Restoring Techniques
- Thread starter +paul
- Start date
Skynet
Senior Retro Guru
Re:
You can although the parts I've polished are still shiny. But they're mountain bike parts so no salted roads to worry about. Will be trying it on road parts when my new to me bike arrives and see how the finish holds up. I'm also planning on trying Bilt Hamber Auto Balm to add a bit of protection.
You can although the parts I've polished are still shiny. But they're mountain bike parts so no salted roads to worry about. Will be trying it on road parts when my new to me bike arrives and see how the finish holds up. I'm also planning on trying Bilt Hamber Auto Balm to add a bit of protection.
Flandria
Retro Guru
Re: Re:
Two choices: or you keep them polished without anodising, or you choose to reanodise them. Without anodising, they are shiny as hell but not 'original', or you anodise and they look like they are brand new. The shiny finish will retain without anodising as long as you don't abuse the parts and give them a gentle rub from time to time
+paul":38mtvch9 said:
Two choices: or you keep them polished without anodising, or you choose to reanodise them. Without anodising, they are shiny as hell but not 'original', or you anodise and they look like they are brand new. The shiny finish will retain without anodising as long as you don't abuse the parts and give them a gentle rub from time to time
Robbied196
Senior Retro Guru
Oxalic acid is good for cleaning up chrome and rust removal. You can buy a bag of powder off Ebay for a couple of quid. If you use a washing up bowl and you are patient, you can do a wheel rim bit by bit.
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=244778
:roll: Here one I wrote earlier
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=244778
:roll: Here one I wrote earlier
Skynet
Senior Retro Guru
A few do it themselves but for a couple of parts it's not cost effective if you're not already set up for it, plus there's the learning curve. Plenty of recommendations on here if you do a search.
It's not such a big thing on road as things tend to be clear or black anodised but for mountain bikes it can be easier, and sometimes cheaper, to find a random colour part and get it re-anodised to the required colour rather than waiting for that colour to turn up.
Few random things:
One thing I've seen some blogs recommend is to use wire wool to clean all parts. That's fine on steel but I've always been told not to use it on un-anodised aluminium as steel's harder than aluminium and so particles can become embedded which later rust.
If you don't already, keep you old toothbrushes for cleaning work, or buy super cheap value ones.
Obviously when sanding use the finest grade you can get away with, don't automatically start at 400 if 800 or 1000 would do, just makes more work. So try at a finer grade first and see if that's enough. You can always go courser but start course and that's it.
Sand in the same direction for a particular grit. Some go a right angles for the next finest grit others stick to the same direction for each. Think that depends partly depends on the shape of the thing you're sanding.
Wear gloves when sanding or polishing aluminium, it's messy.
You can use bath talc or bicarb of soda to remove any buff marks left after final polishing. Apply and re-buff.
It's not such a big thing on road as things tend to be clear or black anodised but for mountain bikes it can be easier, and sometimes cheaper, to find a random colour part and get it re-anodised to the required colour rather than waiting for that colour to turn up.
Few random things:
One thing I've seen some blogs recommend is to use wire wool to clean all parts. That's fine on steel but I've always been told not to use it on un-anodised aluminium as steel's harder than aluminium and so particles can become embedded which later rust.
If you don't already, keep you old toothbrushes for cleaning work, or buy super cheap value ones.
Obviously when sanding use the finest grade you can get away with, don't automatically start at 400 if 800 or 1000 would do, just makes more work. So try at a finer grade first and see if that's enough. You can always go courser but start course and that's it.
Sand in the same direction for a particular grit. Some go a right angles for the next finest grit others stick to the same direction for each. Think that depends partly depends on the shape of the thing you're sanding.
Wear gloves when sanding or polishing aluminium, it's messy.
You can use bath talc or bicarb of soda to remove any buff marks left after final polishing. Apply and re-buff.
Skynet
Senior Retro Guru
Was going to use Bilt Hamber Auto Balm to protect the polished aluminium on my next project but am now going to try Britemax Final Shine. It's a mild polish (apparently can even use it on jewellery) and sealant in one. Will have to wait and see how good it is on bike parts but a lot of the car detailing people are fans.
