" HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

CX Customization and Modifications

" HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

LRCXed 07-14-2008, 8:07 PM
If you have any suggestions for this post, feel free to email me. I'm open to it all. I will say, I'm no professional at this (or smellin...ummm...spelling) but I do the best I can with what I have!
At the bottom, I have a new addition to this post, A RADIATOR! Yep, it's for you guys and your cafe style bikes!

First of all, I want you all to know that I am not a professional at this, and there are a lot more people more qualified at this than I am. But what I do seems to work just fine! What I am going to show you is the process I use in my humble little garage, with minimal equipment that most anyone can get their hands on. Some of the steps may use equipment that most don't have, like a glass beading cabinet, but you can improvise or take the parts to a shop that can do it for you for a few dollars. Most of what I use is air powered, but electric equipment will work also, it will just take a little longer.

I'm going to show you 3 different items being polished. These are old part that have seen much better days! The rim is bent and the valve cover has road rash on the side that I did not polish. I would suggest that in the beginning, you try to practice on an old part so you get the feel for what your doing, and the attachment to it won't be as strong. If it gets grabbed by the buffer and goes flying crossed the garage, you won't care as much if it gets banged up. Practice is the key to the feel for polishing here! YES, it can happen, and it has happened to me SEVERAL times! I lay packing blankets around the area I am buffing at, so that when after several hours of buffing parts, and my mind starts to wonder, the part will hit something soft as it gets grabbed out of my hand and wakes me up.

One more thing you need to know is that this is a MESSY DIRTY job, and your hands and face will turn black from the compounds. So will everything around the area. So do this in the garage or outside on the patio. Your significant other will hate you if you do this in the living room.

Equipment & Tools
Here is some of the stuff I use to do my work. There are 4 different types of compounds on the front of the bench that I use. There are more, but this works for me!
Red Tripoli for soft aluminum, like valve cover's, forks, clutch covers etc...
Black (the small piece in front of the white. I'm almost out as you can see) for aggressive buffing and stainless or mild steel. This is the one I use to buff marks out from sanding on harder aluminum parts, or buffing the ruff areas to get to. It cuts faster. You'll learn to like this one!
Some parts like the radiator side plates and gas tank latches are cast from a much harder mix of aluminum to retain strength and shape. They are harder to polish and take longer!
And the Green is the final step polish that brings your part to the luster you were looking for when you started this project.
White is what I use to buff plastic like the tail light and turn signal lens's. Buff them very softly, don't push hard, the heat will melt the plastic. Yes, it will make them look new again. You can even sand them with 1500 grit wet and dry sand paper to remove scratches first!

See all the black dust everywhere, that's what you can expect when your doing this!

The sanders are a couple items I use to sand the parts to remove the corrosion and ruff casting surfaces. Then when I am done' I have a smooth surface to polish. I use the air sanders primarily, but for this tutorial, I'm going to use the electric palm sander because it can be had at a reasonable price for most anyone's budget if you don't already have one. And, as surprised as I was, it does a nice job. I'll be using it more in the future.

As for sandpapers for the palm sander, I prefer the Norton 3X brand. You can get it from most Home Depot or Lowe's stores. It comes in a pack of 5 and this stuff last a long time compared to standard sand papers. It's worth the money. Don't expect it to last for ever though, metal wares out any paper fairly quickly. You'll go though the stuff if your going to do a lot of pieces. In some areas, you will need to fold up a piece and sand by hand if your trying to get a perfectly smooth finish in all areas. But as you learn, you will find that the compounds can do the same thing with a little more buffing in that area.

There are several different types of buffing wheels. Some are treated with a chemical to assist in the buffing, and some are just straight material. I use the treated type for the aggressive first stage and the loose wheels for the final stage. I did a Google search for these supplies, and came up with a company that seems to carry it all.
http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/#
The place I used to get from went under, so this is where I am going to order my wheels from in the future. HOWEVER, if you get in your yellow pages and look for a metal polishing company or supply store, you might be able to buy direct in your local area. I have one near by that I get my compounds from for about $6.00 a bar. You might have someone in your area that can supply you with what you need. Harbor Freight Tools has beginner kit you can get also for a pretty cheap price.

There are a lot of different types of wheels for polishing as you can see in this site. http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/wheels.html
The Treated Vented Buff are what I use for the first step more aggressive polishing, and the Acrylic Buffing Wheel is for the final finish step. There are lots of different sizes and styles, so as you get into this you will start to develop your own needs as you learn. All the different wheels and adapters on my bench are just a few of what I use.

I have 2 types of polishing motors. One is a regular grinder that spins at 3500 RPM. And the other is a 1750 RPM motor that came from an old swamp cooler that I have mounted in my vice. This motor has an adapter on it to mount the polishing wheels. For some wheels I have had to make special spacers to center them with.
http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/longsa.htm
Have not gotten around to mounting it on a stand yet. The 1750 motor is what I use primarily. As you load the compound into the buffing wheel, the slower RPM does not sling the compound off as bad as the 3500 one does. You want the compound to stick to the wheel so it will do the work when you start to polish your part. The faster motor is where I mount the smaller wheels, (3 to 6 inch in diameter. They work well for small narrow areas like the fins of a valve cover or an oil filter cover. With polishing, you want the wheel to be able to conform to the shape of your part. The slower the better to a certain degree.

YEP, it gets dirty doesn't it! NO, the art work on the door that my son did is not for sale!

OK, lets polish a part!
The first is going to be a valve cover. Clean and degrease it as best you can!

To keep the amount of pictures down, I am showing you this with the step already done with the glass beading on one half. This step gets all the corrosion out down in the hard to reach areas. You'll see in a minute that it won't show the ruff areas.
Sanding depends on how bad the corrosion is. If you have none, go straight to 320 or 400 grit. If it badly pitted you might need to start wit 220 to sand out the pits. Don't be afraid to get rough with it. You can sand it down from 220 to 320 to 400 or what ever it takes before you start your first stage of polishing.
The smoother the better. Less time on the polishing wheel!

You can use the edge of the sander where it folds to the clamp to get into the fins a little. It depends on how badly pitted they are. You might have to sand a bit by hand!
After your sanding, load the buffing wheel with compound. Turn the motor on and hold the compoud of choice to the wheel. Press it into it till it turns the color of the compound.

Now start polishing the part with fairly aggressive pressure. As you polish, move slowly and rotate the part so the compound on the wheel pulls at the sanding marks in different directions. Thats how it cuts the marks out and creates a smooth finish. You'll have to add compound as you go. It won't stay on the wheel forever, especially if your doing sharp edges like the fin's.

PLEASE BE CAREFUL NOT TO CATCH AN EDGE LIKE THIS!!!!! THIS IS HOW PARTS GET RIPPED FROM YOUR HANDS AND BECOME PROJECTILES!!! Let the rotation of the wheel go in the direction of the edge NOT against it!

If you discover there are some sanding marks still in the aluminum, don't worry, either keep buffing with more compound added to the wheel, or if they are DEEP scratches or corrosion pits, re sand with the finer grit paper, 320 or 400, and start again. This is a normal part of the process. THEY WILL COME OUT with enough persistence.

Now when your satisfied with the finish, change to a softer wheel and load it with the GREEN compound and be prepared to impress yourself. This step will smooth out the polishing marks from the first stage with the less aggressive compound and softer wheel. Take your time. At the end of it, try to polish in one direction moving the part away from you as you push it against the wheel. This will produce the nicest finish. It's called coloring the aluminum.

When I am done, I wash the part with dish soap and hot water, rinsed well, then dried well. The product I use to protect the finish is called MAAS. It's a cream polish protective coating that keeps bare polished aluminum or any other metal looking sharp, and keeps it from being dulled from road grime and the weather. This stuff works great. The cheapest place I have found it is floating in the Bay. Do a Google search for MASS Metal Polish or a Bay search for it. It's great stuff and I have only had to use it 2 or 3 times a year to protect my polished parts.

This is what you will end up with when your done!

ANODIZED ALUMINUM

OK, Now for doing the anodized parts like the controls on your handle bars.

There will be NO sanding in this step unless you have dents or corrosion on them. Most of these part don't suffer from this though. At your local parts store, you will find a gallon jug of CASTROL SUPER CLEAN. This is the stuff that will stain and aluminum parts, even the anodized stuff. That's how I figured out that it melts an anodized surface. I cleaned my 78 CX 500 with it and it stained and clouded my rims. That's how I got started polishing my first set of rims.
Put your part in a container of this stuff, and sit back and watch the action. Leave it for about 1/2 to 3/4 of an hour and it will dissolve the anodized surface. Make sure your container has enough room for the foam to rise without spilling over. It will!
Hmmm, make sure you take all the electronic components out first, OK!

The white in the bottom is the anodizing being eaten away. COOL huh?
Take the part out after your selected time, some times it takes longer. If it does not buff off easy, put it back in for more soaking. Then rinse and dry it off and go straight to the polishing wheel. NO SANDING!

The black surface will buff off like it was never there. Do both black then green stages as described above, and you have one fantastic set of controls in your hands! Get it.... in your hands....hahaha...

Make sure you change the buffing wheel to a clean white one, or one the has not had the black or red compound on it. You need to dedicate certain wheels to final buffing only. Mark on it the with a felt pen so you don't get them mixed up. The final buff is much finer, and the mixture of the 2 different compounds will be over shadowed by the coarser black one.

Cheap camera, 2.1 pixel. Sorry for the pic quality or the lack there of!

SEE.......Shinny huh.... For only $9.95 you could own th...... Oh never mind....

OK, for what started this, THE RIM...

If you have an aluminum Comstar rim, the spokes can be done just as in the following steps with only the polishing. The 78 CX500 and maybe any standard CX, not sure what they have, has plated steel spokes, and this process will brighten them up a lot, but will not bring them to a smooth shine if you try to sand them because the plating is so hard. Don't sand them please. They won't get any smoother, and the sanding marks will be a PITA to remove.

First step is to use a high quality aircraft paint stripper on the black paint of the spokes. Yep, paint not anodizing. Were luck in that account. Let the stripper do it's work and soften the paint. Sometimes I have to use a small brass wire brush to loosen up and remove the paint. It's pretty tough after all the years in the sun. Wash it off with a hose and dry it.

Now the good news, NO SANDING in this area, of coarse if you have corrosion or deap scratches, you can sand them out with progressive grits as outlined above.
The edges of the spokes are sanded with 320 grit and the electric palm sander, or by hand if your feeling frisky! But the flat sanding of the palm sander does a really nice job.

After the edge sanding, go straight to the RED compound, unless your trying to pull off a little black paint that's still on it. Then you can use the black for a more aggressive bite and it will polish the small bits of paint off that you were getting tired of scrubbing off.
For this stage, your going to need a high speed drill or as I use, an air powered die grinder. These do the best job because if you have a good High PSI compressor, it has the torque, and is controllable enough to work around in the tight spots. You'll need to buy some different size wheels for this! For the main part of the spoke, the 3 to 4 inch wheels do well. But for the ends of them, anywhere from 1" to 2" inch wheels work the best. You will go through about 25 2 inch wheels on one rim. I had to make a long extension for my die grinder to get into those cramped areas of the ends of the spokes. It's another one of those PITA areas. As you polish, the aluminum will build up on the wheel. You will need to clean it off a few times as you go. I use a bench grinding stone resurfacer that looks like a bunch of sharp spurs on a handle. You can use any sharp ended object to do this or get one off line like this.
http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/wheel_rake.htm

Just as in all the above steps, finish with the green for your best finish. Followed by a good protection polish like MAAS.

For the rim itself, this is the worst part! If you choose to, you can do just the spokes. Because if you start into the next phase, you can not turn back till it's done after you start sanding it. The rim in the last picture here took me about 5 or 6 days. Lost count.
Lots of sanding in this step to remove the anodized coating. LOTS AND LOTS. Hand sanding as well!
I know what your thinking, why not dip in the Castrol Super Clean! Well, I did, but I'm still keeping an eye on the rims to see if the hammered rivets loosen up. So far, after about 700 miles, they seem OK.

This really made it a lot easier when it came time to sand and clean off the anodizing on the rim. It still needed to be sanded though. The factory coats the rim after doing a power sanding on the rim to help it hold to the aluminum. The large side winder polisher on the bench in the equipment picture is the main tool I used to polish the rim. The small die grinder was used with the long extension to get into the tight areas. But as I have demonstrated, it will work on this step as well as an electric drill. Just slower.

Sanded

Polishing with the black compound.

In process!

And WALA.....

All these steps can be adapted to most any metals, Steel can be done as well, as long as you put a clear coat of paint on it afterward to protect it. I use the Dupli Color engine enamel.

The center section of the starter is polished steel with a clear coat on it. No Chrome!

This is a speedometer top half I was testing out!

The bottom strip of a radiator grill mount!

THIS ONE IS FOR YOU GUY'S DOING THE CAFE STYLE, I know you like to remove stuff! This will add to the RETRO look!
First of all, I can't believe I even did this! A RADIATOR! I have been trying to get a good radiator for a while now, and finally found one. I painted it yesterday, and went to put a coat of clear on it and forgot that some spray paints only have a short time frame to be able to re coat it self without lifting and making the paint wrinkle up. So, I ended up stripping it with paint stripper and found myself staring at, you guessed it, BARE METAL. OK, I'll show them all what can be done with this a little, and then I'll paint it....NOT!
I ended up getting carried away with my addiction, POLISHING ANYTHING THAT'S METAL! Dam. I think I need medication at this point!

After stripping the paint off and cleaning it, I used the hand die grinder with a 3" stiff buffing wheel on it. I started out by using the palm sander and 400 grit Norton's 3X sand paper on it to sand down all the bare metal of the side's of the radiator, and a little bit on some of the brass tank. Then I used the GREEN compound and loaded up the polishing wheel on the die grinder. I put 2 piece's of wood in the vice clamps and tightened it up so I did not have to hold it and try to polish it at the same time. The large wood plates will keep from crushing the fin's! After about 45 minutes, this is what I came up with! Keep polishing the areas a little at a time and every 30 to 45 seconds, add more compound! It uses a lot to polish metal or brass. ENJOY!

So, as you can see, there are a lot of ways polishing can add to any project. Even the wife's copper bottom pans, brass radiator tanks, (see, I told you) carburetor parts, the plastic lens on your riding goggles, even brighten up those blue exhaust header pipes... you name it! NO, don't try to clear the header pipes!

I hope this helps out on your deciding what could be done with the weathered motorcycle or ATV you have sitting out in the garage. This process is a bit of work, but the rewards are more than worth it. You can even use a drill and mandrell mounted wheels to polish the parts while they are still on the bike.

When your done, and your looking at the rest of it like the motor that needs freshening up! That Dupli Color I mentioned earlier! They make an aluminum engine enamel color that I use on the block. It looks and holds up great. Even dipped a painted part in 5 gallons of Chem dip for cleaning carburetors, and it didn't touch the stuff. It's very durable.
Enjoy the possabilities!
Larry

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

wridley 07-14-2008, 8:42 PM
Thanks for the info..... now to find the time.... and the patience!!!

Willy
1982 CX500C
1980 CX500D
1981 GL500I (wife)

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

Connella08 07-14-2008, 9:07 PM
all i have to say is...DAM! great work dude. this will come in handy for anything i come in contact with that is aluminum and needs polishing.

thanks alot!

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

Anonymous 07-14-2008, 9:16 PM
nice work!

I think if you edit the post and put a new line between the 2 side by side pics
the words will wrap.

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

LRCXed 07-14-2008, 9:42 PM
Does that look better?
Thanks for the comments guys! This post was for all of YOU!
Almost 8 hours at the keyboard. Hope you use it!
Larry
Yep, it worked...Thanks masked man who ever you are.

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

Blindstitch2002 07-14-2008, 10:55 PM
Wow Larry that's nuts.
What's the up keep like on the aluminum. Do you have to do this once a month, year, decade to keep them shining.

1978 Honda Cx500 Maggot
1979 Honda Cx500 Custom
1980 Honda Cx500 Deluxe Couch Project Bike

CX500 Factory Service Manual
Courtesy of Randall-in-Mpls

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

Blindstitch2002 07-14-2008, 10:58 PM
Sorry I missed the clearcoat step. Lots to read and re-read.

1978 Honda Cx500 Maggot
1979 Honda Cx500 Custom
1980 Honda Cx500 Deluxe Couch Project Bike

CX500 Factory Service Manual
Courtesy of Randall-in-Mpls

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

LRCXed 07-14-2008, 11:26 PM
If you use the MAAS metal polish or an equivalent alternative, It's just as low a maintenance as washing your bike down once in a while. Of coarse your going to get the splattered bugs on the front end parts like the forks and the clutch cover, but when washed off it still looks great. I finished my 78 almost 4 years ago, and during that time, my house caught on fire from an electrical short. The bike sat for about 2 1/2 years, sometimes out in the back yard while I used the garage to do restoration projects for the house, and with all the weathering and sometimes moisture from rain, (covered of coarse) It stood the test and did not rust any metal parts or start any corrosion on any of the polished parts. The picture in my avatar on the left is after one coat of polishing with MASS in almost 3 years of not doing any thing with it. Not even riding it. Here is a larger picture of it.

Not much was done other than wash it and re polish with a light coat of MAAS. Of coarse I have the motor out now doing the Mechanical seal on it because it sat for so long. I changed the cam and oil pump chain also. Couldn't remember if I did it when I rebuilt the motor. I don't think I did!
Anyway, got off track there, when it's done right and maintained with a good quality product like MAAS, it's not much work at all.

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

LRCXed 07-14-2008, 11:32 PM
I don't like clear coat on the polished aluminum because it makes the finish look duller and takes away from the luster. A good coat of the protection polish works just as well and looks a lot sharper.

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

fll1441 07-15-2008, 5:56 AM
Now I know why your bike looks like it just rolled out of the showroom. Very impressive.

1982 CX500 Custom

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

tntchitwood 07-15-2008, 8:56 AM

I am flabbergasted. Amazing! Thanks for the info.

Tom

'82 Silverwing Chopper
'02 750 Shadow

http://choppercharles.com/cs/forums/29599/ShowPost.aspx

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

Willj 07-15-2008, 9:00 AM
That`s friggin fantastic! Thank you very much for posting this. Polishing my fork lowers will be my first project then probly the starter. If you only lived down the street I`d pay you to do it for me. Do you have a decent profile pic of your bike? I`d love to see what you`ve done in it`s entirety. Thanks again brother.

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

LRCXed 07-15-2008, 9:19 AM
Thanks guys, I'm glad you can prophet from this. That's why I posted it! To share this with those of you who love their rides and want to make them look as good as they can!
Right now, I'm getting ready to put the motor back in after doing the seal and up grading the radiator cover to the custom style. Unfortunately, I sold my last pair of side plates to Ron Bar-El, and thought I had another set. Turns out the setup I have is for an 81-83 GL500 and does not fit my new radiator for an 80. If anyone can use it though, E-mail me and I'll sell it! Need a set of 80 custom side plates, and then I'll post an updated profile picture for you Willj.

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

PirateYarr 07-15-2008, 11:05 AM
I'm assuming you polished your steel headers in the same manor, but how do you protect them? Does a clear coat withstand the temperature range?

1980 Cx500 Custom "Rusty Bob" - Sold
New Bike: 1999 Honda Shadow Spirit VT1100C

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

LRCXed 07-15-2008, 11:20 AM
Thanks for asking, I forgot to put that in the post.
Yes, I used the green compound with the softer wheel first though. If the discoloring will come off with that first it's much safer. The black could leave polishing marks in the chrome sometimes if you use the stiffer polish wheels. But you can try it on the softer wheel, that works too. Just make sure you remember that the wheel has black compound on it for the next time.
No clear coat on them. I don't think they make a high heat clear that will hold up. I don't put anything on mine, I just keep them clean!

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

Travis from PA 07-15-2008, 3:27 PM
outstanding results

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

WNW3 07-15-2008, 4:07 PM
WOW! Great info. I'm going to start looking for a polishing wheel. I've had my bike for 12 years and haven't done a thing to it. Now you guys with all your awesome projects are making me go tinkering crazy.

1981 Honda CX500 Deluxe
1975 Honda CB750 K5

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

LRCXed 07-15-2008, 4:17 PM
WNW3, It's not tinkering, IT'S AN ADDICTION!!!! Be prepared to get hooked!

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

Connella08 07-15-2008, 6:31 PM
THIS NEEDS TO BE STICKIED!

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

brianwarner983 07-15-2008, 7:02 PM
that is amazing.

amazing.

~4L3X

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

GunnieDeluxe 07-15-2008, 8:16 PM
beyond amazing... my only motivation for finishing college is having the time to spend on mine...

1979 CX500D

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

redryder 07-16-2008, 10:21 AM

Great detail! You probably felt like you were back in school writing an term paper.. except the subject matter was something to your liking!! Thanks for putting this together. I used to think of myself as a decent polisher, but this takes it to a whole nuther level... Just picked up a polishing kit from Harbor Freight.. Thats the easy part... Now to find the time!!

Paul

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

shawn82sw 07-18-2008, 2:16 PM
so...... If i were to send you some part can you exchange them for polished ones and i pay you for labor?
kinda like a parts exchange
but seriously would you do that? like the small easy to ship parts?

'82 Honda Silver Wing Gl500i
------
Feed a noob an answer and they are OK for today, but encourage them to use the SEARCH function and they can answer their own questions!

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

LRCXed 07-18-2008, 3:11 PM
E-mail sent Shawn

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

Anonymous 07-18-2008, 9:15 PM
Outstanding, and one more "thank-you" for the polishing tutorial. Long ago in a distant galaxy I worked in a jewelry store and polishing was a very big part of the repair/service part.
Cheers, 50gary

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

Anonymous 08-05-2008, 1:05 PM
Have you ever thought of Nickel Plating after the polish?

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

billyshounds 08-05-2008, 5:33 PM
wow that is realy cool. I dont know if Ill ever have that kind of time, but that will be my only excuse now. thank you for showing.

1980 cx 500 custom

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

LRCXed 08-05-2008, 9:10 PM
Never thought of plating the parts. I like the look of the raw polished aluminum as it is. What would it do for the shine and finish. I would think it would take away from it!

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

Bryan 08-11-2008, 5:50 PM
Spent the afternoon yesterday polishing the valve covers using your guide - incredible results! My wife has yet to stop griping about the mess in the garage (even though it is now clean!), but the results are worth every last hollered word.

Thanks for a great tutorial.

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

LRCXed 08-11-2008, 6:07 PM
LOL

Glad it worked for you. I did say the wifey would not like the mess. Just remind her that you did it in the garage and not in the house.

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

Altinger 08-12-2008, 8:39 PM
This is absolutely amazing! You seriously know what you're doing! :) I work in a machine shop so I'll be doing the beadblasting on mine for sure and see how things work out. EXCELLENT ARTICLE!

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

I'm going to GL 08-14-2008, 5:20 AM
Stellar work indeed! YOU DA MAN!!

Thanks for taking the extra 8 - 10 hours to put it all together for us, it really helps to make polishing a true DIY project.

1982 GL500 "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro" - Hunter S. Thompson

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

Tippy 09-04-2008, 7:01 PM
Just in case it was not emphasized enough

THIS IS ADDICTING!!!!!!

89 Yamaha XT 350
CX500 Custom Cafe
My CX500

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

LRCXed 09-04-2008, 8:58 PM
Yes it is Tippy! I just polished up a 78 CX500 caliper and master cylinder I bought just to sell. Only because I know how good it looks when it's done. Have you started polishing every bolt and screw yet? That's when you know your hooked! But it's SOOOO worth it in the end!
Larry

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

bfknova 10-06-2008, 2:13 PM

Great work on the aluminum polishing Larry ...... I'm still working on cleaning and rebuilding my aluminum Rx7 carbs ( I have two) and using a varible speed dremel to clean the outside of them ...... which is quite similar to your method albeit it can get into the little grooves with more control ...... as I similarly used the dremel for my '78 CX500 carbs (again I have two) with various tiny wheels ....... speaking of which, I somehow lost the carb rebuild thread - and remember your soaking in pure vinegar for a couple days ...... and before I soak my Rx7 carb parts - I just want to hear your final thoughts as to what worked best ?????

Cheers, n' after looking at your aluminum polishing - I may just redo my CX motor this winter as well as the Rx7 motor <grin> - as the black rust paint is alright for a rat bike - but a shiny aluminum polished motor is so much nicer ...... and I don't have to worry about making a mess in my kitchen - as only the dog to bark at me <LOL> ....

Bryan

Keep the rubber side down and alway shake a bro's hand when passing or standing still - EH !!

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

Will 10-06-2008, 4:58 PM
Holy crap! I always thought my ride looked pretty clean, at least for a older bike. Now in comparison, it looks like it was just pulled out of a swamp! I will have to copy this and file it away for future reference. Great work!

1982 GL500 Silverwing

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

LRCXed 10-07-2008, 5:07 PM
Brian, just keep an eye on all the aluminum parts for the RX7. As I showed above, some cheep castings are attacked by the vinegar. I like the CLR a lot, it eats all the rust away on all the steal parts and leaves them looking new, as well as eating any calcium and corrosion. The vinegar will leave the steal parts vulnerable to moisture if you don't spray or brush them with clear coat of some kind, or remove them before dipping them. I have a can of WD40 that I dip carbs in to stop all the rust from starting, then spray them off with paint thinner or carb cleaner spray before I clear coat all the metal parts. All in all, what ever you need to do for the best cleaning is what you will have to do. The condition of the carbs will dictate that. But elbow grease and CLR has worked the best for me so far.

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

bfknova 10-09-2008, 8:06 AM

Thanks Larry - As I'm sure your aware there's a lot more parts on the Rx7 carbs (plastic, steel, & aluminum) - so I've taken them apart into 32 main pieces and cleaning each with first a scraping and brushing with de-greaser, then on any heavy rust - using a grinding wheel on the dremel - and now a good soaking in CLR followed by a brushing and final polish with seafoam and polish wheel on the dremel....... then I have the fun of putting them back together ..... so, overall taking my time and still have 3 carbs to do this fall/winter- as I've only done the main one on my CX - earlier this summer -

Cheers,

Bryan

Keep the rubber side down and alway shake a bro's hand when passing or standing still - EH !!

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

LRCXed 10-09-2008, 6:56 PM
Bryan,
If you leave the rusted parts in the CLR for a couple days, it will eat ALL the rust away on its own. It works great.

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

Cobram 10-10-2008, 10:01 AM
On carb parts, does the CLR also remove the protective zinc coating (or whatever that yellowish anti corrosion substance is?)

1978 CX500 - I live on a one-way street that's also a dead end. I'm not sure how I got here, or how I'm going to get out.

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

LRCXed 10-10-2008, 1:13 PM
I have not checked that out yet. If the plating is in really nice shape, I remove the parts before I dip them in vinegar. But I have a few parts I can test out and post the results later.

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

bfknova 10-11-2008, 10:27 AM

Speaking about plating Larry - is there a clear "brush on" finish for the aluminum ???? I know there's spray - but I prefer the brush on method - otherwise - I have the Rx7 carb pieces sitting in pure (non diluted) CLR and doesn't seem to take much longer than 12 hours to have them clean - albeit, I did notice on the cast parts that a white film developed - so I just brushed them with "Seafoam" and they're as good as new ......

Cheers, n' Happy Thanksgiving !

Bryan

Keep the rubber side down and alway shake a bro's hand when passing or standing still - EH !!

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

bfknova 10-11-2008, 10:37 AM

I haven't quite finished the Rx7 spare carb - but for anyone who's cleaning their CX500 carbs - their easy compared to the 4 barrel - as it's almost the size of the CX engine <grin> ........ anyway - their all just projects - and I do enjoy sharing ..... so here's a link to the before pics ..... and when I'm finished I'll put on the after pics for comparision - while using Larry's suggestions and know I've already seen a big difference ...... so thanks again bro !!!!!

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ked1/Mazda.html

Cheers,

Bryan

Keep the rubber side down and alway shake a bro's hand when passing or standing still - EH !!

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

Karma 10-16-2008, 4:58 PM
LRCXed, I've read your post back & forth, but I can't exactly find how you were able to sand in between the fins. You mention something about a step with glass beading; what is that?

1980/1 CX500 Custom

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

LRCXed 10-16-2008, 10:52 PM
Karma, thanks for the question. I guess I did forget to cover that area in my post.
Glass beading is done in a blasting cabinet with a high pressure gun that shoots very fine glass beads, (like sand) out of it. I do it to get down inside the fins and blast out the corrosion and old age stains. As far as sanding in between them, I get what I can with the edge of the sanders I use, then polish in between them with the coarse black compound and a narrow buffing wheel. The edge of the wheel smooths out the roughness if you do it long enough and use plenty of compound. It's one of those areas that can take some time, depending on what type of finish your looking for.

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

Karma 10-16-2008, 11:42 PM
Did you do the glass beading yourself, or have someone do it (and did you need to do much more sanding after doing it)?

1980/1 CX500 Custom

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

LRCXed 10-17-2008, 5:35 AM
Yes I did it myself, and I sand the rest of the part with 220 and then 320 grit. Smooth out all the chips and corrosion marks out before you start buffing. The more you sand out, the faster the polishing will go.

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

Karma 10-17-2008, 11:26 AM
OK, I don't have access to glass beading. How would you get in between the fins?

1980/1 CX500 Custom

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

CXSarnia 10-17-2008, 11:46 AM

Karma wrote:
LRCXed, I've read your post back & forth, but I can't exactly find how you were able to sand in between the fins. You mention something about a step with glass beading; what is that?

Glass Beading is the same as Sandblasting but with fine - powdered glass. The only difference is the selection of the media. You use the same Air compressor (about 120psi with 5cf/m is sufficient) and sandblaster gun. Start with some practice pieces, you don't want to burn any holes in the aluminium . Adjust the flow rate and pressure so that you are only taking off the undesirable dirt/grime/debris. I highly recommend attempting to completely finish a piece that isn't part of your bike first. Practice from beginning to end.

1979 CX500 Deluxe Newest ride in the fleet
1982 CB750K Daily rider September 1999
1982 CX500 Custom - project Originally bought April 1982 reacquired April 2006

Re: " HOW TO POLISH ALUMINUM"

LRCXed 10-17-2008, 2:12 PM
Take your parts to a machine shop. They can glass bead them for you.

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/

Page 1 of 2 (66 items)

1 2 >