Lineslinger
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- Joined
- Feb 26, 2017
- Messages
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Lighter fluid.I just got my stainless exhaust polished and don't want to cause discoloring from oil on my hands. I know I could wear gloves but am looking for a solution to wipe off possible hand prints before I run the engine. I heard to use acid but don't want to take a chance of frosting my polish job. Any proven technique would be appreciated.
That owner of the shiny trailer queen Rob posted probably owns stock in Ronson.
Lighter fluid was used in my profession to clean some very very expensive lens's/glass along with HMI bulbs and lighting fixtures without the slightest residue or filming over of any type. It evaporates quickly and completely...I still use it to clean all the lens's for my cameras as well. It is completely safe for the coating used on camera lens's and works great on chrome and SS.
I also use it to prepare most all metal surfaces for appearance or to accept paint or sealant.
Inexpensive and really effective, works where the others leave film.
Bare metal or glass only...not on painted surfaces.
I found out about lighter fluid early in my career via John Fauers excellent book on maintaining Arriflex Cameras and the wide offering of custom made lens's used in the motion picture industry.
With all that being said I threw in the towel on trying to keep my exhaust headers from turning blue, be it car or bike, a long time ago.
I did not pay out for the greatest chrome/polish job (for my E. pipes) when I restored my bike, but I did require a good final finish and clean appearance.
And just a couple of long runs at highway + speeds had them turning blue again.
I have yet to avoid bluing from happening on engine headers, other than a ceramic coating. Tuning and getting on it for longer durations brings out the blue.
Heat finds a way.
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