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Thread: polishing aluminum

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
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    texas
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    567

    polishing aluminum

    ive been doing a little research on polishing aluminum so i can do my rims and triple tree. does anyone have any experience they can add? everything i have come up with leads to using mag wheel cleaner which is an etching cleaner. my concern here is that it will take away the shine completely and ill have to use different grades of buffers to bring it back (like sanding to a mirror finish). things i have at my disposal are dremels drills and pneumatics so i have all the rotational speed i need. its just the technique i need help on.

    when i do this i can do a step by step tutorial to help others with the process.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
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    Minneapolis mn
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    For the amount of work it is, and its a dirty old project, I would send the to gkingpolishing here on the forum... His prices are great, honest guy, and work is top notch... (just my honest opinion)
    No trikes. Too old, too crippled. Unless I find one I can't live without!
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  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
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    texas
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    567
    does he have a website. his last activity here was 11/16

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Highland Park IL
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    39
    You can get a buffing wheel for a die grinder and they sometimes come in a kit with the polishing compounds with it. You wont need to sand if there are no scratches, but if you do need to sand work to a 2000 grit wet sand, then do your buffing. I did this on some douglas wheels that the sand took the shine away, time consuming work.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
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    Tucson
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    Gking "Greg" will respond asap! Just shoot him a pm or email.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
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    Tucson
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    There is alot too polishing and depends on what your wanting to polish! Is it smooth aluminum? Does it still have casting pits? Etc, shoot me a pm I will give you my number and will explain what you need too do so I don't have too type it all lol. I do alot of my own but when it comes too cylinders or cases I leave it to the pro's.

    Dean

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Plattsburgh, NY
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    2,311
    mothers aluminum wheel polish is amazing. the more u work it the more shine u will get. but as stead above, its a lot of work and can be a pain. what usually happens is u get the main, larger flat surfaces nice and shiny and then give up on the creases and corners, lol.

    i would also send to GKing
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  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Blossvale NY
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    Well, I just ordered some Mothers Billet Polish. I hear its a higher grade polish than the standard Mag Polish. When My billet polish gets here I'm gonna go to town on mt stator and clutch covers with my Powerball. If I can't get into the nooks with the ball, I have been looking into getting a Dremel kit and some polishing attachments. I'm sure there's a way for the do-it-yourselfer.... I have nothing better to do whilst I wait for my engine......

    I'll post up some pics of the results after the Billet polish is applied. Here's how my stator cover came out after about a half hour with regular Mothers and a powerball... Then we can see if there's a difference... The billet polish should be here by the end of next week...
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails PC170058.jpg   PC170054.jpg  
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    If you have bought from me or sold to me, please leave me feedback here>>> http://www.3wheelerworld.com/showthr...+RIDE-RED+250r

  9. #9
    murfman is offline Just Too Addicted Arm chair racerJust too addicted
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    GKing all the way:



  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    texas
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    567
    jesus how much did all the polishing cost? ive been debating polishing my side covers too.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    Southern MN
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    1,875
    The best method is sanding by hand, starting with about 400 grit, and working your way up to 2000 grit, you need every grit in between, and dont skip any. Sand one direction, like left to right, and on the next grit sand the other, like up and down. You know when you have done it enough when the lines from the previous grit dissapear. Use only WET sand paper, and keep it wet, and wash it off often. I use a bucket with water, and just dip the sand paper in there. For best results, change the water often, like after every grit. After you have gotten all the way up to 2000, it will already be very shiney, but if you hit it with a buffer and soft cloth buffing wheel with buffing compound, it will really bring out the shine. You then use a polish like mothers to protect the shine, and must be very careful how you wash it and keep it polished often. Start with a smaller, more flat piece to see how it will go. The tripples will deffinatly take a lot more work than say a clutch cover, because its bigger obviously, and it has a lot of crappy casting defects. Good luck, and thats it in a nutshell. Its really a lot of hard work, and you must be dedicated.
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  12. #12
    GeoD's Avatar
    GeoD is offline At The Back Of The Pack Arm chair racerFirst time rider
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    WOW!!! Now that is on beautiful 350X motor. Not to mention that has to be one of the best looking Goki starters I've seen! Nice job Gking!!

    Oh my. I almost missed the polished front brake caliper. Those pics are definitely trike porn!!

    Twitch. Here is Gking's info:

    text 24/7 to 812-801-3683 email addy gkingpolishing@hotmail.com or you can follow me on face/book search greg king gking polishing or fan page gking custom metal polishing,and don;t forget to ''like''
    Last edited by GeoD; 12-18-2011 at 01:48 AM.
    Geo D
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  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
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    Lewiston, N.Y.
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    Gking! I wouldnt waste time trying to do it yourself. Send it to him and save yourself the hastle. He is fast, fair and friendly!

  14. #14
    blkstangman88's Avatar
    blkstangman88 is offline At The Back Of The Pack Arm chair racerAt the back of the pack
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    Green bar and a white bar. U can get from sears and a white wheel for Dre mel or drill. Ten min all done

  15. #15
    GeoD's Avatar
    GeoD is offline At The Back Of The Pack Arm chair racerFirst time rider
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    If you want to DIY checkout Harbor Freight. They have everything needed for polishing metal. If you need high end products try Eastwood Company.
    Geo D
    1+2=ME
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