Polishing

[ribbert]

I know we have some members who are black belt alloy polishers and I'm about to start down that slippery slope myself.  Does anyone clear coat the finished product or does the addiction to getting it "just that litlle bit shinier next time" demand it stays bare?

Noel

[1tinindian]

I do NOT clear anything polished.
It will dull the shine a tad, chip and peel, and look like hell.
Think of it like this, a painted surface needs to have the roughness of a sanded surface to enable the paint to stick. Polishing the metal removes any kind of roughness of the surface, so the clear paint has nothing to bond to.
Sure, it will DRY to the polished surface, but adhesion will be minimal, meaning it will chip and peel easily.

All the polished aluminium I have on all my cars and motorcycles stay very nice with minimal upkeep.
Just go over them with some Simichrome once every couple of months and they will look like new.

Leon

[Pat Conlon]

Yep, +1 what Leon said.
I have not had good experiences with clearcoats. The last urethane clear coat product I tried, discolored after a couple of years (I live in the desert) and yes, as Leon said, chips in the clearcoat are a bitch (especially powder coated clearcoats)
Any oxidation in the chipped area, creeps under the clearcoat and you end up having to remove the clearcoat anyway.

Thru the years after doing this a couple of times, you would think I would learn my lesson.

I used to use Zoop Seal, but they no longer sell their product. They now sell a product called Shine Seal which I have yet to try:
http://www.summitracing.com/search/brand/ShineSeal/Product-Line/ShineSeal-Mini-Kits/?autoview=SKU

Hope this helps

[Yamifj1200]

I have had great results using a product called glare on my Yosh pipes for years.
http://www.glare.com/
Its easy to use and last for a long time. Once I polished the mufflers I Glared them and only have to wash the bike to keep them clean.

This pic was taken 2 years after I used Glare on the pipes... not to shabby....

Eric M

[craigo]

After I polished the forks on my FJ, all I did was give them a nice coat of wax. Seems to work well and they shine like the day I finished putting it all back together.





To bring it back to the original luster, it's just a matter of a quick clean and another coat of wax.

CraigO

Painting polished metal is a sin, like painting fine wood.

[baldy3853]

Yep, +1 what Leon said.
I have not had good experiences with clearcoats. The last urethane clear coat product I tried, discolored after a couple of years (I live in the desert) and yes, as Leon said, chips in the clearcoat are a bitch (especially powder coated clearcoats)
Any oxidation in the chipped area, creeps under the clearcoat and you end up having to remove the clearcoat anyway.

Thru the years after doing this a couple of times, you would think I would learn my lesson.

I used to use Zoop Seal, but they no longer sell their product. They now sell a product called Shine Seal which I have yet to try:
http://www.summitracing.com/search/brand/ShineSeal/Product-Line/ShineSeal-Mini-Kits/?autoview=SKU

Hope this helps

Pat & Leon I just wish I had your dedication to polishing  but the trouble is I spend to much time riding the weather @ home for doesn't allow me time to dismantle the bike and polish it you guys are to be congratulated on your commitment.
Baldy

[1tinindian]

Yep, +1 what Leon said.
I have not had good experiences with clear coats. The last urethane clear coat product I tried, discolored after a couple of years (I live in the desert) and yes, as Leon said, chips in the clearcoat are a bitch (especially powder coated clear coats)
Any oxidation in the chipped area, creeps under the clear coat and you end up having to remove the clear coat anyway.

Thru the years after doing this a couple of times, you would think I would learn my lesson.

I used to use Zoop Seal, but they no longer sell their product. They now sell a product called Shine Seal which I have yet to try:
http://www.summitracing.com/search/brand/ShineSeal/Product-Line/ShineSeal-Mini-Kits/?autoview=SKU

Hope this helps

Pat & Leon I just wish I had your dedication to polishing  but the trouble is I spend to much time riding the weather @ home for doesn't allow me time to dismantle the bike and polish it you guys are to be congratulated on your commitment.
Baldy

You're right Baldy, Pat and I probably should be committed! LOL!
Thanks for the compliments.

Leon