• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

Aluminum re-finishing.

Don R

Forum Mentor
Past Site Supporter
I've been using these interleaf flap wheels to re-finish the old coatings and corrosion on my bikes aluminum. It works quickly and doesn't leave behind a lot of scratch marks in spite of being 80 grit, the scotchbrite between the sandpaper softens it up. Then I use my favorite aluminum polish by hand. I posted a pic of the fork lowers in the brakes section.


Click image for larger version  Name:	interleaf flap.webp Views:	0 Size:	85.0 KB ID:	1781358
 
Did a google search and found these in 3" diameter wheels. Is that what you used Don R ? Not cheap, but anything that saves time is a good thing!

My personal approach to polishing aluminum involves first stripping the clear coat chemically. Then, sand out the deep corrosion using 220 grit sandpaper on a DA or similar. Then polishing using a sisal wheel and black cutting compound. This brings the shine back to OEM level. Not chrome bright, more brushed looking.

P1020637 by nessism, on Flickr
 
Very nice, the polish I like is green dragon, when I look it up, I find a cannibis/alcohol drink. lol. It has carnuba wax in it so it also seals the aluminum a little to keep it looking good for a while.
I used to get it from a guy at the drag strip, now I see it listed at the highway shine company.
 
Last edited:
I got 2 of the flap wheels from ZTSupply on ebay for under $23 shipped. Airgas has similar ones for 2 times that price each. I do break them in a little before polishing something precious.
 
I enjoyed watching the tracking while usps juggle the shipping, the address had a wrinkle in it and the machine apparently couldn't read it. It was in Michigan twice, Illinois several times, Indiana once and St. Louis 3 times. It arrived a couple weeks late but at least it arrived. Everything that goes through St. Louis seems to linger there 3 days before it escapes.
 
Back
Top