aluminium right up
Dude, what’s with you and your steel wool?? Who told you it was good for whatever ailed a whistle Phil?
Loren
Well, it depends on the whistle and the finish: A Burke is one thing, an Overton something else, and anything Phil has gotten his hands on…well, that’s another thing. 
Seriously though doc, depends on the whistle in question, and what the issue is: Scratches, discoloration, etc.
Loren
Any suggestions for either?
Doc
I need specifics, in order to diagnose and come up with a treatment plan, Doc…
Seriously, is it discoloration? If so, what’s it look like? Are we talking deep scratches? You’re going maybe need a lathe or something to rotate the instrument on. Light scratches? In that case it depends on the whistle and the type of finish - an Overton will need a different course of action to make it look new than a Burke.
Loren
If toothpaste does the job, then fullers earth may do it better - at least where metal is concerned. It is what jewellers use to clean the old tom, so it’s not going to remove vast quantities of metal. I don’t have any direct experience of this, but when Celtic983 mentioned toothpaste, it rang a bell.
I’d like to hear how this goes.
“the old tom” ??? Help me out on that one, I’m not familiar with the term.
Loren
You can get jewlers rouge in kits that have 5 grades for the best polish possible with a small bench buffer you can get a mirror finish without taking off too much aluminum.
5 grades of polish is overkill for nearly anything, and if one were to use the heaviest 1 or 2 of the typical grades of jeweler’s polish on a thin walled aluminum whistle, one could easily take off too much metal, or take it off unevenly, particularly if one hasn’t some experience using the buffing wheel. In most cases rouge alone, is enough to take all but the heaviest scratches off of metals harder than aluminum, like sliver and brass. However, I’ve never had occasion to buff aluminum on the wheel maybe Jessie has and can comment, when she’s feeling better.
A buffing wheel seems a like over kill for most folks, but might not be a bad idea for Doc, who has so many instruments coming and going. Word of advice though - never buff metal and wood on the same wheel - you’ll get metal transfer into the wood when you buff wood on a wheel that has been used for metal. Something to be avoided at all costs.
Loren
Loren, The kits I use happen to come with five polishing rouge sticks. This system combined with my buffer wheel set to slow speed is how I give my finished aluminum products there mirror finish.Thicker walled aircraft grade aluminum is very tough. The finest grade rouge removes very little material. I start with the next grade up.If removal of to much material is a concern a polishing cloth and the fine rouge and some elbow grease will give you the same results but at a time premium.
Time I don’t have.
Hmm I suppose the reason why Doc is asking the question is because I just bought 2 aluminum whistles from him that he said are a little worn but play fine. I’m guessing he just wanted to polish them up a bit before sending them out to me.
I’ve been reading the suggestions and all I have to say is:
Doc,
If you’re going to use toothbrush and toothpaste…please make sure it isn’t YOUR toothbrush and toothpaste:) hee hee.
Or, just don’t tell me how you polished up my whistles:) It may be best that I don’t know:)