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A new filing will feel smooth, but in strong light you will see it still has a glare of small scratches, so it is still not very shiny. It is during the polishing process that you will burnish those scratches out and shine the metal, but it’s the time and the finesse rather than the force that will get you there. Start with a fine sanding paper on a flat surface so the piece doesn’t get dented. Rub in a consistent direction (I use straight lines) until the scratches all go the same way. Clean it off and get a finer paper, rub in a slightly different direction so you can see what scratches are left.
The move from sandpaper to compounds can be mysterious to newcomers. Compounds won’t “erase” anything for you. They will only smooth what is already there. If scratches are still present, a buffing wheel will only make them look shinier. Use a small bit of compound on a buffing wheel or cloth and let the piece rest lightly on the buff. The piece should “kiss” the buff. Too much pressure creates heat. This can cause crisp edges to become cloudy or even cause the piece to catch the buff and rip out of your hand.
A common error is to try to jump grits to speed up the process. This will almost certainly result in the lines not coming out, and then having to go back to an earlier grit anyway. If the finish still looks hazy after extended polishing, it usually means that the prep at an earlier step was not done satisfactorily. It’s usually faster to go back one step and do it right than it is to go forward and try to fix it. Cleanliness is also important. If you have bits of a coarse grit floating around in your gritting medium at a finer grit, you’ll find yourself scratching things again.
For a daily exercise, take a little shape and put it through a couple of grits and a polishing cloth. Say 15 minutes or so, but concentrate on evenness, not speed. Check the surface under a good light between each grit. Slowly spin the part and see how the light reflects on it as you do so. If the reflection breaks up at any point, then you still have work to do. This exercise teaches you to read the finish, and not just pretend you know.
As you gain experience, polishing is less a last step and more an act of discovery. Edges become sharp, curves reflect light and it starts to look like you meant to do it. It’s amazing how much of the finishing work is actually in the preparation, and how it can make something as simple feel thoughtful and finished.