Polishing fork sliders
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Road Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,167
Likes: 20
From: NE Pennsylvania
Polishing fork sliders
I know I've seen a thread that detailed the process of polishing fork sliders many times here on the forum. But now I can't seem to find it thru the search function.
Can someone please send a link to that thread?? I just got mike bike up on a jack and I'm ready to take off the wheel and get started.
Thanks in advance
Can someone please send a link to that thread?? I just got mike bike up on a jack and I'm ready to take off the wheel and get started.
Thanks in advance
Road Warrior
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,688
Likes: 4
From: Crisfield, MD
Dont know which thread you were looking for but a search on "polishing sliders" turned up a number of them and I know I've commented on several.
I did mine couple years ago and it went like this: aircraft stripper from walmart to get the clearcoat off, 400,600,800,1000,1500,2000 grit wet sanding followed buy polishing with mothers alum. polish. You can often just do 400, 800, 1000 grit but since I had all of them it makes a nice job prior to polsihing them with mothers.
I used a drill with differnt buffs on the end for final polishing but by hand works fine too. You can also buy a kit with rouge and buffs from sears or a really nice kit from http://www.caswellplating.com/index.html which will work faster and better then sanding but I used what I had and the outcome was just fine. To get the casting marks and rough texture off around the caliper mounts and axle area a flapper sanding bit with heavy grit would be needed and a file perhaps, I still need to do that for some of the finest marks but have yet to get around to it after a couple years
I've also done my stock SS brake rotors:
You can see my sliders in this shot albeit a little blurry:
And shaved the casting marks off my trees and polished them:
A little sandpaper, polish and hard work does wonders.
Good luck.
I did mine couple years ago and it went like this: aircraft stripper from walmart to get the clearcoat off, 400,600,800,1000,1500,2000 grit wet sanding followed buy polishing with mothers alum. polish. You can often just do 400, 800, 1000 grit but since I had all of them it makes a nice job prior to polsihing them with mothers.
I used a drill with differnt buffs on the end for final polishing but by hand works fine too. You can also buy a kit with rouge and buffs from sears or a really nice kit from http://www.caswellplating.com/index.html which will work faster and better then sanding but I used what I had and the outcome was just fine. To get the casting marks and rough texture off around the caliper mounts and axle area a flapper sanding bit with heavy grit would be needed and a file perhaps, I still need to do that for some of the finest marks but have yet to get around to it after a couple years
I've also done my stock SS brake rotors:
You can see my sliders in this shot albeit a little blurry:
And shaved the casting marks off my trees and polished them:
A little sandpaper, polish and hard work does wonders.
Good luck.
Last edited by capttawes; Feb 20, 2009 at 05:43 PM.
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,775
Likes: 6
From: Simpson County Kentucky
Forget all that sanding, get some semi-chrome and a Powerball. They'll polish out in no time at all. I did mine a couple of years ago when I had the front end off to re-pack the bearings and the whole thing was done in a long afternoon.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,688
Likes: 4
From: Crisfield, MD
I'm curious to see yours after just using a powerball and polish (I guess that took all the clear coat off too). I'm not doubting you did the job and they're shiny. Just in my case and all other posts I've seen that after using stripper and scraping off clear coat not to mention casting marks, rough texture and clearcoat that did not come off there is no way a non abrasive polish will take out marks and leave a mirror finish. Got any closeup pics?
Last edited by capttawes; Feb 21, 2009 at 08:57 AM.
Advanced
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
From: Northern MN
Nice job on the polishing, what do you have to do after you polish to protect it from corrosion. just cleaning and polishing or do you coat it afterward
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Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,775
Likes: 6
From: Simpson County Kentucky
I'm curious to see yours after just using a powerball and polish (I guess that took all the clear coat off too). I'm not doubting you did the job and they're shiny. Just in my case and all other posts I've seen that after using stripper and scraping off clear coat not to mention casting marks, rough texture and clearcoat that did not come off there is no way a non abrasive polish will take out marks and leave a mirror finish. Got any closeup pics?
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Road Warrior
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,688
Likes: 4
From: Crisfield, MD
Looks good 7/11.
Gator, just occasional wax, mothers, simichrome or flitz polish once or twice a year is all that is needed to stay shiny. They're no different than all the other bare aluminum on the bike.
Gator, just occasional wax, mothers, simichrome or flitz polish once or twice a year is all that is needed to stay shiny. They're no different than all the other bare aluminum on the bike.
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,775
Likes: 6
From: Simpson County Kentucky
Exactly what I do and over time they will get even better in terms of carrying that look so to speak. They are actually very easy to care for.