Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into it...

I wonder: How good does it need to be? I went on the CNW site and found

and
.

I'm starting from this

.

Since there are some significant pits and gouges in my hubs (I'm not sure if it was from too many pints in the fellow on the line or previous owner's doing) can you ever get to the perfection of the 1st 2 pics and what do those 2 pics look like after a couple of years on the road? I'm not a neophyte to polishing and I've got all the proper buffing wheels and polishes but is it just visual candy or can this level of polish be maintained in the real world?! My Roadster is currently in bits prior to rebuild. I'm using the CNW as the "10" of the Norton rebuilds and don't really expect to get to that standard so if any of you on the board own a full CNW rebuild, can you post some pics of what it looks like in time?

Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

I'm sure you will get a lot of different opinions on this.

If you understand how to polish, and methods for getting the nicks an gouges out, you should be fine. I use finer and finer sandpaper all the way to 2500 grit before polishing...get's to a very shiny surface before polishing.

As far as keeping the finish you need to keep it up by cleaning and polishing. Aluminum will oxidize over time with moisture and temp changes. I put a good coat of wax on after polishing which helps to protect the surface. Touching up the polished surface and waxing keeps it nice.

You could clear coat the parts, but it doesn't look as nice and if it chips it looks like hell.

Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

Basicially remove surface until most the pits scratches gone but don't sweat the deeper ones or casting faults as they don't look bad with all the shiny perfect surrounds and lets us know its been road around a while. To get the show room polish of CNW and others takes Lots of surface removal, sanding to 2000+ grit then 3 polish pastes, de greasing powder rub then good hard wax job, before all it takes is a blow off and wipe off to be ware what ya wear taking a photo. It will only last a couple-3 yr if ridden and 5-6 if keep inside but not re-waxed every few years. The finer ya go the more any impferfections shows and must back up a few levels and start again if really serious concours level. Interesting decision points at each step to go on to next or ugh, or back up to get what's now seen was missed on the first or ugh 2nd or 3rd go around. Spining shiny things trace out brain bumped attention disordered autistic head rocker like me so gradually tend to relax grip to retrieve and begin all over again or just live with it reminding you to look away, if ya even can by then. Oh yeah after the last polish step run a propane or other carbon clean torch over the surface and see the nice phenomena of clear sapphire layer forming as microscopic ridges melt into pores.

Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

Just for funzies, I cleaned some surface dirt off with wheel cleaner made from hydrofluoric acid and a scotchbrite pad (which does a really good job of basic polish) then did a black stick polish on a cotton wheel and you get a pretty shiny basic finish but you begin to see how deep you have to go into the aluminum to get it really smooth before you go for the real polishing. Even things that don't catch a thumbnail look pretty deep. Well another trip to the hardware store to get some more sandpaper.

Still waiting for you well-heeled guys to post your CNW pics - and I want some that are actually ridden; not the ones that your wives let you keep in the house.

Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

My knowledge of a-lew-min-eee-ummm polishing is that compression is paramount. After removing all nicks n' scratches. Gently polishing in front of the T.V. with varying drades of papers and polishes won't cut it. Big arms and leaning into buffer wheels.

Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

Torontonian said:

My knowledge of a-lew-min-eee-ummm polishing is that compression is paramount. After removing all nicks n' scratches. Gently polishing in front of the T.V. with varying drades of papers and polishes won't cut it. Big arms and leaning into buffer wheels.

Click to expand...

Hmmm, I always do my sanding in front of the TV

Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

powerdoc said:

Just for funzies, I cleaned some surface dirt off with wheel cleaner made from hydrofluoric acid and a scotchbrite pad

Click to expand...

For funzies, eh?

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/773304-overview

and

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency ... 002499.htm

I hope you were dressed to the nines with PPE.

For those who want to live another day to post, stay away from Hydrofluoric Acid.


Most everything on a Norton responds well to finer and finer grades of abrasive and then polish.

Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

powerdoc said:

Just for funzies, I cleaned some surface dirt off with wheel cleaner made from hydrofluoric acid and a scotchbrite pad (which does a really good job of basic polish) then did a black stick polish on a cotton wheel and you get a pretty shiny basic finish but you begin to see how deep you have to go into the aluminum to get it really smooth before you go for the real polishing. Even things that don't catch a thumbnail look pretty deep. Well another trip to the hardware store to get some more sandpaper.

Still waiting for you well-heeled guys to post your CNW pics - and I want some that are actually ridden; not the ones that your wives let you keep in the house.

Click to expand...

Not a CNW OR garage queen. Ridden 5,000 miles each of the last two summers.

Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

Not shiny enough.Compress those porous molecules. Crush them. Think Arnorld Shwartzeneggercrusher manthingy arms pressing down on BIG buffer wheels then after upperbody workout going to the gym for neglected lower bod matchings. :|

Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

The shinier it starts, the dimmer it will get. Do what you can, it only takes time.

Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

I know how to polish metal....don't know how to keep oxidation from dulling it. Chrome it and forget it.

Slick

Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

powerdoc said:

Just for funzies, I cleaned some surface dirt off with wheel cleaner made from hydrofluoric acid"

Hydrofluoric acid is not a shop staple for most of us. It demands respect and proper protection of the user, or else :evil: . In the Chemistry lab I spent a lot of my time playing table golf against my lab partner with a BB, a pencil and an available Bunsen burner hole :wink: . So it's Mother's and a soft wire brush attached to a Dremel for me.

Cheers, Frank

Click to expand...

Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

Actually, HF is in the stuff that you spray on wheels that you can get at Pep boys. The interesting thing is that when you first spray it on it doesn't foam up but as you get more crud off it begins to do it's thing. I am still alive and none worse for the experience. Use it in well-ventilated area though.


Come on you CNW guys, lets see some pics!

Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

Alloy cleaner/brightener is normally based of Phosphoric acid (in the UK anyway), Hydrofluoric acid is nasty stuff and concentrated enough will burn through the skin and not stop even carrying on through the bone.

Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

Not as smooth shiney as CNW and others but good enough for my efforts.



Flame and steam anodizing alloy for sapphire layer with or w/o food dyes trapped under.
https://www.google.com/#q=flame%20anodizing

Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

Hobot,

I don't understand what you are trying to say with "Flame Anodizing". The term "Anodizing" usually refers to color change. The link you provided goes to links for color change anodizing.

Dennis

Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

kommando said:

Alloy cleaner/brightener is normally based of Phosphoric acid (in the UK anyway), Hydrofluoric acid is nasty stuff and concentrated enough will burn through the skin and not stop even carrying on through the bone.

Click to expand...

Agree wholeheartedly! There may be small amounts in something you can buy but it would not be termed Hydrofluoric acid. That is very dangerous stuff to either breathe or get on your skin. Enough of that on your skin to where it gets into your blood stream and it will stop your heart. :shock:

Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

Hey,

My approach to alloy polishing:

- Sand with palm sander 120 grit
- Sand with palm sander 400 grit
- Tripoli compound on a spiral sewn wheel
- White Rouge on a loose wheel

We use a Baldor buffer (1.5 hp with 7/8's arbor) and 12" wheels. I do double up on the spiral sewn wheels to get a larger contact surface

I look at the polishing steps just like a painter would paint work. The more time you spend on the base work and prep, the nicer the end result

To keep things fresh over time I clean up with 'Wenol' compounds. The Red has a bit of Tripoli in it for more aggressive removal, the Blue is a soft finish compound

A soft, liquid, Automotive wax to keep parts protected

Matt / Colorado Norton Works

http://www.coloradonortonworks.com

Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

CNW said:

Hey,

My approach to alloy polishing:

- Sand with palm sander 120 grit
- Sand with palm sander 400 grit
- Tripoli compound on a spiral sewn wheel
- White Rouge on a loose wheel

We use a Baldor buffer (1.5 hp with 7/8's arbor) and 12" wheels. I do double up on the spiral sewn wheels to get a larger contact surface

I look at the polishing steps just like a painter would paint work. The more time you spend on the base work and prep, the nicer the end result

To keep things fresh over time I clean up with 'Wenol' compounds. The Red has a bit of Tripoli in it for more aggressive removal, the Blue is a soft finish compound

A soft, liquid, Automotive wax to keep parts protected

Matt / Colorado Norton Works

http://www.coloradonortonworks.com

Click to expand...

Matt,

Thanks for sharing that.

Why a palm sander? I do mine by hand because the sanders just don't get into all the crevaces...I use 120, but keep going up from there to 2500 grit in steps 400, 1000, 2500...then polish on my wheel. I use the white to finish.

Dennis

Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

Dennis,

Your hand isn't flat enough. If you work and area back and forth with your hand, your fingers will create small, soft grooves.

Palm sander pad is flexible enough to move around uneven surfaces, yet rigid to create a nice even surface. The more even it is...the higher the luster (reflection)

I don't feel it necessary to go any finer than 400 (maybe 600). That leaves somewhat of a guide coat to look at as you are starting to work the piece on the wheel

Matt / Colorado Norton Works

www.coloradonortonworks.com