| Author | Message | ||
     Gohot |
From time to time we get awed by looking at some bike or other with everything imaginable polished to a mirror polish. Well alot of pieces are coated with either an aluminum colored paint or clearcoat substance. So polishing what you think is bare aluminum turns out a disaster as you mess up your actually painted surfaces. Oh a ps. the remover is nasty stuff, wear protective and be near a hose to wash off in case of spay getting on you. First order is to strip the paint of course. Well any of the auto parts stores around the world usually have what is called 'gasket remover' often under the "Permatex" name. Since what you are really trying to remove is powder coating on alot of these parts ie. frame, swingarm, forks, and such, it is the powdercoat that you are removing, be it in a clear form or colored form. The gasket remover is the answer, and will solve your striping woes in short order, minuates, not days of sanding and destroyed fingers. At about 4-6 $ a can its fairly cheap. A frame, 5-6 cans, a swingarm, 3 cans, forks, 1 can. then the fun will begin polishing and getting shinny results. Polishing: thats going to be another post soon for your review. (Message edited by gohot on October 09, 2008) | ||
| Spiderman |
Ummmmmm OK? | ||
| Bomber |
Gohot -- paint and powder coating, as I'm sure you know, are not quite the same things -- if you're talking about many Buell parts (specially the engine) it's powdercoat -- the surface under that powder coating will take a glacial age to polish, as it's fairly rough-cast -- | ||
| Spiderman |
the surface under that powder coating will take a glacial age to polish, as it's fairly rough-cast -- Good thing about that global warming then  | ||
| Kyrocket |
I had a cherry '81 Z28, if it went under the hood and came in chrome I probably had it. NEVER AGAIN. Anything on my bike that is shiny is getting the blacked out treatment. I'm working on the motor right now, the forks will be later. | ||
| Buellinachinashop |
My buddy has a VRod. Works at Harley and went to Kansas City and watched them build it...loves it, its his baby. Chromed everything. He can't ride it on days where it "may" rain. Why? 3 hours minimum of cleaning water spots. Dude literally runs to his bike to get it under cover if it rains. Bike is an 02 with 1200 miles. What's the sense? I'm looking at a 2008 VR Nightrod Special. All black. | ||
| Damnut |
Blacked out bikes look soooo stupid........  | ||
| Buellinachinashop |
I do like some chrome or shiny stuff, but not enough to do an entire bike. If I buy the Nightrod Special, I'm going with a V&H exhaust and a standard VR headlight. that's enough shinyness. | ||
| No_rice |
and a standard VR headlight suuure take away one of the good things about it. i have seen the original style headlight used on many things and look good, but never really seen it look good on a stock vrod... | ||
| Buellinachinashop |
The Night Rod "fairing" head lamp is actually mounted with one bolt, give it enough of a push and you can tilt the whole deal. I think it looks cheap. American sells a carbon fiber housing for the VR headlight. That's the way I'd be going. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Stopid is as stoopid does  kinda partial to blacked out | ||
| Etennuly |
Blacked out bikes look soooo stupid........ Now that's funny right there!  It would take some serious study to get a darker shade of black all over your bike!  | ||
| Koz5150 |
There is nothing wrong with polishing a bike up. I polished my trees, fork lowers, swingarm, and a number of other pieces. I also just did 315 miles in the rain on Sunday. Nothing a powerwasher and a leaf blower can't fix. I do one good cleaning a year and the rest is pretty much just a quick wash.  | ||
| Brinnutz |
Koz, wanna do mine? We'll match! Only I'll have upside forks, and rearsets, and crossroads bars. =) Whattaya say? | ||
| Koz5150 |
If you are asking me to do the work for you there is only one word that comes to mind... CHA-CHING!!! That is the only way I would do all that work again! Advice and opinions are the only thing I will give out for free when it comes to polishing bike parts. | ||
| Jimduncan69 |
i want to get all of my polished peaces chromed. i would take chrome over polished any day. it is a lot easier to take care of. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
I see a chrome bike and I want it painted Black.... covered in MUD  | ||
| Damnut |
I'm glad someone got it.  | ||
| Jimduncan69 |
hey there slicker is that a pick of damnuts bike?......  | ||
| Wardan123 |
I are stoopid two.  | ||
| Ducxl |
I'm glad someone got it. Umm....I got IT! THe blacked out Harley's are cool.The only things aluminum i polish vigorously are my 1999 model year Buell/PM wheels  | ||
| Glitch |
 | ||
| Swampy |
For Cityxslicker: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXwPLovHekw Paint It Black (Since I'm too stuupid to know how to imbed) | ||
| Gohot |
Yes clearly the "powder-coating" and paint are not the same. My point is that with the difficulty of removing powder, because of the baking, outgassing process, which makes it a VERY hard surface, it is more dificult to remove. Paint on the other hand is fairly simple in the methods of removal ie. acitone or strippers of different varietys. However I have found sucess in removing "powdercoat" which otherwise would take a lifetime sanding, and brushing is not an alternitive because of substrate metal hardness such as aluminums inherant softness and the possable damage to the underlying metals being striped | ||
| Gohot |
WAY "bitchen" Glitch *****, thats a 5 star Bike | ||
| Glitch |
That's a bike one of our members had a few years ago. Here's his website http://www.xb9s.com Shows him polishing as well as other stuff. Not my cup of tea, but I admire all the heart and hard work he put in it to get the results he wanted. | ||
| Damnut |
 | ||
| Chasespeed |
I got one of each...    Click for bigger pics... Chase | ||
| Spiderman |
Actually I was able to remove the powder coat with aircraft paint stripper... | ||
| Cityxslicker |
That radiant green looks like a local guy , or atleast he had the pic taken locally. Gotta love the tacos out W.Seattle way. Nice job, as much as it rains here, definitely not my cup of coffee |
