polishing alloy
- Thread starter fester
- Start date
Hey fester,
I had the same question recently. Check out this section of the site.
http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=20130.msg220292#msg220292
You can also search on youtube for some video help too, I found that quite useful for using the buffing wheels.
Its a lot of work but its worth it in my opinion.
Good luck!
-jordan
I had the same question recently. Check out this section of the site.
http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=20130.msg220292#msg220292
You can also search on youtube for some video help too, I found that quite useful for using the buffing wheels.
Its a lot of work but its worth it in my opinion.
Good luck!
-jordan
I use a small bench grinder, tends to take a lot longer cuase it dont have the power.
A true bench "buffer" makes the task much easier. Northern tool ahs a lot of buffing products.
I think the key here is to remove the factory clear coating first, Heard of many using paint stripper to do this.
A true bench "buffer" makes the task much easier. Northern tool ahs a lot of buffing products.
I think the key here is to remove the factory clear coating first, Heard of many using paint stripper to do this.
Hoosier Daddy
Earache my eye...
A "Before" pic would help tell you the best way to start. If the alloy parts are corroded (white chalk) you may have to start out pretty agressive. I agree with the chemical removal of any clearcoat first, after that, I usually begin by wet sanding with 600g but the parts I am doing now were BAD so I started with a soda blasting, a wire wheel, and now am on 320g wet sanding...
I would not claim to know much about buffing aluminum parts, I've only been doing it seriously for the last couple of months, but I can tell you what I got for tools and materials and what I've learned about how to use them.
First off I bought a buffer from Caswell, its their 3/4" hp version and I bought the set of wheels and compounds they sell along with it. It uses 8"wheels and no matter how hard I lean into it they do not slow down, it has great power. The buffer also had long shafts so its easy to reach all sides of a part. I think I paid $300 or it and it flat works.
As for part prep on my own bike's parts, I started with harsh abrasives and moved quickly to less aggressive cutting. I sanded initially with 150 grit emery paper to take out all scratches and gouges. Oh, like everywhere else, all of my sanding was done with a sanding block. I follow the 150 grit with 180 grit used wet. I mix simple green with water in a 5-gallon bucket and sand while watching TV. I got from 180 to 220 to 360 to 400, and then I buff. The black rouge on the hardest wheel takes out 400 grit scratches with no problem at all, then I move to the brown rouge and a spiral sewn cotton wheel. After the brown I go to the white rouge on an open flannel wheel. This routine leaves a fine polish.
About the only thing I've learned about buffing is that you've got to put some oomph into it. Lean into the part, get it hot - get it real hot. It makes all the difference in the world. For the first month I tried to finesse it - and got nice looking parts but not great parts. Then put on the welding gloves, got a thick apron, and really laid into the things. The result was much much better finish in a lot less time.
And that's about all I've learned so far - Oh, except this. If you decide to buff find a place you can dedicate to just that one task and that is easy to clean up because his is just about the dirtiest work you will ever do on a motorcycle. No kidding, its horrible. This is not something that you are going to do in a spare bedroom, its not even something you would want to do in your garage - its that bad. The work is just plain filthy and once you are done and wash your hair the mud that washes out will look like a lava flow out of a particularly nasty volcano. The room you do it in will look even worse. In the spring I'm going to do all my buffing out doors, its that bad,
First off I bought a buffer from Caswell, its their 3/4" hp version and I bought the set of wheels and compounds they sell along with it. It uses 8"wheels and no matter how hard I lean into it they do not slow down, it has great power. The buffer also had long shafts so its easy to reach all sides of a part. I think I paid $300 or it and it flat works.
As for part prep on my own bike's parts, I started with harsh abrasives and moved quickly to less aggressive cutting. I sanded initially with 150 grit emery paper to take out all scratches and gouges. Oh, like everywhere else, all of my sanding was done with a sanding block. I follow the 150 grit with 180 grit used wet. I mix simple green with water in a 5-gallon bucket and sand while watching TV. I got from 180 to 220 to 360 to 400, and then I buff. The black rouge on the hardest wheel takes out 400 grit scratches with no problem at all, then I move to the brown rouge and a spiral sewn cotton wheel. After the brown I go to the white rouge on an open flannel wheel. This routine leaves a fine polish.
About the only thing I've learned about buffing is that you've got to put some oomph into it. Lean into the part, get it hot - get it real hot. It makes all the difference in the world. For the first month I tried to finesse it - and got nice looking parts but not great parts. Then put on the welding gloves, got a thick apron, and really laid into the things. The result was much much better finish in a lot less time.
And that's about all I've learned so far - Oh, except this. If you decide to buff find a place you can dedicate to just that one task and that is easy to clean up because his is just about the dirtiest work you will ever do on a motorcycle. No kidding, its horrible. This is not something that you are going to do in a spare bedroom, its not even something you would want to do in your garage - its that bad. The work is just plain filthy and once you are done and wash your hair the mud that washes out will look like a lava flow out of a particularly nasty volcano. The room you do it in will look even worse. In the spring I'm going to do all my buffing out doors, its that bad,
Hoosier Daddy
Earache my eye...
...and the snot, Don't forget the black SNOT!
That's OK Mate, I can only seem to afford bikes that are in bad shape to start with, wait till you see them when I'm done.
Now if yours aren't corroded you may be able to just touch them up on a buffing wheel. Start with a black ebony, then a red rouge, and finish with a white tripoli.
OR go buy some "Mothers" or "Wenol" polish and see what that does for it first.
That's OK Mate, I can only seem to afford bikes that are in bad shape to start with, wait till you see them when I'm done.
Now if yours aren't corroded you may be able to just touch them up on a buffing wheel. Start with a black ebony, then a red rouge, and finish with a white tripoli.
OR go buy some "Mothers" or "Wenol" polish and see what that does for it first.
