Polishing Alloy to a high gloss with Sand Paper

[Dave_B]

Im going to coat with ceramic to prevent oxidation. Although a quick water test after using AutoGlym Metal polish and not a drop of water remains on the surface.

The hardest part is buffing off the polish. I do not have an appropriate tool. Best solution I’ve found so far is to polish with a machine, it all gets nice and black, then spray with panel
Prep and wipe off, repeat until your cloths no longer turn black. The finish is still good, but probably not as good as a hard buff

I’ve done both swing arms today. Knucking fackered now though. Too much for day 1 covid recovery.

 

[#lazy]

I stripped the bike and then had the frame dipped over night in a hot dip tank by a local alloy wheel refurber

My 2020 kenevo comp looks like it been dipped overnight in a septic tank . Gunmetal brown isn’t my favourite colour

 

[Dave_B]

I’ve ordered same better buffing pads for my drill.

I’m going to repeat everything I have done to the swing arms when I start the frame tomorrow, but then finish the polish with Muc-Off Miracle Shine and then protect with Muc-Off HCB-1.

Both are super easy to apply and will make future upkeep much easier.

 

[SiDobsFig]

Hi, I used the following for finishing of my forks from a UK company. The Polishing Shop.

Then finished off with Autosol polish with lint free cloths.

I was looking to do the frame but can’t afford to run the offhand polish wheel I have now the electric is sky high in Europe.

Good luck

Product Name	Model	Quantity	Price	Total
523LBZ Grey Menzerna Polishing Compound 130gm bar	PS204000	1	£1.92	£1.92
439T Green Menzerna Compound Half Bar	PS202010	1	£4.28	£4.28
Green Medium Treated Sisal Mop 4"x1 section (1/2") (100mmx13mm)	PS020005	1	£4.36

 

[E-MAD MALC]

Anytime I’ve seen anybody try to coat polished aluminum with anything it always dulled it out. I used meguiars polish or this other stuff that I can’t remember the name of, it was a container of cotton like material. You would buff the aluminum with it and it would turn black then buff the black off and it was like a mirror again.

I wonder if that ceramic coating would dull it
I would have thought it will stop it from oxiding

 

[Dave_B]

I have used some Auto Glym Rapid Ceramic and it did not dull the finish.

Bye the way, the Muc-Off HCB-1 spray is aweful. Very thick and did not dry. Luckily I only put it on the rear swing arms. I polished it off, horrible stuff.

 

[E-MAD MALC]

Here's a young lad that used scotch bride wd40 and a micro fibre clothe
3 minutes effort

 

[Dave_B]

I finished the frame today and now have the bike re-assembled. The finish is not what I would like, but I think it is mainly down to the poor surface on the extruded alloy frame. Some parts are nice and shiny, but others remain grainy. It is what it is and I can’t get it any better. If the sun comes out tomorrow I’ll take some pics but I’m not sure it’s any better than what it was after my first attempt.

 

[Ark]

You coulda just got it chrome plated like old school bmx back in the day

looking at google there's still companies that do it

 

[E-MAD MALC]

I finished the frame today and now have the bike re-assembled. The finish is not what I would like, but I think it is mainly down to the poor surface on the extruded alloy frame. Some parts are nice and shiny, but others remain grainy. It is what it is and I can’t get it any better. If the sun comes out tomorrow I’ll take some pics but I’m not sure it’s any better than what it was after my first attempt.

Thing is are you over covid yet so you can get out and about again

 

[Dave_B]

Thing is are you over covid yet so you can get out and about again

Yes

 

[Dave_B]

this is as good as I can get it. You can see in the videos that there are issues with the quality / smoothness of the alloy frame that I can't remove without really aggressive sanding, which I don't want to do.

 

[Dave_B]

 

[E-MAD MALC]

View attachment 111796

Looks Really nice Dave
And is that with the ceramic coating
Is that the new sram mec in the rear there or am I mistaken

 

[Dave_B]

Yes. With ceramic coating applied and yes, that’s the new eagle transmission.

 

[Hobo Mikey]

Looks nice now you have rubbed it down, all you have to do now is prime and paint it.

 

[B1rdie]

For sometime, many years ago, I used to deal with aeronautical aluminum tubing, I bought gross, then took it to a facility to be anodised before cutting and drilling to sell. They polished the tubing on huge machines using cloth discs and a paste, the aluminum then got to a mirror finish, but after they dipped it on the anodising tank it lost part of the glow and showed some imperfection.