Restoring,Polishing old parts - Please share your tricks!

I am wanting to make the alloy parts on my ride shine like new. I have scrubbed with a scotchbrite and degreaser so far so they are clean, but not really shiny. I could get a orbital polisher, but all the ones I have found are large so not good for many smaller parts. Whats the tricks?

 

Mothers mag & aluminum polish works pretty well on smooth surfaces. A bench style buffing wheel is the hot ticket if you have access to one.

 

A lot of the alloy parts on bikes are clearcoated, so you'll have to get that off first if you really want to polish the bare aluminum. I've used aircraft finish stripper in the past with great results. Once you get to the bare metal you're ready to polish. Search the web for techniques, there's a ton of info out there.
Here's a typical link:
The Dime City Diatribe - Tech Articles
But like RC says, a bench grinder with the right buffing wheels will yield the best results. For getting in all the nooks and crannies a Dremel tool or cordless hand drill with smaller polishing attachments will do the job.

 

Iknow you are asking about aluminum but for rubber pieces that show...Vaseline. Sounds gross but restores new shine to old rubber parts!

 

+1 :thumbsup:

This product is the best thing you'll find short of complete disassembly & professional polishing. Go to the parts store and ask for a "PowerBall". Not the lotto ticket... It's a drill powered polishing accessory made for the Mothers alloy polish, and it's AWESOME once you get a feel for it.

 

I do all my own buffing on my cars and bikes. I have a 8" bench grinder I put cotton buffing wheels on and use rouges that are for the particular metal I buff. Basically aluminum and stainless steel moldings. This works the fastest and the best. Then I'll finish with Mothers Mag Polish, works the best I've found, to finish up.

I got the supplies at a place like this: Zephyr Sales Company, Home of Zephyr Pro40, Metal Polish, Cleaners, Bar Rouge, Buffing Wheels, Dealer Display Rack, Buffing Kits, Retail Packaging

Then I'll use a synthetic polymer type coating as a final finish. Then throught out the year I'll clean with Mothers again when needed. Trying to do it by hand only, unless it's high luster already, takes a very very long time and doesn't get the results like a buffer does.

 

+1 what greasemonkey said about getting a Powerball. Don't know what availability is in NZ for Mother's brand products, but the Powerball is a great buffing product. The small one even comes with an extension for getting into those hard to reach places. I used to run an auto parts store, and the first hint of Spring I'd sell out of them the first Saturday!

 

Cool - thanks everyone, I'm off to see what products I can find right now!! I'll post pics ofthe shiny results in due course.

 

One thing nobody mentioned, be patient with it. Especially if you're doing things by hand. Polishing is definitely a time consuming thing depending on the piece, tools and desired results.

 

A really good cheat is sissal and cotton buffing wheels that are designed to go into a drill. You can get them on the cheap from Harbor Freight. Put those on your drill press and gear up to the highest speed possible. Get some polishing rouge in brown, red and white. With just those basic tools you have enough to put a SERIOUS shine on any aluminum part you can hold.

If you have a full size buffer (or space and money for one) then GET IT ..... and follow all Grey's recommendations. He's got it goin on.

Jose

 

I have had great success with 2000 grit sandpaper and a nice wet sand. I followed that up with the Mother's PowerBall polishing system.

 

Some photos to show what I have accomplished with everyone's advice.

-First I used a synthetic steel wool and sanded and sanded and sanded, then moved onto the finest grade and did the same. I tried wet and dry sand paper as well but preferred the steel wool.
-Second I got a Dremel with a brush copper sanding wheel and went hard out with that - made it very shiny but also patchy.
-Third - Used Mothers Aluminium Polish and the polishing wheel on the dremel
-Last but not least I got a Mothers Power Cone (no power balls over here but we do have the POWER CONE) - set up the power drill in the vice and again used the Mothers polish to even up the finished product. Then Buff by hand.

This cover I have completed, everything else I have sanded but got the Dremel to do. Now to find a product to cover and protect my hard work...Anybody found any clear coat heat resistant paint or do I just smother it in a synthetic polymer polish?

Oh and the wheel in the photo just got the Power Cone treatment - no sanding!! Only took about 5min or less - TOO EASY!!

 

Try a clear powdercoat. IMO a solvent base clearcoat would be more effective than a polymer. For insurance on alloys and polished non-ferrous substrates, a good wipedown with acetone will remove traces of polish and residual abrasive materials. A great rag material is what is called in US, "Polarfleece" The is even superior to well laundered cotton diapers..Or as you dudes that talk funny say, "nappies".

 

Rainman I mean no offense with what I'm going to say. That alt cover to me is not polished. It's cleaned up a bit but not polished at all. You can get a mirror finish on it. I like you started that way. I never liked how my parts came out. So I went the buffer/rough way. My parts were 100% better.

Take a look at these. The pics really don't do them justice though. You can see me in the right side cover. In person they look highly mirror like polished. You don't want to put any urethane type spray on them because no matter what you use it will cut the luster by at least 40%. Then all your work in down the drain IMO. My covers haven't been polish for a while in the pics, just cleaned up with Mothers after being on the bike awhile.



Notice the valve covers also.

off topic whoa a different way to load photo's I see. Surprised me.

 

Oh Man, Grey you just burst my bubble. You're right though Iv'e got a long way to go before I can call it polished. I dont have a bench grinder/buffing wheel, and I cant really justify buying one for only one motorbike.... maybe if I buy more motorbikes that will justify buying a bench buffer!

Thanks for the tips Badbilly, we do have Polarfleece over here, oh yeah and Nappies and we use the "Metric" system

 

There will be some "dulling"of a mirror buff job on aluminum from clearcoating. (you guys say that one funny too Those aluminum alloys polish differently and can be forged, cast or stamped. Grey is spot on. Not too many shinyfarkles on my ride I keep them clean but an hours ride and two to clean up ain't my style. Most non-ferrous "polishes" are almost the same thing which leads IMO to over rating of many. Back in the day Brasso worked just fine for both uniform and bike shineys too.

So how does one convert BS (babyshit) to metric from the darn system you guys thrust upon us in the first place?

 

Could not have said it better myself, down side is you have to keep polishing for the life of the part.Would have never polished so many parts had I known what a pain in the ass they are to maintain.

 

Yeah, I'm not looking forward to the upkeep but the original laquer must have been buffed off many moons ago by some other enthusiastic rider, but not maintained. By the time I got to it they were corroded and ugly hence the need to spend time fixing them up.
I will look at coating them again even though I will lose some shine they will probably look better in the long term.