Polishing my frame
#1
03-03-2012, 11:20 AM
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#2
03-03-2012, 01:23 PM
First off naturally you need to get rid of the old paint. The less you scrape the metal, the less you have to polish later on, so either use a stripper chemical like Nitro Mors and a pressure washer, or media-blast it with low pressure, DON`T USE ANY LOW GRIT SAND PAPER!!! When you have it in bare metal, you need to start water-sanding it with about 800 grit paper. When you get it completely scratch-free, move onto 1200 grit. Repeat the process. When you have it totally perfectly matt, move onto Farècla, or some other polishing paste and either a lamb-wool disk or a cloth-disk on a drill, or buy one of those polishing machines that look like an angle-grinder. Low revs or you`ll burn the paste on the surface, also remember to spray a little water in there every now and then.
The rule of thumb #1: Every single scratch that you leave in there gets harder and harder to get off when you move onto finer paper/paste.
The rule of thumb#2: It`s a LOT of work, and there`s no really shortcuts around it. Be prepared that it will take a long time to do, and be thorough and patient, there`s not much sorryer look than a bodge polish job full of scratches.
Not trying to bring you down, but I have polished some clutch/brake handles and other little parts and even that is an all-nighter. It really is a heap to do if you are going to get it mirror-polished. Also the finished surface needs to be sealed or it will rust/oxidise pretty fast. If you have the chance to Ceracoat it, it will be the best seal (like spray-on super thin glass-layer of ceramic "paint") Clearcoat can turn it a little yellowish. Some just wax it, but IMO it`s a bad idea since you have to keep waxing it till the cows come home to prevent the corrosion...
Here`s an idea: see if you can get it chromed/electroplated somewhere. (although that can be pricy, for some reason that seems to be a LOT cheaper here than there, assuming "there" is in the US...)
The rule of thumb #1: Every single scratch that you leave in there gets harder and harder to get off when you move onto finer paper/paste.
The rule of thumb#2: It`s a LOT of work, and there`s no really shortcuts around it. Be prepared that it will take a long time to do, and be thorough and patient, there`s not much sorryer look than a bodge polish job full of scratches.
Not trying to bring you down, but I have polished some clutch/brake handles and other little parts and even that is an all-nighter. It really is a heap to do if you are going to get it mirror-polished. Also the finished surface needs to be sealed or it will rust/oxidise pretty fast. If you have the chance to Ceracoat it, it will be the best seal (like spray-on super thin glass-layer of ceramic "paint") Clearcoat can turn it a little yellowish. Some just wax it, but IMO it`s a bad idea since you have to keep waxing it till the cows come home to prevent the corrosion...
Here`s an idea: see if you can get it chromed/electroplated somewhere. (although that can be pricy, for some reason that seems to be a LOT cheaper here than there, assuming "there" is in the US...)
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