Buck232
Member
wow that is awesome, i work so hard on mine trying to make it look like that but i have a long way to go mainly with the motor.
Reburbished my GL1100
- Thread starter 82gl1100iwingman
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82gl1100iwingman
Active member
Thanks for all the compliments. For all those who THINK they can't, here's my advise: you can do whatever you wish. As Yoda says, "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, your are right." It took me 4 years, mainly financial reasons for the long period of time, but I perserverd, one part, and little money at a time till I finished. Just keep in the end insight and it will eventually come. If anybody wants the details on how I got the aluminum to as shinig as chrome, I'll be glad to share with them.
OK! Spill the beans on your polishing techniques!
Very nice...actually better than new!
~O~
~O~
opcorn: opcorn: opcorn: opcorn:
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2013
- Messages
- 9,855
- Reaction score
- 34
- Location
- Brisbane Australia
- My Bike Models
- 1981 GL1100 “Rats Nest”
1998 GL1500c Val
1987 CBR1000f “The Pig”
1991 CBR1000f Red
[url=https://www.classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=83267#p83267:35wc7di7 said:
+1 I think!
82gl1100iwingman
Active member
Ok, sorry so long on the reply but here it goes.
To polish aluminum to be as shiny as chrome is VERY labor intensive, well for me it was. Mother Honda puts a clear coat on the aluminum so the first things is to get some paint stripper. I used an aerosol can and sprayed all the aluminum. The stripper I was using said to thoroughly rinse with water. I did apply a second coat of stripper after rinsing the first one off. During the second coat, I used a plastic bristle brush to make sure I worked loose all the clear coat. Again thoroughly rinsed the part witth water. For ease of spraying, I took some wire coat hangers and created some hooks to hang parts off of.
There are several types of aluminum castings. Smooth and medium and course. A good example of the smooth would be the intake runners. The valve and timing covers would be a good example of medium casting. The front transmission cover would a great example of course. Basically, the lower to the ground, the courser the finish. The courser the finish, the harder and more labor intensive it is to make it look like chrome. To get the mirror polish you must think of the part on the microscopic level, the smoother and flatter the surface, the better it will reflect light. The more the surface has ridges, the less it with refract the light. So you want the aluminum as smooth as glass. On the lower transmission cover, I had to take a die grinder to start the smoothig process because it is so course casting. After I had it some what smooth, I started with 60 grit aluminum oxide sand paper and sanded till smooth. I worked my way up 80, 150 180 and then up to 200 grit with aluminum oxide paper. From there I started using 220 wet sand paper. Now bear in my mind, the smoother the casting the less sanding with course sand paper will be required. I started the valve covers about 220 wet sand and the intake runners at about 400 grit. I wet sanded all the way up to 2000 grit for a very smooth finish. You must make sure you get into all the little crevices to, so take your time.
After finally getting everything to the 2000 grit wet sand, I soda blasted all the parts. Thats using baking soda in a sand blaster with a very fine nozzle. Wear a dust mask when soda blasting. Now I washed the part with Dawn dish detergent. I use Dawn because it does get the grease removed really good.
Now comes the fun part. I use four different compounds on an electric buffing wheel, or bench grinder. I must caution you at this point, use some leather gloves to handle the parts especially the small parts. Aluminum transfers heat really well. I get all my compounds from Harbor Freight. Each compound requires its own wheel, some require a different type of wheel than the others. I write on the wheel with a marker the color I used so I can't cross contaminate the compounds. You can always go from a light compound to a heavy compound on the wheel, but not the opposite way. I first start with the black compound and a stitched buff wheel. The black is an aggresive cut and you will start to see some progress. After each compound, I was the part with Dawn dish detergent. I also use a toothbrush to get into all the little crevices to make sure I get all the compound off. Again, you ou do not want to cross contaminate the wheels. The next compound is brown with a stitched buff wheel. It's an all purpose compound and does cut fast but not as fast as the black. Again when finished, wash the part to make sure you get all the compound off before the next one. The next two compounds is when you will really see improvement. Grey compound is next and it needs loose flannel wheel. Buff till you see it shine. Again when finished buffing with this compound, wash the part. It will look real good at this point but for the mirror finish, you need to use the Green compound with a loose flannel wheel. Buff till it looks like chrome. When finished, wash the part again to remove any compound build up. I tried some clear coat to protect the aluminum, but it yellowed and made me strip the part and re-buff. When rebuffing a part, and if you have followed the way I have done, you only need to start with the Grey and then the Green compound to revive the shine or remove any light scratches you may get from road debris. To maintain the shine, I use Mothers Mag and Aluminum polish with an old towel. DO NOT use Mothers aluminum polish on chrome or chrome polish on polished aluminum. It will tarnish the finish.
This is a long drawn out process you might be able to complete in a day or two depending on how much aluminum you want to polish. To me, polished aluminum looks better than chrome, but it requires more up keep than chrome.
Have fun and happy polishing. Now let see some of yalls work.
To polish aluminum to be as shiny as chrome is VERY labor intensive, well for me it was. Mother Honda puts a clear coat on the aluminum so the first things is to get some paint stripper. I used an aerosol can and sprayed all the aluminum. The stripper I was using said to thoroughly rinse with water. I did apply a second coat of stripper after rinsing the first one off. During the second coat, I used a plastic bristle brush to make sure I worked loose all the clear coat. Again thoroughly rinsed the part witth water. For ease of spraying, I took some wire coat hangers and created some hooks to hang parts off of.
There are several types of aluminum castings. Smooth and medium and course. A good example of the smooth would be the intake runners. The valve and timing covers would be a good example of medium casting. The front transmission cover would a great example of course. Basically, the lower to the ground, the courser the finish. The courser the finish, the harder and more labor intensive it is to make it look like chrome. To get the mirror polish you must think of the part on the microscopic level, the smoother and flatter the surface, the better it will reflect light. The more the surface has ridges, the less it with refract the light. So you want the aluminum as smooth as glass. On the lower transmission cover, I had to take a die grinder to start the smoothig process because it is so course casting. After I had it some what smooth, I started with 60 grit aluminum oxide sand paper and sanded till smooth. I worked my way up 80, 150 180 and then up to 200 grit with aluminum oxide paper. From there I started using 220 wet sand paper. Now bear in my mind, the smoother the casting the less sanding with course sand paper will be required. I started the valve covers about 220 wet sand and the intake runners at about 400 grit. I wet sanded all the way up to 2000 grit for a very smooth finish. You must make sure you get into all the little crevices to, so take your time.
After finally getting everything to the 2000 grit wet sand, I soda blasted all the parts. Thats using baking soda in a sand blaster with a very fine nozzle. Wear a dust mask when soda blasting. Now I washed the part with Dawn dish detergent. I use Dawn because it does get the grease removed really good.
Now comes the fun part. I use four different compounds on an electric buffing wheel, or bench grinder. I must caution you at this point, use some leather gloves to handle the parts especially the small parts. Aluminum transfers heat really well. I get all my compounds from Harbor Freight. Each compound requires its own wheel, some require a different type of wheel than the others. I write on the wheel with a marker the color I used so I can't cross contaminate the compounds. You can always go from a light compound to a heavy compound on the wheel, but not the opposite way. I first start with the black compound and a stitched buff wheel. The black is an aggresive cut and you will start to see some progress. After each compound, I was the part with Dawn dish detergent. I also use a toothbrush to get into all the little crevices to make sure I get all the compound off. Again, you ou do not want to cross contaminate the wheels. The next compound is brown with a stitched buff wheel. It's an all purpose compound and does cut fast but not as fast as the black. Again when finished, wash the part to make sure you get all the compound off before the next one. The next two compounds is when you will really see improvement. Grey compound is next and it needs loose flannel wheel. Buff till you see it shine. Again when finished buffing with this compound, wash the part. It will look real good at this point but for the mirror finish, you need to use the Green compound with a loose flannel wheel. Buff till it looks like chrome. When finished, wash the part again to remove any compound build up. I tried some clear coat to protect the aluminum, but it yellowed and made me strip the part and re-buff. When rebuffing a part, and if you have followed the way I have done, you only need to start with the Grey and then the Green compound to revive the shine or remove any light scratches you may get from road debris. To maintain the shine, I use Mothers Mag and Aluminum polish with an old towel. DO NOT use Mothers aluminum polish on chrome or chrome polish on polished aluminum. It will tarnish the finish.
This is a long drawn out process you might be able to complete in a day or two depending on how much aluminum you want to polish. To me, polished aluminum looks better than chrome, but it requires more up keep than chrome.
Have fun and happy polishing. Now let see some of yalls work.
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2013
- Messages
- 9,855
- Reaction score
- 34
- Location
- Brisbane Australia
- My Bike Models
- 1981 GL1100 “Rats Nest”
1998 GL1500c Val
1987 CBR1000f “The Pig”
1991 CBR1000f Red
Than for all that great info and showing that perseverance pays off with a beautiful finish :good:
a great explanation of the work you did
What a beautiful job... A show stopper and 1st place winner...
