primary polishing / finish removal

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Jul 7, 2008 | 01:17 PM

jarhead45

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Joined: Jun 2008

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From: Sin City

primary polishing / finish removal

just looking at the bike, just the standard 06 super glide. Figured I am not of the school of "black is the new chrome." So I was wondering about polishing the primary covers , inner and outer. How do you get that finish off in the most economical way? sand blast it then bead blast it, then get a ton of sandpaper and start getting it down to a polishing finish ? Or is it just better to go ahead and get a belt drive with all the new shineys and sc$#w the hard labor.

Jul 7, 2008 | 01:32 PM

JRK5892

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From: Chicago suburbs (Elgin/Schaumburg)

RE: primary polishing / finish removal

media blast... or you can try aircraft stipper... i have used that on frames and tanks with GREAT results... they have a kit for your drill has like 5&nbsp\\; one inch round disks in any auto parts store by the auto body section, they are these little yellow attachments and they are TUFF!!! sometimes when shooting rocket tanks from where the stickers where if you dont use those on them to get off all the residue you can see it after it has been painted... that is beside the point... they are tuff pads and will help you to get the powdercoat off... once it is off then just go though the process of polishing it out!

Jul 7, 2008 | 04:29 PM

rounder

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Joined: Oct 2007

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From: Palm Harbor fl.

RE: primary polishing / finish removal

I just polished my fork lowers and using 400 as a start went up from there.... looks about chrome...gonna do my inner primary next...(outer already chrome)...

400-600-800-1000-1500-2000-then aluminum polish!

I am sure the powder coat will sand off with 400....

Jul 7, 2008 | 04:31 PM

JRK5892

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Joined: Mar 2007

Posts: 19,481

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From: Chicago suburbs (Elgin/Schaumburg)

RE: primary polishing / finish removal

HELL NO! it will take ALOT of elbow grease to get the powder off with just 400 grit!

Jul 7, 2008 | 04:35 PM

rounder

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From: Palm Harbor fl.

RE: primary polishing / finish removal

Quote:

ORIGINAL: JRK5892

HELL NO! it will take ALOT of elbow grease to get the powder off with just 400 grit!

so more work than the fork lowers???
thought the lowers were powder clear but not sure...

BTW it was alot of work on those lowers... my fingertips still recovering....side benefit: I could do something illegal and not leave any fingerprints ..lol

Jul 7, 2008 | 04:35 PM

mud

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Joined: May 2006

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From: the 50s & the 60s

RE: primary polishing / finish removal

Quote:

ORIGINAL: jarhead45

just looking at the bike, just the standard 06 super glide. Figured I am not of the school of "black is the new chrome." So I was wondering about polishing the primary covers , inner and outer. How do you get that finish off in the most economical way? sand blast it then bead blast it, then get a ton of sandpaper and start getting it down to a polishing finish ? Or is it just better to go ahead and get a belt drive with all the new shineys and sc$#w the hard labor.

I used paint remover.

mud......

Jul 7, 2008 | 04:44 PM

JRK5892

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Joined: Mar 2007

Posts: 19,481

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From: Chicago suburbs (Elgin/Schaumburg)

RE: primary polishing / finish removal

the aircraft stripper will do just that! looks good mud! rounder when i do lower forks i use a flexable round sanding drill attachment... just keep it moving and you will nto get wear or burn marks.&nbsp\\; i use a hook loop sanding disks so i can just pop on the new ones as i go... then the final set i used ultra find steel wool and metal polish... works WONDERS!!! the first set i did i did by hand (just like you) took forever... next time you do it spay them with some aircraft stripper first, it will melt the clear right off and they will shine up way faster! either way... polishing is work! however the pay off is also priceless!

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Jul 7, 2008 | 05:06 PM

rounder

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Joined: Oct 2007

Posts: 7,562

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From: Palm Harbor fl.

RE: primary polishing / finish removal

Quote:

ORIGINAL: JRK5892

the aircraft stripper will do just that! looks good mud! rounder when i do lower forks i use a flexable round sanding drill attachment... just keep it moving and you will nto get wear or burn marks. \\\\\\; i use a hook loop sanding disks so i can just pop on the new ones as i go... then the final set i used ultra find steel wool and metal polish... works WONDERS!!! the first set i did i did by hand (just like you) took forever... next time you do it spay them with some aircraft stripper first, it will melt the clear right off and they will shine up way faster! either way... polishing is work! however the pay off is also priceless!

yup the results are priceless...took about 6 hours(broke it up over a few days)...big thing for me was not the top-coat but all the rough aluminum around the axle area and the brake and fender mounts...

I figured the Inner primary may be easier as it is not as rough as the forks were... I would like to strip then go but I will need to disassemble the primary and remove and not so sure I want to tackle that .(by the time I take it apart I could have it sanded down I figure) It will also require more cost for me to get that chain wedge and gaskets, etc.. I'll figure it out...

then again if I do disassemble I can get rid if the shaft for the mids.hmmm