Any metal polishers in the house?

[Dammit!]

I'm looking at getting some stuff to maintain the finish on my polished aluminum parts. I had them done proffesionally so they're like a mirror when fresh but fade after a while. Doing it by hand with some mothers polish just isn't going to get the results I want.

There are bars of polishing compound on ebay but they aren't very descriptive. There are red, green, yellow etc on there but in the descriptions it doesn't typically say what they're for or what grit (if that's even applicable) so I assume the color indicates the use to people that know what they're doing. Is this the case? I'm not sure what to get. I know the guy I took the parts to was using this sort of stuff but I don't know exactly what.

Also, I guess the best way to shine these parts up while still on the trike is to get some attachments for my dremel. Any recommendations there would be useful as well. I haven't even looked to see what kind of polishing attachments are available for it yet.

Edit: How does clear powdercoat look over highly polished aluminum?

[87250es]

i use these guys for my polishes and my powders.
the clear powder coat looks and works awsome over polished parts. it gives a smooth surface that is easy to lean and requires no polishing. the only thing thats went wrong with the clear powder is i had a guy that used mothers wheel cleaner (acid) on a set of mitchell wheels that i polised and clear coated and it turned the powder coat yellow, than he came back to me and wanted his money back... lol i quess you know how well that went over. i ended up recoating the wheels and gave him 10% off for bing stupid.. ( the cleaner said in the directions "do not use on clear coated wheels"



http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?itemID=435&itemType=CATEGORY&iMainCat=433&iSubCat=435

[danteross77]

I have heard that powder coating aluminum causes the aluminum to loss its strength, something about the heating process. From the books I read on the subject it is not recommended on parts which require alot of strength.

[Pete]

I've had engine cases, covers, wheels, grab bars, bumpers, nerf bars, handlebars, and god knows what else powdercoated. 1 heat cycle isn't going to harm the metal, especially at the relatively low temps needed to cure powdercoat.

[87250es]

i have even done a rear swing arm for a cr250 and he makes junps on it like crazy. he has not had any problems and on the wheels hat i have done i never had any problems. but i am not saying that that is a false statement i am just saying that i have had no problems.

[BIG_RED-ICULOUS]

I just thought I would post my 2 cents, the company that I work for used to own Zenith Electroplating, located in Halifax Nova Scotia. Some of the employees were transfered to our company after it was sold. Anyway my point is they say that the cheap polishing compound off ebay in garbage. They use a white compound that costs like $50 a bar. My friend that worked there gave me half a bar to try. Let me tell you there truly is a difference!! He also told me that there is a technique to polishing too!! If you can find a 4-6"cloth buffing wheel at a auto suppy, or auto paint supply, and a bench grinder, you can do it yourself! PM me if you need a chunk of the compound.

tyson

[Dammit!]

You CAN damage certain kinds of aluminum by heating them up high enough to powdercoat. I don't think our engine cases, triples, hubs etc fall into that category but honestly I don't know exactly what kind of aluminum alloys our parts are made from. If anyone else does, lets hear it.

Read this thread. (http://forum.caswellplating.com/showthread.php?t=2618&highlight=aluminum+strength)

[BIG_RED-ICULOUS]

most of the engine cases I belive are cast aluminum. Some also are made from magnisium.

[AZ250R]

I was thinking of get'n one of these Mothers polishing kits. Ya can get them from most autoparts stores and looks like the easiest "home remidy" anyway...

http://www.superiorcarcare.net/minipowerball.html
http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/everythingautomotive_1914_10784205

[SWIGIN]

pwdercoating only used around 400 degrees to melt the powder.....a motor case gets that hot or can get that hot. anything that can handle 400 degrees is ok for powder coating

[jason 32]

do you realize how hot a air cooled motor gets ?? :wondering
manuals reccomend baking the cases in a oven to press in and out the new berrings -
they also press in the cylinder sleeves
i dont think it bothers the aluminum like your thinking

i polished my stater cover on my 200 x -- man it suxs lol i could have done better /
looks ok but i got tired of messing with it and i had a dremel!
you can tell its not professionaly done-oh well it still looks good:w00t:
i just want to ride it now!! lol:postwhore :naughty:

i wish i had the money to do some of the things i really want to do but i dont lol
mabe i can send some pics and someone can post them for me
:Bounce :beer