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

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

CNW said:
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.

Matt / Colorado Norton Works

http://www.coloradonortonworks.com
Click to expand...

I learned many years ago (when I was a kid) how to properly color sand paint. Always sand side to side and with light pressure to insure you don't cut too much in one spot. Fold the paper so you aren't one sheet from the surface. A sponge wrapped with sandpaper works good too.

I do see an advantage using a good cutting compound on the coarser (400-600) surface to get rid of the sanding scratches...then rouge. I will have to try that and see how much work it is. My experience with paint took me down the ultra fine paper route.
 
Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

Dennis,

If you are used to doing body work, you can certainly create a nice surface before putting it on the wheel.

I think you may find that you can save some time by skipping a couple of sanding layers and letting the wheel do the job. At the same time, the Spiral sewn wheel is definitely capable of creating some uneven surfaces as well.

As a reference, I take 1.5 hours to complete a timing cover and this includes the inital cleaning on the inside

There are definitely more than just one approach to achieve a nice result

Matt / Colorado Norton Works

www.coloradonortonworks.com
 
Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

What Matt does is pretty much the process I used, but I used an orbital sander on what I could and hand sanded what I couldn't get with the orbital. I used usually 220 and then 320, only rougher if needed. Then too I went to the black compound on a spiral wheel, that will still remove some gross sanding marks. Then I would use white compound on a loose cotton wheel, I use a 3/4hp and 10" wheels. The hardest part is not getting too much pressure on the AL and making black 'comets' from the tiny holes. It takes a bit of experience, but it comes.

I've tried using finer papers to say 2000, but I never found it any better than just going with the wheels from 320.

But I don't seem to get as good a polish as he does. Probably my cheap 3/4hp buffer. I've seen pictures of commercial buffers and they use 3' wheels and probably several 10s of HP.

Dave
69S
 
Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

anodizing Al means speeding up the oxidation to from Al oxide aka sapphire. Mostly hot water needed but some assistance if electric charge added to help process faster or thicker. There is a steam anodization method too exposing raw Al to hotter reactive water breaking up into OH- and a free O- anion. Clean combustion only produces water and C02 and Al melts ~1100'F so tried it then found references to it. It adds a tad more evenness kind of like a ceramic glaze.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_q ... ation&sm=3

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

and what does the Norma Rockwell picture of two girls have to do with polishing metal?

you just thought you would throw that in to flesh out your anodization advice or something?
 
Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

I've pretty much given up on polishing - again and again, even just sitting under cover, unless waxed to the hilt, so will later attempt clear and some color andodizing and finding inspiring reports to involve me deeper and deeper into Commando worship offerings. There are some hi end DIY liquids show cars use that works for couple-3 yr on tours and what I put on Peel stuff inside for years creeping up on grinding slower finer.


http://www.mini-lathe.com/Anodizing/ano ... uminum.htm
The majority of my work is in black and the aluminum has always been 6061. It has always come out like a commercial job, a deep neutral black. Perhaps the technique I use makes the difference.

I annodize in the acid bath for 120 minutes, keeping the bath at 68-70F with ice cubes in a water jacket (a bigger tub).
I always use the liquid Rit, and mix it using half the specified amount of water for a really concentrated solution.
I then heat the solution on the stove and submerge the work into the solution when the temperature is about 90F.
I then raise the dye bath temp and hold it at 130-140F for 30 minutes.
I then raise the temp until it just starts to simmer, then pull the piece and rinse it in a boiling water bath for a few seconds, then steam it in a vegatable steamer for 30 minutes.

I've never had a bad job.
 
Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

I think im getting the hang of this.. Norman Rockwell ........... There is a mirror.. A cryptic clue maybe??.... (mirror fnnish) :D :D :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:
 
Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

YOU can see what youve started now . :P Therell be NO End to it , untill its ALL POLISHED , every last bit . And Properly Too . You can se where this is leading .
And wear a mask , as polishing the insides of lungs hasnt been perfected yet .
 
Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

There is a mirror.. A cryptic clue maybe??.... (mirror fnnish) :[/quote]

Nah, that's just Hobot remembering what he used to do up in the attic...cross dress to look like his girl friend down the block :D
He was a cute little beggar though! :lol:

(couldn't help myself Steve, I don't think you polish stuff anymore than I do...shite, I don't wash bikes! Too busy ridin and fixin and too old 8) )

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

The brightest telescope mirrors are Aluminum with a nano covering to protect the Al reflective surface.
 
Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

Anybody using the NuVite aluminum polishes? Seem to be popular with aviation and airstream folks.
 
Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

CNW said:
Dennis,

If you are used to doing body work, you can certainly create a nice surface before putting it on the wheel.

I think you may find that you can save some time by skipping a couple of sanding layers and letting the wheel do the job. At the same time, the Spiral sewn wheel is definitely capable of creating some uneven surfaces as well.

As a reference, I take 1.5 hours to complete a timing cover and this includes the inital cleaning on the inside

There are definitely more than just one approach to achieve a nice result

Matt / Colorado Norton Works

http://www.coloradonortonworks.com
Click to expand...

Polishing is a lot of work. I always look like a raccoon after doing any large parts. Wheels are my least favorite.
 
Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

The fun part is putting everything back together!
Click to expand...

Ugh, which is after *making* Peel's fit together then taking apart to shiny up, then keeping that mostly shiny some years stored and not loosing the shine or the parts. I've almost never got a part to the prefection I've seen possible so just had to call it quits realizing my shine jobs will only last the photo session. If you do just one spot nice then all the rest looks sad so no rest till all is dazzling, for a time.

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

Just takes time and technique to get the parts shiny...you need to put that bike together Hobot.
 
Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

Yeah my wife says same thing. Last-current hang up is TTI tranny now fits fully into cradle after some hack saw and round saw filing with the decorative acorn bolt head out but now will not twist in cradle till more metal removed off cradle and TTI shell. Then can weld up a shift lever with folding peg and polish it enough not to be noticed. I had choice to order cradle poslished or dull bead blasted, Cradle has been to war and back on past Peel so glad no polish to ruin. May polish the plate edges though, someday.
 
Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

hobot said:
Last-current hang up is TTI tranny now fits fully into cradle after some hack saw and round saw filing with the decorative acorn bolt head out but now will not twist in cradle till more metal removed off cradle and TTI shell.
Click to expand...

Is that TTI not for the Norton? Fitting to Commando cradle? Al the stuff you are doing tells me you need to get a small mill so you can do the custom maching. That is what I am doing for my new shop...I just have too much custom work I want to do. Hope to have a small CNC mill too. Had a mill in my old shop a few years ago but sold it when I closed the company down...miss that machine a lot right now.
 
Re: Just starting to polish my hubs; before I get too into i

" will not twist in cradle till more metal removed off cradle and TTI shell. "

You leave that gearcase alone ! :twisted:

less trouble to mess up a cradle , why a new gear case is only worth xxx dollars . :)
 
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