How to clean & polish.

TO ALL: Health Hazards of Aluminum
When sanding or grinding aluminum, I'd suggest using a dust mask or respirator. There seems to be an increasing finding of health problems that are associated with aluminum absorption. ( Google "aluminum toxicity")
Also, the dust can ignite. It can be explosive in the right (wrong?!!) circumstances. (Heavy concentration of dust in the air) Course, so can flour, sawdust, and other stuff!

Hi Folks-
Just caught this thread while looking for something else, and thought I would throw in my $.02.
While this won't necessarily be able to open a polishing shop-here's what I've been doing for years to polish my aluminum covers and such on Nortons, Triumphs, etc..
A 6 or 7" cotton wheel arbored up to a washing machine motor does a very nice job (I did win 2-second and one first places in bike shows with this method). I like a washing machine motor because it will run in both directions. Anyone who has snagged the edge of a cover and banged it into the stand will know what I mean here. It isn't the most powerful motor out there but has served me well for years and years with a very minimal investment. I use the sandpaper method and for a finish use off the shelf metal polish. (Mother's or Meguires) Final finish is the same polish by hand with a 100% cotton towel. For on the bike work I have used a 3 or 4 inch cotton wheel arbored to a 1/4" shand that fits an air die grinder. Tricky to learn to control, you shouldn't run it at full bore until you have some practice. With a little ingnuity and some trial and error (Farm tech!)you can do a very nice job on these bikes without having to mortgage any body parts to get there.

Mike
Kansas, America
60's, 70's and 00's stuff

Pre-'71 ignition switch

Hi Folks-
Dug through the chicken house and got out a couple of old ignition switches for the Triumph project last evening (Same switch as the pre-'71 Commando, simple on/off with hexagonal fixing nut) I need to remove the lock cylinder and can't seem to figure out how to get it out! The shame of it! The later ones are simple but this one has me stymied. The hole in the switch body is larger than the later ones, and is more to the side of the body. Any words of wisdom? Thanks in advance.

Mike
Kansas, America
'73 850 Roadster, '67 Bonnie, and stuff strung everywhere.

Pre-'71 ignition switch

Hi Folks-
Dug through the chicken house and got out a couple of old ignition switches for the Triumph project last evening (Same switch as the pre-'71 Commando, simple on/off with hexagonal fixing nut) I need to remove the lock cylinder and can't seem to figure out how to get it out! The shame of it! The later ones are simple but this one has me stymied. The hole in the switch body is larger than the later ones, and is more to the side of the body. Any words of wisdom? Thanks in advance.

Mike
Kansas, America
'73 850 Roadster, '67 Bonnie, and stuff strung everywhere.