From another board but works well. Zackybilly1
Sr BritBiker
Member # 2350
posted November 29, 2005 09:49
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Once you get over the initial shock of putting sandpaper to your valued aluminum covers, you'll be glad you did. I have literally pulled covers out of other peoples scrap boxes and returned them to what appears to be flawless condition (to where the donator wanted it back).
Buffing is an art but requires much less time, experience and effort if you sand it slick first. I use as rough as 100 grit on "rash" areas and continue wet-sanding working my way up to 1200 grit. Don't bare down on a ding or imperfection but sand the whole area in general. The 1000 and 1200 grit doesn't feel like its cutting much but this is what will give you the best finish.
From this point, its just a matter of minutes of buffing until your holding what appears to be a new cover. Vintage brit aluminum polishes easier/better than vintage metric, therefore, if you want to practice on an old cover, use brit, if you can. Eastwood has a great selection of top-of-the-line buffing supplies but if are going to do a limited amount of polishing and you wet-sand it first, you can get good results with sewn-wheels and polishing compound (white) from the Home Depot tool department. If your new to the buffing wheel, just keep in mind that the wheel will take a part from your hand and send it across the shop at amazing speeds which can ruin your finish, if not, your entire part. Easy, Tiger.
Typically, I hit the polished parts with simichrome afterwards more as an oxygen barrier than a polishing compound.
Be careful, polishing is addictive and you may end up with covers (also, tail-light housings, inspection caps, carbs, etc.) that look better than the rest of the bike.
Z
I added this sometime later: Big mistake I see people new to alum. is pressing to hard on the sand paper. Let each grit do it's job and clean well between grits. This also applys to buffing never use the same wheels with different grits. Alum cut with a grit will pile and roll leaving marks behind no matter the elbow grease. Don't polish alum. with alum. grit, sand wet and light and never let your buffing wheels get shinny with alum. norbsa