frame polishing

[jeffhop]

i`d really like to remove the paint from my frame, ive bought the paint stripper and plan on stripping it next week. my question is , how do i get the shiny polished look? do i need special abrasives or pads for polishing? i know it will need a layer of laquer spraying on it once its polished, its just the polishing bit that stumps me?? what do i need and where could i get it??  bear in mind i live in the uk. simon i think i need your help!!

[jinder]

The old 9 series look hey?  I don't blame ya Jeff!

[K2perv]

i just finished a rebuild of my 5000 that included stripping the paint.  i highly recommend using a stripper (!) designed for airplanes.  no harm can come to the aluminium that way.  plus, the stuff is fast!  then you can get as shiny as you like using super fine grit sandpaper or steel wool (what i used).  if you are really gung ho you could use some of the finishing kits from caswell plating (see below). after that you'll need to use something to stop the metal from oxidizing (and scratching).  i used the polyurethane clearcoat wheel paint from here: http://www.caswellplating.com/vht/vht_spec.htm
this stuff is great and goes on thin, keeping the weight down.  i didn't go with the polished look (too lazy), but the bike turned out great!  i'll post some pics shortly.
enjoy the rebuild!

............anthony.

[Simon]

Hi jeffhop,
as already mentioned,first strip of all the paint (or as much as you can) I used Nitromors,it may take more than one go,then finish of the removal of the more stubourn parts with fine grit reduction paper,try to avoid making scratch marks there a bugger to polish out,for the polishing I used a 3" soft mop thats fits in a power drill,polish the frame using a suitable aluminium polish such a Autosolve (found at a local auto parts supplier) or Peek multi purpose metal polish (found at Robert Dyas) applied to the frame and buffed with the mop,its hard work and dirty but worth it,I did the best job I could but a professional job would be better,I didn't lacquer the frame myself I got that professionally done,I wouldn't recommend doing this yourself with an aerosol,I did on some small components but its doesn't adhere well.
Simon.

[bmwcarver]

First get the paint stripped off, I used Dad's easy paint remover.  Then make sure you have the frame clean and dry from the chemical used to strip the paint.

Next, I used a mouse electric sander with sanding pads ranging from 1500 to 2000 grit to completely sand down the frame to get the surface finish evened out.  The factory finish had some areas that were pretty well roughed up for the welding process.  After sanding with progressively finer grit sandpaper, I used Mother's Aluminum wheel polish to finish out and protect.  I will get sime pictures uploaded to my gallery to show you what I ended up with.  I never did put a clearcoat or finish of any sort over the frame as the original 957 never had a clearcoat.  I know as I use Mother's to keep the shine up on it.  If it had a clearcoat, the wrag I used on that frame wouldn't have ended up BLACK.  After polishing/cleaning with Mother's I follow up with a product called Wet Paint to seal the finish.  Mother's supposedly has a sealant to protect the finish in it, but I just chose to use the Automotive polish to make the finish really slick!

If you haven't ever polished aluminum, be prepared to turn everything dark gray and black that is used in the process, wear gloves as your hands will turn black also.  

Learned this process for polishing while working at Alcoa Finishing plant (polishing aluminum).

[Kevins19]

OMG! That bike is amzing!

Great choice on parts too. The kooka crank, Rasta CK headset, Teal WildGrippers.

And of course that polised frame looks beautiful! Its a work of art.

[jeffhop]

thanks for the info guys much appreciated, been doing a bit digging on the old inter web and found this site that may be of interest to anyone in the uk who is wanting to go for the polished look. i might have a last ride tomorrow and then strip the bike down in the coming week or so. anyway here is the link:-

http://thepolishingshop.co.uk/index.htm

[bmwcarver]

Thanks for the compliment Kevins19.  I had fun taking a factory spec 957 and upgrading some components, only later to find this frame and a prototype carbon swingarm that would fit it both for very little $ to give me a chance to try the strutless design.  Transferred all of the 957 mechs over to this and found a much smoother ride.  I am beginning to collect parts for the 957 frame to make it into more of a cyclocross with disc brakes and 700c wheels!  I will post full spec of this bike in the gallery under the full view picture.

Hey Jeffhop, Good luck with taking your frame to Polished look!

Steve