[VRay-PDX]

Asking for some good advise today...

I fancy that I would like to polish the painted areas to a high polish, and while as a jeweler I have very vast experience in metal finishing I was wondering if anyone here has done this themselves, and what they ran into...

I love the chrome but I think that doing a mirror finish myself is the way to go... I'd like to start picking up extra parts to start the process, it seems to me that starting with unpainted parts will make it just that much easier... I've seen a couple polished sets on ebay but they were priced insane so I think I've just about decided to start this project... Has anyone had all their parts polished, and if so what was the cost if I might ask???

Since I have all the tools and gear to do this I'd be interested in anyone's experience with polished parts, and how that holds up in the real world?

Thanks in advance...

 

[Spaz]

The only problems with the polished parts is that they scratch if you just breath on them, but maybe someone makes a sealer or clearcoat for the polished aluminum.

 

[Donwe]

Just have them painted with clear after you polish, then you just maintian like any other painted surface.

 

[DungeonWorks]

Just have them painted with clear after you polish, then you just maintian like any other painted surface.

That's a bit trick to do. Talk to your local paint jobber and find out what they suggest. Clear needs two things....chemical bonding and physical bonding. The chemical is where the clear solvents etches itself onto the under lying layers and sort of welds itself to it for a durable protective and long lasting finish. Physical is where sanding comes it, but in this case, sanding will ruing your intended effect.

I know of no way to clear over a polished metal surface and have it last. It would sheet/flake off quickly. I am trying to work out my intended design over grinded a skins and paint...by mine will have sufficient tooth for the clear to bite on from the grinding which is different than in your case.

Gary

 

[jedi]

That's a bit trick to do. Talk to your local paint jobber and find out what they suggest. Clear needs two things....chemical bonding and physical bonding. The chemical is where the clear solvents etches itself onto the under lying layers and sort of welds itself to it for a durable protective and long lasting finish. Physical is where sanding comes it, but in this case, sanding will ruing your intended effect.

I know of no way to clear over a polished metal surface and have it last. It would sheet/flake off quickly. I am trying to work out my intended design over grinded a skins and paint...by mine will have sufficient tooth for the clear to bite on from the grinding which is different than in your case.

Gary

:them:

 

[Donwe]

That's a bit trick to do. Talk to your local paint jobber and find out what they suggest. Clear needs two things....chemical bonding and physical bonding. The chemical is where the clear solvents etches itself onto the under lying layers and sort of welds itself to it for a durable protective and long lasting finish. Physical is where sanding comes it, but in this case, sanding will ruing your intended effect.

I know of no way to clear over a polished metal surface and have it last. It would sheet/flake off quickly. I am trying to work out my intended design over grinded a skins and paint...by mine will have sufficient tooth for the clear to bite on from the grinding which is different than in your case.

Gary

I'll see if I can get you some info after my vacation, it can also be powdercoated in clear finish!

 

[DungeonWorks]

I'll see if I can get you some info after my vacation, it can also be powdercoated in clear finish!

GOOD THINKING! It never crossed my mind.

 

[VRay-PDX]

I'll see if I can get you some info after my vacation, it can also be powdercoated in clear finish!

There's a great idea indeed...
Looking at the unpainted parts closely on ebay it would seem that they are excellent for polishing to a mirror finish... I can do the parts one at a time and get a very nice look... I think I'll start looking for the first part to do now...

Thanks!

 

[DarinSeng]

My skins are polished and it requires a good coat of Mothers Billet about every time dust builds up or I wash it. Lots to maintain.

This product from what I read should do the trick as it bonds to smooth surfaces such as glass surfaces and polished aluminum.

http://207.97.241.136/PRODUCTS/PRIMERPAINTSCOATINGS/CLEARCOATS/GLISTENPC/tabid/133/Default.aspx

I have not yet used this product myself though but plan too over the fall/winter.


Stripping and polishing the tins is really pretty trivial, some oven cleaner (if you have anodized skins) and a few cans of Mothers Billet does the trick well.

 

[VRay-PDX]

My skins are polished and it requires a good coat of Mothers Billet about every time dust builds up or I wash it. Lots to maintain.

This product from what I read should do the trick as it bonds to smooth surfaces such as glass surfaces and polished aluminum.

http://207.97.241.136/PRODUCTS/PRIMERPAINTSCOATINGS/CLEARCOATS/GLISTENPC/tabid/133/Default.aspx

I have not yet used this product myself though but plan too over the fall/winter.


Stripping and polishing the tins is really pretty trivial, some oven cleaner (if you have anodized skins) and a few cans of Mothers Billet does the trick well.

http://www.1130cc.com/gallery/files/4/2/ds_vrod.jpg

That is "Exactly the look" I want to go for... I can take them out to an extreme mirror polish fairly straight forward but maintaining that is something I also want to consider... The product looks very promising too so now it both makes sense and seems a practical way to set the motorcycle apart nicely... Thanks, I checked your gallery pictures and that is spot on beautiful...

...and wouldn't it be cool to tape out some classic tasteful flames and acid etch for a textural contrast... Then clear coat the surface for durable... Off to ebay I guess for pristine parts to work on...

 

[Donwe]

http://www.alsacorp.com/products/clear4chrome/cl4ch_price.htm

http://www.kromepaint.com/clear4-chrome.html

Sorry it took so long to find!

 

[lakedrunk]

I don't remeber how they did it but there was a ebay seller that was offering to polish a 7 piece set for "x" amount of money, they had pictures of it done and it looked as good as chrome.

 

[ohioVROD]

powder coating clear onto cast aluminum pieces is a hit or miss job. Armor coating in a clear form would work better. http://www.afipowder.com/ email or call and ask for greg he knows his stuff.

 

[VRay-PDX]

http://www.alsacorp.com/products/clear4chrome/cl4ch_price.htm

http://www.kromepaint.com/clear4-chrome.html

Sorry it took so long to find!

:notworth:
Thank you so very much!!!!!!
I think this solves my process quite nicely, and I'd not considered there might be a way to add subtile color at the same time... Talk about getting more than ya ask for, that opens many new ideas for what to do with this second set...

 

[MegaZ]

Powdercoat clearcoat is anything but clear. If you polish, and then clear PC, you will have exactly the same color as the early VRod frames...silverleaf, and the PC will peel off. It needs a 220-grit sanding to adhere.

Here is a part that I make in aluminum that I had PC'd in "reflective chrome" and then clear PC'd...

Cleared "reflective chrome" on top, and polished aluminum on the bottom...

If you polish aluminum, chroming will make it tougher and shinier, with a blue tint. Polished aluminum is "white".