i'm gonna try to get pictures of the situation but here i it is. when i go to polish the frame on my bike, it always comes out shiny, but not shiny enough, ive tried everything, wet sanding, using the orbital for a little longer, but it seems like nothing is working. how long should i spend on a certain graind(ie 400 grain) before i move onto the next grain? i go from 220 to 400 to 600 to 800 to 1000 to 1500 to 2000 then i put scratch remover then i polish it with mothers, but i still need help.
anyone?

any help is appreciated

 

Things needed that you havent used yet:
-Buffing compounds, black, brown, red, white, blue.
-5 buffing pads
-a grinder.

All of these can be bought at Sears in the hardware department where the sanders and sanding pads are located.

After you have finished sanding the frame with 2000, you can start with the black stick on the buffing pad. Apply a generous amount on the pad by turning on the grinder and applying moderate pressure from the stick onto the pad. Now put the grnding pad on the frame starting from either the top or bottom and work your way up or down. Keep buffing with the same direction you sanded originally.

You need to do this with each of the sticks starting from black-brown-white-red-blue.

Afterwards take a soft cloth and apply mothers aluminum polish and just buff it out with a rag. thats bout it...

 

03... NOTE !!!!!!!! use a different wheel, for each compound... or else your mixing course, w/ bling !!!!!!!!! also clean all previous comp. off the frame, before the next... same idea.
Check out alum polishing tips online, lots of pro's, offering advice. clean and free, Ripp'n

 

thanks guys but, i guess i was mislead because i was told that there was only red(scratch remover) and white(mothers polish). does it matter what colored buffing compound i use first?

 

YO 94, Thanks for the inspiration... I got off my bike long enough to buff out my tail pipe and end caps, aft of the header... just like new, only shinyer !!!!!!!!!!!
Read up on proper buffing(web), and it will explain, whats appropriate for what and when, you have to induce heat into a part to even begin to achieve, the desired results.
My junk, is clear and shiny enough to read a book in the reflection, feet away. One day, i had little understanding, started learning, and now feel I have a good basic understanding (a good place to start really learning) It really is an aquired skill and "feel"
I think, you should learn the facts(materials, technique) part, then start on a exstrusion of alloy, and apply what youv'e learned. It's so much easyer, than a frame... actualy a huge job, to do evenly and correctly, for maximum effect. And as you found out, a drag, when it dosen't go well as hoped. You can do it... but you will have to take time and learn. Iv'e found, the zen of polishing(maintainance/ shiny, and precision/ perfect... to be incredabley rewarding. I took the time to learn... go for it !!!!!!!!!!
In the begining... I rounded off every edge, on every thing, cool if your looking for that... ruined, if not. I was whine'n to a gunsmith, and he took pity on me and explained,tapering off,towords an edge.
Not destroying the "dimes" look, of a beautiful weld, on aluminum. Use'n the machinist technique of getting 100% w/ a file before the sanding even starts...
Use'n ear and eye safety, gloves and a respirator, buffing compound exposure, is a cumlative build up in your lungs, like silicosas(black lung).
If your fling'n cotton off your wheel, re load w/ more compound,If the wheel looks like alum, your way past cleaning the alum that youv'e already removed.
Don't buff any where around where you ever want to spray paint again... No buffing w/ contacts in... Be carefull... you haven't lived till you "catch a edge, and lauch your almost "pride and joy skidding
across the cement floor, oops !!!!!!!!!!!! Catch your shirt, or worse, your long hair or beard, and you won't do it twice, Instant scalp'n, and maybe concusion, as it reels you in.
I don't mean to scare you off... but this polishing stuff, can be dangerous, and looks like crap, if not done right. Hey wanna see sick... get into the rolls royce restoration type pro polishers, they are part of the serriously dedicated to perfection end of the midevil guild, obsesive,as a starting point !!!!!!!!!!! There results are incredible !!!!!!!!!
If you cant find pro compounds, wheels,ect., try "eastwood" on line, reasonabley priced. Learn what wheels, are for what, compounds, techniques, they didn't teach this stuff in woodshop !!!!!!!!! Anything I can help w/...
I'd be happy to... but you do need to do you homework first... and people will freak, when you tell'm,"I did it my self!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" go for it !!!!!!!!!!!!!, Clean and free, Ripp'n PS. save the mothers, for touch ups !!!!!

 

Rippn..

yea i knew to use the different pads, as you can see in my previous reply where i said he needed 5 buffing pads. i just forgot to add it into the text as i was writing this in a hurry... thanks man....

 

03, yup, you coverd that one origanaly... i typicaly don't process 2+ 2=4... damn 70's !!!!!!!!!!!!!
did you catch the post in off topic/... how much to polish a frame?, I can't wait to hear !!!!!!!!!
One thing that was funny again, about buffing the pipe and can pieces/ springs, was my hair/ beard comes out black, from fling!!!!!!!...."say, I look 20 yrs younger... wish my hair came back, too!!!!!!!!!" Rear grab rail, lever blades, swing arm(had to replace it anyway...) IT'S CONTAGIOUS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
do you loose track of time, when buff'n??? I can loose hours... I love it. It seems to be an incrediblely theraputic thing ,for me... only disturbed by flinging those side covers, across the floor!!!!!!!!!!
I found people just started line'n up, when they heard, I buffed. usualy, I ask them if they want to learn !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm think'n, learning to powder coat, is next, paint, I need a tig welder...
Oh, I keep forgeting to say, insted of powder or clearcoat, pro's say ....carnuba wax is the way to keep the finished product keen, way easyer to touch up scuffs. Clean and free, Ripp'n

 

thanks for the help guys. I resanded the entire frame, started with 800 and went to great detail on each grit. after thoroughly going through each grit, i did the same grit wet to clear the cloudiness and it worked like a charm. The frame is already looking way better and i havn't even went through the colored buffing compounds i picked up from sears. can't wait to see how it turns out when it gets done, will definitly post pics of the bike when all is done.
thanks again

 

here are a couple links that may help you out with the tools and process needed...

http://www.team-integra.net/forum/di...urnPage=Search

http://www.team-integra.net/forum/di...urnPage=Search