How to Polish Parts for my Tecate?

[Bryan Raffa]

hey meat just lettin ya know everything arrive and theres no damage..LOL gettin on it asap, As i have some parts i need to get done also,Wedsday ill get it glass bead blasted and then set up a date for use of the polishing shop,Ill post some pics as I go!

[Tecate250]

For engine cases that have alot of space to move about, you can use a grinder mounted woven l"spelling" wire brush. It does not take material off as bad as it sounds.

[Bryan Raffa]

I find that a glass beadblaster takes alot of the light nicks and scratches out, makes it smooth and can get in around the lettering better also in half the time.

[Bryan Raffa]

yo gary got some prep work done today a few of thoes chain spots are un removeable, But cleaned up nice! smoothed alot of the dings and where the carrier mounts,Got alot of my stuff done too witch i needed to get done, Whats the word on the hub extenders? shiped? as soon as i get thoes its polishing time!

[Bryan Raffa]

my pipe took the longest cause i couldnt turn it around in the blaster

[BigGreenMachine]

That cal-fab is sweet, it would go for huge bux on egay.

[nd4speed]

I was lookin into this for a rim I bought and here's what I found on E2S:

This is just MY METHODS, which I have had the best luck with, this is not the only way, and I am sure others have great methods, I am just sharing mine.

Polishing Aluminum Process:

1. Remove any coating the part or parts may have on it (ie; Anodizing, Clear Coat Powder coat etc.)
A. Remove Anodizing, with an anodizer removing solvent.
B. Remove Clear Coat or Powder coat by Chemical stripping, sanding or sandblasting (recommended)

2. After the part(s) coatings have been removed, clean the part thoroughly using water with simple green. Dry the part(s) then reclean with a mild wax and grease remover.
3. Now you are ready to start the sanding process.
A. Tools required: Mini DA (orbital) Sander 3”, air compressor.
B. Materials required: Wax and Grease remover, paper towels, 3” Sandpaper discs and wet/dry sandpaper sheets in the following grits (Make sure you buy automotive sandpaper!)
a. 320
b. 400
c. 600

C. Start sanding the part(s) with 320 grit on the mini sander, make sure you sand everywhere on the part(s) that you want to be seen when finished, the spots you cannot get the mini sander, use your hands/fingers with the wet/dry sandpaper in 320 grit. Use a scotchbrite pad to keep your sandpaper clean. (Gray pad)
D. After everything is in 320 Clean the part with wax and grease remover and move on to the next grit.
E. Now the parts are clean, resand everything with the 400 grit sandpaper.
F. Reclean the parts again.
G. Sand everything in 600 grit (take your time here, you want to spend twice as long on this step from what you did on 320 or 400) Keep your sandpaper clean on this step, or you will get chatter marks (looks like spiral scratches in the surface)
4. Get everything extremely clean, and now we are ready to polish/buff.
5. Tools/Materials required for buffing/polishing
A. Bench Buffer (hand held parts)
B. Die Grinder with buffing pads or drill for doing stationary parts (frames) 2800 rpm is ideal.
C. 1 Bar of 327 Tripoli Compound
D. 1 Bar of 130 Jewelers Rouge
E. 1-8” 40 ply loose buff (for use on bench buffer with 130 Jewelers Rouge)
F. 1-8” 40 ply coencntric sewn buff.(For use on bench buffer with 327 Tripoli)
G. 1-4” 40 ply loose buff (for use with drill or die grinder, requires arbor attachment with 130 Jewelers Rouge)
H. 1-4” 40 ply coencntric sewn buff (for use with drill or die grinder, requires arbor attachment with 327 Tripoli)

6. To start, use the sewn buff and load it up with the 327 Tripoli compound. You do this by starting the buffer, and rubbing the compound on the spinning wheel (End ONLY!)
A. Now just rub the wheel on the sanded aluminum parts, until a uniform finish is achieved. (NOTE! The parts will not be perfect yet) and don’t forget to reload the buff when the compound runs out.
B. After everything has been done with the Tripoli, Clean the parts with wax and grease remover, switch to the loose buff, and load it up with the 130 jewelers rouge.
C. Now do the same thing with this new compound as you did with the previous, until a mirror finish is achieved.

7. Clean all the parts
8. Now you are ready to final polish and seal the metal to protect it.
9. My choice for this step is Master Formula metal polish and metal sealer. You can apply both at the same time, by using a wax applicator pad (new) and put equal amounts of each on there, and rub the applicator together and then apply to the metal using a circular motion, until the aluminum becomes hazy. Then wait for polish to haze up (not completely dry though!) And use a micro fiber cloth to remove the polish/sealer.
10. Now the aluminum is protected from the weather and contaminates for up to a year (follow manufacturers specifications)
11. Reassemble the bike and part(s) and you are set.
12. Good Luck!

Products used:

Southwest Metal Finishing Supply Co. - Buffing wheels and compounds
www.swmetal.com
Master Formula - Metal polish and sealer
www.master-formula.com
3M – Sandpaper
www.3m.com
Matco Tools – Mini Sander
www.matcotools.com

[Bryan Raffa]

YO gary got a great jump on your swinger! But i ran out of compound it will be here thursday swinger looks awsome, But there a few spots i couldnt reach with the buffer and i will do by hand.. really hard to get a good pic cuz its so shiny so i took a bunch here's what it looks like so far

[Bryan Raffa]

some more pics

[Bryan Raffa]

Few more CAL FAB BABY!

[oldsking86]

Looks killer bryan! you do any chrome plating that lasts a good while? My swinger is in need of a GOOD chroming

[edog]

Looking good.

[Bryan Raffa]

no plateing just a polish once and a wile! LOL

And to awnser a question asked earlyer once polished use a high end enamal gloss to preserve the shine, Dont recomend it for high heat area's like the jug as the heat will turn it yellowish

[Meat-BoX]

I can see your reflection in some of the pics. Looks real good. You didnt find any cracks in the swinger did you? I hope not. Man it looks like a totally different swinger. Its going to be nice to see that on the Tecate.
I wasnt going to send the Hub extenders because I didnt think they would come out good like that. Now that I see you handiwork I think I will need to box them up for you.

[Bryan Raffa]

I can see your reflection in some of the pics. Looks real good. You didnt find any cracks in the swinger did you? I hope not. Man it looks like a totally different swinger. Its going to be nice to see that on the Tecate.
I wasnt going to send the Hub extenders because I didnt think they would come out good like that. Now that I see you handiwork I think I will need to box them up for you.

NO cracks! just a few deep scraches and dings and there is a real fine line on both sides of the swinger looks like from when they made the sides out of flat stock or something like that. But there perfictly strait whitch leads me to think it was from production.