Best Chrome Polish to Restore?
Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 196
Likes: 2
The aluminum polish will kinda shine up the clear coat, but it won't brighten the underlying aluminum. So, if you rub a bunch and it doesn't get much shinier, you probably have a coated part. I don't know if HD uses it as much as they used to. It mostly kept them shiny until the customer rode out with the bike. It made it difficult to get a good shine from then on out.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,622
Likes: 7
From: Gulf Coast
Use 0000 steel wool and Mothers mag and aluminum polish to start and finish with Sem-chrome and a soft rag. Will shine like a mirror.
No the steel wool won't scratch your chrome,it's about the equvilent to 2000 grit wet and dry sandpaper. Keep the steel wool with some polish on it,don't use it dry.
Good Luck
Tom
No the steel wool won't scratch your chrome,it's about the equvilent to 2000 grit wet and dry sandpaper. Keep the steel wool with some polish on it,don't use it dry.
Good Luck
Tom
Last edited by TOMMAY; Jul 10, 2010 at 07:04 PM.
Thread Starter
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Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
Okay, that's kind of what I am dealing with. The spots around the tires come off pretty easily with a wire brush and little bit of elbow grease.
The further up the trees, like toastman said, it's a different kind of aluminum, and that's the area that I'm having the most trouble with. That's the area that's faded and I can't seem to get much response from.
So I guess overall the chrome is coming along okay, but it's these aluminum areas that I'm having the most problem with. And Quadancer showed us a nice piece of aluminum that shines like chrome.
So there's hope yet. But I don't want to use the wrong product or procedure, and ruin my bike (I just dropped about $10k on this baby). Don't want to f_ _k her up!
The further up the trees, like toastman said, it's a different kind of aluminum, and that's the area that I'm having the most trouble with. That's the area that's faded and I can't seem to get much response from.
So I guess overall the chrome is coming along okay, but it's these aluminum areas that I'm having the most problem with. And Quadancer showed us a nice piece of aluminum that shines like chrome.
So there's hope yet. But I don't want to use the wrong product or procedure, and ruin my bike (I just dropped about $10k on this baby). Don't want to f_ _k her up!
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 7,079
Likes: 21
From: Queens, NY
before i powdered my trees...i spent a few hours shining them up
i put a few drops of some no name aluminum polish on a conical felt tip on my dremel hand held and went to work.
it was especially effective in the corners and crevices.
do it in sections so the job doesn't overwhem you. let the tip buff one spot out for a few minutes, moving in small circles, then wipe with a clean cloth.
if you don't have a tool like that, well stretch before you do it because your arms are gonna get tired.
i put a few drops of some no name aluminum polish on a conical felt tip on my dremel hand held and went to work.
it was especially effective in the corners and crevices.
do it in sections so the job doesn't overwhem you. let the tip buff one spot out for a few minutes, moving in small circles, then wipe with a clean cloth.
if you don't have a tool like that, well stretch before you do it because your arms are gonna get tired.
Thread Starter
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Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
I meant to say "spots on the wheels" area, not "spots on the tires" areas, but you guys know what I mean. Yeah, one of the first tools I bought after I got the bike was a dremel. It's a handy little sucker, I will say that. I've used it on my aluminum but it didn't do any good. I imagine that I need to use it with (1) the right fixture, and (2) the right aliminum compound.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 7,079
Likes: 21
From: Queens, NY
I meant to say "spots on the wheels" area, not "spots on the tires" areas, but you guys know what I mean. Yeah, one of the first tools I bought after I got the bike was a dremel. It's a handy little sucker, I will say that. I've used it on my aluminum but it didn't do any good. I imagine that I need to use it with (1) the right fixture, and (2) the right aliminum compound.
i'm headed out now but when i come home (if i'm not too drunk to remember and if heading into the bike shed at that time isn't detrimental to the health of my bike) i'll go out side and get you the name of the stuff i used.
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I got cheap buffing wheels (several) from Harbor Freight, and 3 different polishing compounds from Lowe's...all of which will last me years. On the mill finish piece, I had started with an orbital and sandpaper, 320, 400, 600, 1200 and then 2000, all with water. I was told that I could have skipped the 320 and 600, but my experience tells me that orbitals tend to ball up material and rotate it, making circular scratches. I find that starting orbitally and finishing each grit by hand cures that problem. I had literally used a mill bastard file on the edges prior to sanding; that thing was rough, man.
Overheating by too much pressure on the polishing wheel will orange peel aluminum, so you have to let the compound do the work. Ask me how I know.
Oh, and my next project is the clutch and front brake levers. Even coated, they look like crap. Once polished, I'll have to recoat them to keep the hands from turning black from rubbing on the bare aluminum.
Overheating by too much pressure on the polishing wheel will orange peel aluminum, so you have to let the compound do the work. Ask me how I know.
Oh, and my next project is the clutch and front brake levers. Even coated, they look like crap. Once polished, I'll have to recoat them to keep the hands from turning black from rubbing on the bare aluminum.