Polishing engine covers

Thanks!

Tim, wow, thats one sweet 900! Clean clean clean! Do you ride it? I mean, look at the oil in that sight glass!
If its not too pricey, and considering I can find it, I may try this polish that your referring to. Is it a paste, liquid, or what?
I've always just used Mother's mag and aluminum polish.... :whistle:


KZZ1KING, I don't have alot of tools, money, or space. All my work will have to be done by hand.

Looks like a few nights listening to the local rock station, a squirt bottle of water, and several stages of sanding?


Has anyone used the small fiber pads that go on an angle die grinder to remove the heavier scratches, maybe too much?

Jesse, I have a belt sander and belts that you are welcome to borrow. Give me a call.

Thanks boatdrinks! You back in town? Need you to PM your number to me. I gave you mine but I don't have yours?

Lets ride!

boatdrinks wrote: Jesse, I have a belt sander and belts that you are welcome to borrow. Give me a call.

What grits are you using on the belt sander?

I do most of my polishing with a 3/8 drill and 3 different wheels and compounds. If no deep scratches it works fine.
Wayne

One thing I'lll point out about using a file, sometimes the aluminum builds up in the file and can cause deep gouges in the workpiece. So you have to constantly brush/clean the file working on aluminum.

for a small spot I would file first, but that's a large area. I would use a block and 220 to start. I like to sand along with WD-40 as it draws the debris from the paper.

Sand in one direction.

Looks like a 3 beer job.

I have not started any sanding as of yet. I have seen the compounds and cotton clothe buffing pads. I think my scratches are a little too deep without sanding first tho...

Thanks again for everyone's input

They are Curous on the sanding thing. I have some covers to practice on.
Wayne

Je77ekz1000a wrote: I have not started any sanding as of yet. I have seen the compounds and cotton clothe buffing pads. I think my scratches are a little too deep without sanding first tho...

Thanks again for everyone's input

My covers weren't deeply gouged but had a few nicks.

Started out with a sanding disc (120 grit) in my electric hand drill to take out the nicks.

Once the nicks were gone an obscene amount of hand sanding followed: 240 dry, 400 dry, 600 wet, 800 wet, 1000 wet (don't forget to change water and wash the parts with every grit change) - all this to gradually make the sanding marks finer and finer.

Last step before polishing was a soda blast to remove the last traces of the 1000 grit and any possible leftovers from the sanding paper.

Then I stuck my hand drill in a vice and used three different cloth wheels for polishing: first one with a red polishing compound (block), then one with a finer white compound (also block), again don't forget to clean the parts (solvent) when switching compound and wheel.

Final touch was a polish with Solvol's Autosol for the mirror shine.

Here are the covers after the soda blast :



And after the final polish - points and alternator cover got the same treatment along with a few other bits (fork lowers, calipers, swingarm etc.):




A few things to consider when polishing with a wheel:


- Mask off your working area, polishing compound et al will be flung around and make a mess. I used some cardboard and duct tape to make an improvised polishing cabin around the hand drill/wheel.

- The wheel should spin with the top towards you and the bottom away from you.

- As you would on a lathe, always work below the center of rotation or nasty things can happen.

- Be careful around the edges of the part you're polishing. If the wheel catches on the edge it will rip the part out of your hands and set you back 5 or 6 steps in the process when your almost finished part hits your garage floor (don't ask...) Always work from the inside towards the edge, never from the edge and inwards.

- Wear gloves, polishing develops a lot of heat. Work gloves initially, cotton gloves for the final polish.

- Some kind of face mask is practical. As far as I know polishing isn't toxic but it will make your boogers go black for a week.

- Mandatory: wear eye protection. Being hit in the eye by a piece of polishing compound is no fun, I learned that the hard way.

Here's a nice article from Caswell Plating: CLICK


Btw, next time I think I'll just paint the covers black.....

Thanks OnkelB! Where do I go to have them soda blasted? The covers you got there look great!

www.kzrider.com/forum/21-tools/318083-budget-soda-blaster

kawpen.edebris.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2049

www.aircooledtech.com/tools-on-the-cheap/soda_blaster/

www.garagenight.tv/diy-soda-blasting-build-your-own-rig-cheap/

Good Fortune!

Patton,
Your a wise wise man! I already have everything around the garage!

www.kzrider.com/forum/8-about-the-site/5...dvertising-rule-memo