Shiney bits for the project.

[spyug]

I have been polishing bike parts for the last 4 or 5 years using an assortment of cotton wheels and bobs in a fairly low speed hand drill. Results were ok and presentable but not amazing.

Recently, I was advised to try a bench grinder fitted with a sisal wheel and black compound. So yesterday I picked up some wheels and chucked one up to a 1/4hp motor that I use usually fitted with a brass wire brush.

As advised, it is much easier and produces a better shine quite a bit quicker. It is more messy however with compound and sisal fibers shooting everywhere.

I had a grotty ATK brace to try and I also had a shot at the clip-ons. Everything else on the bike is being painted. I'm pretty happy with the result after only about an hours work. Wish I had done this years back, it would have saved lots of time and energy.

Here's what I did:




The one thing I did notice with this method is that the piece gets really hot from the friction so you do need to wear heavy gloves along with your eye protection. You will get messy too so old clothes or a shop coat is a good idea.

I'd recommend anyone starting out with polishing to try this.

Cheers,
Spyug

[Waltari]

Yep, sisal wheels and a strong electric motor with sufficient RPMs is the way to go. Definitely stick to wearing gloves and safety glasses. It's amazing how quickly a wheel can grab a part and fling it like a rocket. Parts look great!

[suzukiray]

Be VERY careful using gloves with any spinning or rotating machine! I can't stress this enough! I once saw a man's arm ripped off when his sleeve got grabbed by a spindle of a milling machine! VERY ugly!!! Ray.

[spyug]

Thanks for the reminder Ray. That is very important information.

My father was an engineer who originally trained as a tool and die maker. From my youngest days, he pounded me with information about keeping safe while working with tools. So much so that I never wear rings, watches or other jewelry ( even when I'm not working with tools), I always have on long sleeved shirts and I tuck everything in...nothing hanging or flapping. Eye protection always and dust masks and or filter masks when working with this stuf or paints.

As a youngster, I used to work Saturdays in a manufacturing plant he ran. They made baking utensils and pans and used several 5, 10 and 20 ton punch presses. One Saturday I saw a lady operator lose several fingers when a hand guard malfunctioned. From that point on I have had a healthy respect for operating machinery of any kind and am very concious of keeping my fingers away from moving parts.

Getting to my teen years and working summers, I ran several of those type presses and I also learned ( as I'm sure the old man had intended) that the monotony of doing these kinds of tasks for hours at a time can be brain numbing....and that can lead to accidents.

I sometimes find that with these polishing chores. Frankly its boring and you do need to stay focused or accidents can happen. When doing one of the clamps from the brace, it slipped out of my grasp and beaned me between the eyes. Luckily the glasses saved me ( I think I'll switch to the face sheild I use when using the cut off wheel).

As Norm Abrams always says, " always think shop safety".

Thanks again Ray and stay safe folks,
Spyug

[Astro4x4]

Looks good !
I use a shield and a dust mask, the dust off metals is deadly if enough is ingested.
Sisal and black compound is pretty aggressive and good for a first cut. If you really want that stuff to shine almost chrome like, hit is with a spiral sewn cotton wheel and some brown tripoli then a new wheel with some white lightning. I too, started with bobs and small wheels on a die grinder, but after some research, switched to 8" wheels on a bench grinder and WOW, what a difference.

http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/buffman.htm

[rexazz2]

thought the name Spyug looked familiar