[Polishing] - ATV Riders Forums - Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Polaris, CanAm, Arctic Cat, Kymco ATVs

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Polishing
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Posted by: Mxjunkie

I know many of you would like to know how to polish to make your rides looking just as good as ever! Your not the only ones.
In this thread I will try my best to explain the whole process of polishing and a few little tricks!

This is a very cheap, easy way to polish.. I wrote this up for the few who don't have buffers or dremels..

Supplies needed:
Paint stripper you can get it from wal-mart

Mothers mag & aluminum polish or Black Magic you can also pick this up at wal-mart.

Sand Paper- 180,220,400,600,800,900,1000,1500,2000 grits

Rags- Old t-shirts work wonders.

Steel wool-You can get this in any cleaning section of stores.

Now that we have the supplies listed we can start with the polishing part. (yaaah) Before sanding or even stripping make sure the part is Aluminum! To find out if the part is or not its best to find a place that the paint is worn off and take your mothers, or what have you and polish the area. If it shines then you have aluminum. If not you have steel. Its best to check on the website and check what peices are aluminum and not.

Once you have found out if its aluminum or not you can start to strip the paint off. (If the piece is painted) Take your paint stripper that you bought and spray it on the peice. WARNING- Paint stripper does burn when it gets on you, wear eye protection and gloves!- Leave the part sit for 5-10 minutes and take the steel wool and roughly clean the paint off, This process may need to be repeated till nessary because of heavy coats of paint on differnt parts!

After you are done your paint stripper its time to sand. getting closer dont give up just yet! Its best to judge what type of grit to use my the surface of the part. If the part is fairy smooth you will start with 400, if its rough (cast parts) its best to start with 180 . When sanding sand till it feels easy to sand then move up a grit. Do this till you are up to atleast 1,000-1,500 range. The higher you go the better the shine!

Now for the part you have been waiting for! Polishing! Now that your done the hardest part of the job why give up just yet? Take your polishing product that you had bought and put it on the rag and continue to rub the product that you sanded till you get a BLACK resadue. Once you get this take a clean rag and wipe clean. Continue this process until the whole part is shinny.

Now you can polish your own parts without sending them out and blowing away 30-70 bucks!

Once done your parts should look something like this, if not shinnyer!

Posted by: Mxjunkie

Posted by: BlasterEaten250

will this work on stock 400ex rims? Nice write up btw.

Posted by: Mxjunkie

They are brushed aluminum it will work but in the amount of time you will spend sanding the brushed out you might as well just go buy some 190s

Posted by: quad&dirtbike

this should def. be a sticky!!

Posted by: 2004exrider

What would you say is the best way to get the fine scratches out after your done? Some times i'll polish something and be a little annoyed with them being there

Jimmy

Posted by: 400exrules

quote:
Originally posted by 2004exrider
What would you say is the best way to get the fine scratches out after your done? Some times i'll polish something and be a little annoyed with them being there

Jimmy

thats what sandings for, go back down to a lower grit, like 250-300 till you can get those deep scratches out, it may take over an hour, but it will look alot better in the end once you get all the scratches out

Posted by: Mxjunkie

Spend more time with 420 or 600 and get all the casting marks out and get the deep straches you may of created with the lower grits, then gradually move your way up in the grits such as 800,1000,1500,2000 they even have a 3000 if your picky.

The key is to spend alot of time with the last steps of the sanding to get it to have little to no straches.

Pappy may be able to help with this but I have herd they now have a clear powdercoat for polished aluminum parts

Posted by: Mxjunkie

For rusted surfaces such as these nickle plated fmf fattys you can also use the sanding steps as well but with the nickle plate only use sos pads or 1000 grit.

Rust causes pits which is an area where the ruts sits and it eats away at the material it literally makes a little hole in the pipe.

As you can see these pipes are pretty nasty the downfall to having nickle plate instead of chrome.

Posted by: Mxjunkie

Once you have gotten most of the pitting and rust off with the sos pad you can start buffing, Obital buffers work wonders as well as using your hand and a towel.

Products you can use during this, mothers, speedys and polishing compounds.

Posted by: Mxjunkie

This really does work, it's worth the time vs buying new a exhaust system

Posted by: Mxjunkie

Parts like your brake and clutch levers will polish simply by using mothers or any other mag & aluminum polishing product.

Posted by: Mxjunkie

For brushed aluminum parts such as these fmf silencers I've never seen them brushed before till I got this banshee weird eh? You will need to spend alot of time with either 320 or 400 grit sand paper to sand down the brushed material.

Once you have done that, its the same process as above. This is timely though because of how long it takes to sand them down till they are down to being bare.

Posted by: Mxjunkie

Silencers finshed, It is possible to do brushed parts, its just a pain in the arse..

Posted by: Crazy Diamond

For Polish you could also try M*A*A*S. You could find it in Walmart in the house cleaning area where the BRASSO is. This stuff works GREAT!

Posted by: 1fst400

an easier way to test if a item is aluminum is use a magnet. Aluminum is not magnetic, steel is.

I hate polishing, I would rather spend the 30-40$ to have it done.

Posted by: not z?

quote:
Originally posted by 1fst400
an easier way to test if a item is aluminum is use a magnet. Aluminum is not magnetic, steel is.

I hate polishing, I would rather spend the 30-40$ to have it done.

my 400ex stock header isnt aluminum and a magnet dont stick eather.

Posted by: not z?

this is how mt motor looked after removing the paint and polishing it. i only used one type of steal wool.

the aluminum parts on a quad are.
motor
rear shock linkage
some sub frames
some upper a-arms
rims
most nerf's
swing arms
shocks (around the eyes)
motor mounts
spendles
most bumpers.
some shifters and break pedals
thumb throtol
aftermarket mufflers
clutch and break levers
bar mounts
after market bars
carb
oil tank
starter
aftermarket skid plates

you can also polish steal but you have to do it constintly or it will start to rust if its steal. polished steal does look good too exspecialy stainles steal

Posted by: 400exrules

quote:
Originally posted by not z?
this is how mt motor looked after removing the paint and polishing it. i only used one type of steal wool.

the aluminum parts on a quad are.
motor
rear shock linkage
some sub frames
some upper a-arms
rims
most nerf's
swing arms
shocks (around the eyes)
motor mounts
spendles
most bumpers.
some shifters and break pedals
thumb throtol
aftermarket mufflers
clutch and break levers
bar mounts
after market bars
carb
oil tank
starter
aftermarket skid plates

you can also polish steal but you have to do it constintly or it will start to rust if its steal. polished steal does look good too exspecialy stainles steal

you need to do a lot more sanding on that thing, and get a can of mothers mag&aluminum polish

Posted by: 400exrules

...

Posted by: Mxjunkie

it appears he used a da sander on it..

Posted by: JW450R1

has any one tried to polish there frames?

Posted by: Mxjunkie

quote:
Originally posted by JW450R1
has any one tried to polish there frames?

haha wont work unless its aluminum, steel rusts.

If you have a 450r your subframe will polish.

Posted by: JHForman250R

im not here to arque with anyone, but if you want it done right, you gotta have the right tools. I polish professionally and I can say that there is a LOT MORE to it then you have listed. For smooth aluminum what your doing will work fine, but when it comes to cast aluminum its a whole nother ball game !!

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a358/JHForman/Polishing/IM001294.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a358/JHForman/Polishing/DSCF0021.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a358/JHForman/Polishing/IM001271.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a358/JHForman/Polishing/IM001266.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a358/JHForman/Polishing/IM001094.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid186/pfa415f02c1e77e961adbb29c1250f4a9/f25966e4.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid192/p59f2638f0424fe46818aa6525f89b14b/f1aeb8b3.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid198/p383a82d57fdc01fe2dd6048058cadf2c/f0f1500a.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid198/pa0a1be9b84b6ebe9107030800d08809c/f0cae796.jpg

Just a few small examples of my work

Posted by: Honda6sv

What are the steps in polishing those aluminum engine mounts??...Was thinking bout doing mine soon.

Posted by: Mxjunkie

Cast is a pain in the *** to polish haha... I was going to write how to do the cast but I figure not everyone has the right tools for it so I tryed to keep it as basic as possible.

Posted by: honda380

how much do you charge to polish cast? say a 250r cylinder? thanks. -Corey-

Posted by: JHForman250R

quote:
Originally posted by honda380
how much do you charge to polish cast? say a 250r cylinder? thanks. -Corey-

is that in response to me ?

Posted by: honda380

sorry i didnt specify, yes it was.

Posted by: Antifaith

Does the polishing promote rust? Does it require a lot of maintenance to keep it that shiny?

Posted by: neworleans400ex

Nice write up!

Posted by: czrider263

Thanks to this thread i polised my pipe and MAN it looks sick TY.

Posted by: czrider263

I know its not the BEST job but it looks alot better than it did!
I touched up the nerfs and front wheels. I also tried to make the header and kick starter look better too. the rear wheels will be tomorrw.

BEFORE
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b292/czrider263/motor%20build%20up%202/_032406_1637c.jpg

AFTER
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b292/czrider263/polishing/IMG_0027_1_.jpg

Here is the wheel pic

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b292/czrider263/polishing/IMG_0028_1_.jpg

a whole pic
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b292/czrider263/polishing/IMG_0026_1_.jpg

Posted by: czrider263

polished brake pedal

BLING

Posted by: Antifaith

Could anyone answer my previous question? Are polished parts a pain when it comes to cleaning them? Will a regular wash keep it clean and shiny? Will the polish go bad after a while?

Posted by: brapbrap13

quote:
Originally posted by Antifaith
Could anyone answer my previous question? Are polished parts a pain when it comes to cleaning them? Will a regular wash keep it clean and shiny? Will the polish go bad after a while?

i think u can just never dull them for a shine after u wash.

Posted by: JHForman250R

quote:
Originally posted by Antifaith
Could anyone answer my previous question? Are polished parts a pain when it comes to cleaning them? Will a regular wash keep it clean and shiny? Will the polish go bad after a while?

Polished parts will always fade unless they are sealed. Any kind of sealer will work. using carnuba car wax after a part is polished will yield good results, but if you want to say for a LONG time spend the money and buy Zoop Seal.

JHF

Posted by: 86 Quad R

where to buy zoop seal?

btw......... very good/informative thread Mxjunkie

Posted by: Rider-trx_250ex

quote:
Originally posted by JHForman250R
Polished parts will always fade unless they are sealed. Any kind of sealer will work. using carnuba car wax after a part is polished will yield good results, but if you want to say for a LONG time spend the money and buy Zoop Seal.

JHF

Do you apply the sealant before the polishing or after?

Posted by: JHForman250R

After

ITS VERY EXPENSIVE though.

JHF

Posted by: Antifaith

I've just finished polishing my brake pedal and headers with great success, though i could only find sandpaper up to 600 grits at the store. It's not as perfect as I'd want it to be so i'll try to find 1500 somewhere else tomorrow. I was just wondering though, could applying a coat of clear help prevent the polish from fading, or will it totally mess up the polish?

Posted by: Rider-trx_250ex

What is the difference between brushed, cast and regular aluminum? And how do you tell the difference?

Posted by: nowukno

This may be a stupid question , but can stock 450r wheels be polished?

Posted by: GoldenGloves

quote:
Originally posted by czrider263
polished brake pedal

BLING

HAHAHAHAHAH!!

Posted by: brapbrap13

bad pic, i gotta do more sanding but so far. bling.

Posted by: 1fst400

Isnt that steel? if so its going to rust a little fast. Better have it cleer coated powder coated. It will still rust but not nearly as fast.

Posted by: Kickstarts_Suck

i used a posishing wheel that goes on a table wheel grinder its works good i cant get my motor mounts off so i cant do them

but i did my clutch lever,gas cap,and valve covers

Posted by: Mxjunkie

quote:
Originally posted by nowukno
This may be a stupid question , but can stock 450r wheels be polished?

you can, but the time it would take to sand the coating & the brushed aluminum off would be forever

Posted by: XCAdam89

I tried, How does this look. I went up to 1000grit Wetsand.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a185/D6Adam/Polish.gif

Posted by: LeGaCyGiAnT124

heres my shock linkage

Posted by: Mxjunkie

Looking good guys!

Here's a picture of a dirtbike I use to have that I spent some time polishing.. Kinda show's you how a little bling can change the look of something with just a little work

Posted by: jonboy

Heres my oil tank, I clear coated it and it dulled the sheen a little though

Posted by: TURBO-530R

http://www.chad502ex.com/530.gif .

Posted by: Mxjunkie

I saw that motor in person at rausch and it gets 2 thumbs up from me!

Posted by: Jgoad2

Do u think if i had like a table top polishing wheel it would be better than doing it by hand.. i used all the way to 2000 grit paper looks really good but i didnt know if there was a high speed polish if it would look better

Posted by: BigFish

^^^^^I use a side grinder w/ buffing wheels. Chrome/polishing shops use big nasty stand up polishers.

...on another polishing note, you do not polish steel, it WILL rust.

Posted by: Jgoad2

Yah thats what I was thinkin of the grinder w/ a polishing wheel. Ive seen a few at sears, and i think ima get one. How hard was that to polish the stator and transmission cover? it looks awesome tho. I did my motor mounts and levers and brake fluid cap the other night. This is def. a great topic. Thanks for the info and help.

Posted by: BigFish

^^^^^Thats all chrome, I did away w/ polishing years ago. Zero maintenance with chrome. We've been chroming the last couple of quads I've been messing w/. F*ck having to polish everything after every ride. I've been in the game for a long while and the one name you need to know is Jackson Lea. Thats who makes real polishing possible.

Posted by: ridered54

with the mothers polish do you rub it in until the black residue shows up on the rag or until it shows up on the metal, because im getting black residue on the rag almost immediately

Posted by: korniev

This is why it is recommended you use the sandpaper first and than do the mothers. U still WILL get the black stuff but wipe it out till its dry and u 'll see

Posted by: ridered54

quote:
Originally posted by korniev
This is why it is recommended you use the sandpaper first and than do the mothers. U still WILL get the black stuff but wipe it out till its dry and u 'll see

i did all the sanding, but i didnt notice that big of a difference when i used the mothers polish after, which is why i asked if i was doing it wrong or something. thanks for the help though, ill try rubbing it in until dry and see what happens

Posted by: korniev

I mean if you could find a round disc to put on a drill with some 600, 1000 and 1500 sandpaper round things to put on it, you could polish everything way faster and way better.
After that drill-sandpapering you put another disc which has some softer cloth and just apply some mothers under it. The effect is unbelievable

Posted by: Kaleigh

i was wondering.. I have a pro curcuit stainless steel pipes.. can I polish them without any worry of rusting??

I was thinking either polishing or chroming.. would chroming be ok..

Posted by: Stein2088

quote:
Originally posted by Kaleigh
i was wondering.. I have a pro curcuit stainless steel pipes.. can I polish them without any worry of rusting??

I was thinking either polishing or chroming.. would chroming be ok..

Polish will work w.o rust.... they are still stainless....

Posted by: jonboy

Ive used these products for a while and havent found a better polish

www.buschpolishes.com

Posted by: Mxjunkie

I bought this one stuff from a truck supply I forget what it was called though, it was green and smelt simular to pepto bismol

It was a liquid and all you had to do was spray it on and buff just a little and it would polish the aluminum in seconds! It made mother's look like manual labor in a summer day compared to how easy this stuff was to use..

Posted by: kiesta00

I tried some turtle wax metal polish on my itp polished rims and I can't seem to get those damn waterspots off, same goes for my polished stator cover...any advice? also are all grits of sandpaper 400 and up "wetsand"...i got some from a friend who works at a body shop and all they had was wetsand paper...is there a difference? thanks

Posted by: Mxjunkie

Wet sand paper is what you want for the final step's in sanding

Very fine stuff, 2000 and up is almost like rubbing two pieces of glass togather agaisnt piece of metal

Posted by: Mxjunkie

quote:
Originally posted by Rider-trx_250ex
What is the difference between brushed, cast and regular aluminum? And how do you tell the difference?

Brushed is like stock wheels on atv's and some misc. parts, it usually has the brushed look with a clear coat over it, sometimes bare..

Cast usually has alot of imperfections such as pits and so on and they almost demand a orbital sander just to smooth it out..

Regular you can check by taking a little polishing compound (mothers etc) and rubbing if you get a black residue then it is just plain jane aluminum and you can start sanding it at a higher grit level if the finish of the part isnt pitted or have any imperfections..

Posted by: ryan pierce

hey could i try this on my 400 ex clutch case

Posted by: dcdc

I did mine with them still on the bike.

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h75/zet2225/000_1245.jpg

Posted by: new400exrider

could i polish a pair of tag handlebars?

Posted by: Stein2088

Has anyone ever tried to polish a stock oil tank??? i've heard of it but not sure how well itd work out??? any ideas???

Posted by: jonboy

I have. It didnt turn out too bad actually. I did take some time.

Posted by: Stein2088

quote:
Originally posted by jonboy
I have. It didnt turn out too bad actually. I did take some time.

Posted by: Stein2088

quote:
Originally posted by jonboy
I have. It didnt turn out too bad actually. I did take some time.

Posted by: Stein2088

quote:
Originally posted by jonboy
I have. It didnt turn out too bad actually. I did take some time.

Posted by: Stein2088

NICE!!! how often did u have to go back and repolish it??? or did it stay that way for awhile and also nice frame

Posted by: jonboy

I shot it with some clear coat to protect it and so I wouldnt have to repolish it. It is still holding up, But the clear does kind of dull up the sheen a little.

Posted by: atvRiDa400ex

quote:
Originally posted by dcdc
I did mine with them still on the bike.

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h75/zet2225/000_1245.jpg

what did you do to polish that??

what steps and did you use mothers?

Posted by: new400exrider

if you dont have paint stripper can you just skip it and go straight to sanding?

Posted by: joeb23

soo if i am reading this correctly, i just have to sand it and polish it?

Posted by: mustangflyboy

then protect the polish with a carnuba wax (lasts 4-6months) or very long lasting though exspensive Zoop Seal.

Posted by: Joe400ex

i need to know witch sand papper to use on my LRD pipes. So i can get them nice and polished up.

Posted by: richiesq75

how about a 250r motor? Also when I do it, do I have to split the case or can I do it with the motor in tack without screwing up the gaskets?

Posted by: richiesq75

How about a 250r motor, and can I do it without split the cases, without screwing up the gaskets?

Posted by: Rider-trx_250ex

quote:
Originally posted by richiesq75
How about a 250r motor, and can I do it without split the cases, without screwing up the gaskets?

post much, lol

Posted by: Rider-trx_250ex

Now the sanding wont cause the aluminum to rust faster than if they were never sanded? And the higher the number goes on the sandpaper, the finer the grit, right? Also with the carnuba wax everyone talks about, is that like turtle wax for a car or something?

Posted by: 1fst400

aluminum doesent rust.... It oxidizes the top layer, So when you pollish you are just taking that top layer off.

Posted by: mustangflyboy

quote:
Originally posted by Rider-trx_250ex
Now the sanding wont cause the aluminum to rust faster than if they were never sanded? And the higher the number goes on the sandpaper, the finer the grit, right? Also with the carnuba wax everyone talks about, is that like turtle wax for a car or something?

Doesn't rust. Yes, U R right about the paper and the wax for a car.
I bought the "Mothers Powerball". A foam ball the attaches to a cordless variable speed drill and used Mothers metal polish. Works great!. Then gently buff off black residue with terry cloth and then apply a car wax as directed.

Posted by: Mxjunkie

I used a orbital buffer we use at work and Flitz polish after I sanded this and I must say the Flitz is probaly one of the best I've used so far.

Posted by: Mud_Slinging

Would I be able to polish a stock manifold pipe on a 1997 Kawasaki KX100...its black and no rust that I can see...

Posted by: Mxjunkie

I dont think they are aluminum, try the magnet trick.

Posted by: mach1stang

sorry to bring back up a old thread but this is to good to let it wither away.

Posted by: nacs420

"STEEL" A-arm before and after

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/getdrunk1990/4wheeler278.jpg

Posted by: mach1stang

you will have to watch that stell it will rust.

Posted by: nacs420

quote:
Originally posted by mach1stang
you will have to watch that stell it will rust.

That's why it's clear coated.

Posted by: mach1stang

it dont matter paint has to breath it slow the rusting proscess down alot but if it stays wet alot it will rust but it looks good i would just keep some wax on it.

Posted by: nacs420

quote:
Originally posted by mach1stang
it dont matter paint has to breath it slow the rusting proscess down alot but if it stays wet alot it will rust but it looks good i would just keep some wax on it.

So your saying to just keep polishing it up and no clear coat?
I gess the only time I get my quad wet is washing it.

Posted by: mach1stang

no i mean you can clear it, it will fade it a bit but the paint breaths thats why if you leave a painted car outside for a super long time it will rust but if the only time it really gets wet is when ou wash it you would be fine, but what i meant is keep a coat of wax on the clear coat just in case.

Posted by: Pipeless416

polished headpipe

Posted by: nacs420

Is their any type of polish that can stand up to a header? Every time i polish mine it looks sweet but then i start it up and the header turns brown right away.

Posted by: JHForman250R

quote:
Originally posted by nacs420
Is their any type of polish that can stand up to a header? Every time i polish mine it looks sweet but then i start it up and the header turns brown right away.

Due to the fact that its steal it will brown out everytime! Only way to keep a header looking polished is to have it chromed. Steal always browns out. Titanium on the other hand does the rainbow Effect and looks KILLER IMO!!

Few things i did today

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a358/JHForman/DSCF0051.jpg?t=1175483607

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a358/JHForman/DSCF0054.jpg?t=1175484118

Posted by: nacs420

quote:
Originally posted by JHForman250R
Due to the fact that its steal it will brown out everytime! Only way to keep a header looking polished is to have it chromed. Steal always browns out. Titanium on the other hand does the rainbow Effect and looks KILLER IMO!!

Few things i did today
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a358/JHForman/DSCF0051.jpg?t=1175483607

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a358/JHForman/DSCF0054.jpg?t=1175484118

Mauybe mines titanium

Like it turns blue/green after i run it with brown mixed in.

I clear coated one of my scoops and that dont look good on the scoop. It fogged it al up bad. It looks kind of like the powder coat chrome now.

Posted by: JHForman250R

quote:
Originally posted by nacs420
Mauybe mines titanium Like it turns blue/green after i run it with brown mixed in.

I clear coated one of my scoops and that dont look good on the scoop. It fogged it al up bad. It looks kind of like the powder coat chrome now.

Thats because your scoops are aluminum, clear coating aluminum seems to have that effect and i dont believe there is a way around it. if its steel it will look the same after clear coat but not with polished aluminum. There are only a few companys that make titanium head pipes, yours looks like steel in the pictures. if it was titanium it would have a rainbow effect, not just blue green and brown.

Posted by: 04exking

Great article

Posted by: mach1stang

somebody should do the new kawasaki frame.

Posted by: wrobben

has anyone tried to polish the whole brake unit on the handlebars, im doing that right now, i sanded for 3 hours last night till i had a good blister on my thumb, e made the filler cap sides flush with the rest of it looks pretty good so far im about half way done with the hard part of sanding then im going to do some finish sanding then polish it good.

Ive also polished my head pipe looks good it will hold up good with a days riding just repolish it at the end of the day doesnt take much.

after the brake im going to do the throttle box.

ill get some pics.

Posted by: pro-rider46

can you polish the upper a arms on the 450r 2005

they are stock too

Posted by: Mxjunkie

quote:
Originally posted by wrobben
has anyone tried to polish the whole brake unit on the handlebars, im doing that right now, i sanded for 3 hours last night till i had a good blister on my thumb, e made the filler cap sides flush with the rest of it looks pretty good so far im about half way done with the hard part of sanding then im going to do some finish sanding then polish it good.

Ive also polished my head pipe looks good it will hold up good with a days riding just repolish it at the end of the day doesnt take much.

after the brake im going to do the throttle box.

ill get some pics.

It took me over a week and I gave up on mine

Here's a picture I took during sanding, I started with 180 and got all of the casting marks out of the piece then I moved up to 220, 400, 600, 800, 1000,1500

Posted by: tar

Can I polish my header that is ceramic coated?

Posted by: wrobben

i actually finished mine, its looks really good, i sanded down the cap flush with the rest of the unit so it looks really good ill ahve to get some pics

Posted by: honda6490

Chrome dont get u home.

haha but props to you guys all this stuff looks great. Once i get all the stuff (tires, oil change, chain, sprocket, a arms, rims, and a lot more done to my z i think ill start working on polishing.

Posted by: mak400ex

lot of bling on this thread - and a lot of hard work, seems like i am polishing mine every weekend. lol

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/mikody/IMG_0145.jpg

Posted by: Hondamaster5505

i have a question.

My DMC Alien isnt that shiny and its kinda scratched up. I wanna polish it.

The problem is, the muffler part is nickel plated.

Can i use a polishing wheel, i have one at my fathers shop.

The rest is easy, its stainless.

Posted by: Hondamaster5505

and mak400ex, how did you do your rims, i have the same ones and wanna make em shine like that.

Posted by: Crazy Diamond

Try M A A S Metal polish! You can find it at Walmart in the household cleaner section. It works great and very easy to use! Wipe on wipe off! Do it twice and you have a good shine!
Why would you want to polish it up anyway? Its made for the dirt! TOO much work to just go and get dirty! IMO

Posted by: pro-rider46

is there a way to speed up sanding?

Posted by: mak400ex

quote:
Originally posted by Hondamaster5505
and mak400ex, how did you do your rims, i have the same ones and wanna make em shine like that.

Hey sorry been away - i used mother's polish it comes in a small can get it at the auto store works great - just hand buff it hard.

Posted by: mak400ex

quote:
Originally posted by pro-rider46
is there a way to speed up sanding?

buy ya some good paint striper (made for metal ) and shoot it a couple times - gets most of it. light sand the rest - get some alum compound and a good bench polisher and get at it - heres my last polish job on my pitbike.

before:
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/mikody/IMG_1530.jpg

After about 2 hours:
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/mikody/IMG_1534.jpg

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/mikody/IMG_1533.jpg

Posted by: FoxHondaRider

i polished my headers last friday and they came out great, sorry i dont have pictures but heres what I used: very find sand paper, PB degreaser, 1000 steel wool. Turned out great just when you start it the headers get hot and burn off the PB degreaser and they will smoke but no big deal the headers stay looking clean

Posted by: mak400ex

Did the same to mine - just last a couple rides than back to polishing again.......but does look great, steel wool work wonders.

Posted by: yfzrider73

uh this is pro, i mean is there a way with a sander, just to get through sand casted parts

Posted by: pro-rider46

well i did a lttle bit of a research on polishing on google, well i found out that you can get a dremel tool or something like it and you can get polishes, well i thought that this was just to get a sheen, so the polish actually has a abressive material in it, so the high speed rotary tool just pulls the metal to a smoother finish, and then you soon get a final polish that does not to anything with abressives, just gets a shine on the metal. so am i right on this, have i been doing it the hard way by sanding by hand? if so that sucks for me, what kind of tools to you guys use to polish?

Posted by: 250ex2003

Ive done some polishiong in the past on a tunnel ram intake for my drag car. If you go to using a dremel use caution. Any metal contact from the dremel turning and your into hours of getting deep gouges out of your piece. The dremel has a knurled locking system that spins above your polishing bonnet and it can do damage in no time flat. They are great for tight pockets you cant get your fingers down in. You can also use the abrasive wheels to get the casting marks out of rough aluminum. Polishing is a very timely process. Cutting corners and trying to make it easy is tough to do if you want a perfect mirror finish. The pro polishers get big bucks for their work.

Posted by: LMiller

My first attempt. Still needs some sanding, but I went ahead with the polish to see how it looked.

Before
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e67/rubikrawlin/100_0278.jpg

During
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e67/rubikrawlin/100_0279.jpg

After
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e67/rubikrawlin/100_0280.jpg

Posted by: mak400ex

Nice job......that will work, just keep it clean it may show some rust.

Posted by: Mxjunkie

Look's like you need to sand side to side, you can tell where you were sanding up and down. When you sand up and down it shows the scratch marks from the grit, if its side to side you cannot tell.

Posted by: j20accord00

quote:
Originally posted by Mxjunkie
Look's like you need to sand side to side, you can tell where you were sanding up and down. When you sand up and down it shows the scratch marks from the grit, if its side to side you cannot tell.

if you use an orbital sander or even a DA sander wont it just make alot of scratches..sorta like circles..as opposed to side to side?..I have polished things that were already "polished" like my intercooler pipes on my car..but it had some scratches on it so I just went with the flow of the metal and it turned out good..I have a question if i bought a rock tumbler do you think I could polish nuts and bolts? you have any experience with any of that kinda of stuff?

-Evan

Posted by: pro-rider46

she is still not done, but shes getting there...

Posted by: LMiller

lookin good.

Posted by: LMiller

Just got a dremel, look for more stuff from me here and there now.

Posted by: pro-rider46

thanks for the compliment, i wish i had a dremel, almost bought one last night, but o well, all of my polishing was done with my hand and a couple pieces of sandpaper

Posted by: glamiskid395

heres of few of what ive done
header, took bout 1 hour
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e38/glamiskid395/my%20400ex/400expolishproject016.jpg

front rims, took 2 hours each
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e38/glamiskid395/my%20400ex/400expolishproject015.jpg

shocks, took bout 30 minutes
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e38/glamiskid395/my%20400ex/400expolishproject013.jpg

starter cover, 1 hour
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e38/glamiskid395/my%20400ex/400expolishproject003.jpg

left side case after 120 and 220 grit sandpaper
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e38/glamiskid395/my%20400ex/400expolishproject002.jpg

Posted by: pro-rider46

looking good, you willl like the results when your done with the engine

Posted by: glamiskid395

yeah i already do.
hopefully i get to do a complete rebuild this summer and then everything will be professionly polished

Posted by: 400EXtreme

someone explain to me what grit i would have to use to polish my fmf fatty thank you.

Posted by: pro-rider46

well, you dont use grit. you use grits.as in multiple amounts. it depends on what the condition of the pipe is in, i would start with about 320, and work my way to 400, and then 600. then 1000, then about 2000. and i know it sucks, but you have to sand...a lot! make sure that when you stop with 320, that you are all good and have everything out, and then on 400 make sure it totally gets rid off the 320, what i do is do a couple strokes the perpindicular direction, just to see that the previous strokes arent there, then i fix those marks up. and move on to the next grit, if you have any questions, just ask

Posted by: Mxjunkie

quote:
Originally posted by 400EXtreme
someone explain to me what grit i would have to use to polish my fmf fatty thank you.

Do not use sand paper on exhaust systems , you will sand the nickle right off of it. Use either scotch brites or steel wool to remove anything thats on the nickle finish then polish.

Posted by: Mxjunkie

quote:
Originally posted by j20accord00
if you use an orbital sander or even a DA sander wont it just make alot of scratches..sorta like circles..as opposed to side to side?..I have polished things that were already "polished" like my intercooler pipes on my car..but it had some scratches on it so I just went with the flow of the metal and it turned out good..I have a question if i bought a rock tumbler do you think I could polish nuts and bolts? you have any experience with any of that kinda of stuff?

-Evan

Yeah DA sanders will put small circles all over the metal and it's a pain in the behind to get them sanded out! When you sand up and down it puts the sanding groves in a differnt direction so when you polish it depending on the way to the part sits on the quad/dirtbike you will see the scratches going up and down no matter how hard and long you polish it. Always sand side to side!

I have a rock tumbler as well and I've used it to polish nuts and bolts for my s10 motor.

Posted by: pro-rider46

here is a picture of my pipe after polishing.

Posted by: d3ktrix

quote:
Originally posted by pro-rider46
here is a picture of my pipe after polishing.

Once u finished sanding, what polish did u use?
Im about to do my Sparks header. What kind of steel is it?

I read the whole thread and didn't notice anyone mentioning any steel polishes, only aluminum.

Posted by: pro-rider46

just pm'ed ya

Posted by: mak400ex

heres my lastest polish job - 2 hrs and a 6 pack.... LOL.

before:
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/mikody/IMG_2454.jpg
AFTER:
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/mikody/IMG_2459.jpg

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n88/99Xtreme/P2032490.jpg

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n88/99Xtreme/P2032458.jpg

Posted by: 450racers.com

The word polishing is often confused with buffing when speaking of aluminum parts. Polishing is the act of sanding off the rough cast in preparation for the buffing process. Buffing is the act of bringing the part to a mirror like finish. If you have a part that hasn’t already been brought to a mirror like finish once upon a time, it will need to be polished (sanded) then buffed. If your part had a mirror like finish and is just dulled out, it will most likely only need to be re-buffed.

If you really want to learn the ART of metal refinishing go to http://www.bright-works.com/store/html/index.html and get the how to video. The CORRECT materials really are not that expensive to purchase.

http://www.bright-works.com/store/images/stanls12.gif

http://www.bright-works.com/store/images/kt-15.gif

http://www.bright-works.com/store/images/kt-125.gif

http://www.bright-works.com/store/images/dc-10-2.gif

http://www.bright-works.com/store/images/sb-lb-c2.gif

Posted by: 395Rider

Oh yeah! The engine is going to look as good as its going to run! The cylinder is getting a port and polish at DASA, and the frame and swing arm are getting powder coated. When I took the frame in to get powder coated, I also sent the front brake master and thumb throttle housing to get sand blasted. I am planning on polishing and buffing these two parts. And by the looks of things, I got it down!

Note: This process was only used on the engine halves. The engine halves are nearly smooth and shiny, start with 1000 grit or higher.

Step One:
Work my way around the engine by spraying some carb cleaner, then scrubbing it with a small wire brush to remove stock paint. Scrubbing after every spray and trying to get into all of the little areas.

Step Two:
I used the Brown 511E EZ Lock Finishing Abrasive Buff for Dremel's on my regular drill. This took a bit of the surface off to bring up the shine.

Step Three:
I used 1000 grit sand paper to remove some of the small scrap and swirls.

Step Four:
I applied Mothers Polish and its bling bling!

I compared these two procedures:

A. Sand with 1000 grit, then buff with Mother's

B. Sand with 1000 grit, then buff with wheel using the green bar.

B. Worked out the best! The wheel takes out more swirls and lines. I then sprayed the part with carb cleaner to remove the green bar buff and applied Mother's to see if the shine would return. It did!

Awesome Post! Thanks to everyone whom has contributed!

Posted by: pro-rider46

quote:
Originally posted by 450racers.com
The word polishing is often confused with buffing when speaking of aluminum parts. Polishing is the act of sanding off the rough cast in preparation for the buffing process. Buffing is the act of bringing the part to a mirror like finish.

i dont think you have that totally correct, polishing is not sanding for sure, thats called "sanding" polishing is doesnt have to be put on with a buffer or anything, polish pretty much only means to clean up. but buffing and polishing are pretty much synonyms.

Posted by: d3ktrix

Buffing is just polishing using a rotating wheel.
Google it :P

Both are just processes to make something smooth and shiny.

So really, sanding with high grits can be considered a forum of polishing.
Because really ANYTHING u do to make something smooth or shiny can be considered polishing.
Even spitting on the hood of ur car and whipping it with ur friends shirt.

Posted by: Mxjunkie

It can be called either polishing or buffing because everyone has a different technical terms. I consider sanding " Prep ". Polishing is either by hand or by buffer with compounds or cleaners.. There also isn't a set in stone way of polishing, everyone has a different way of prepping the aluminum to get a spectacular mirror shine. When I first wrote this up I considered writing up a dremel and buffer how to as well but the likely hood of the average teen to the hard working adult having a buffer with all the compounds would be only a dime a dozen. Sand paper is cheap and everyone has a little bit of spare time so I figured sand paper would be the best bet.

Posted by: pro-rider46

quote:
Originally posted by Mxjunkie
It can be called either polishing or buffing because everyone has a different technical terms. I consider sanding " Prep ". Polishing is either by hand or by buffer with compounds or cleaners.. There also isn't a set in stone way of polishing, everyone has a different way of prepping the aluminum to get a spectacular mirror shine. When I first wrote this up I considered writing up a dremel and buffer how to as well but the likely hood of the average teen to the hard working adult having a buffer with all the compounds would be only a dime a dozen. Sand paper is cheap and everyone has a little bit of spare time so I figured sand paper would be the best bet.

you should still do that. cause most kids that are too young to get those normally dont care to take the time to do the sanding and polishing, and dremels are only about 30-60 bucks, and you can get a good bit of tools for under $100, i have been looking into the dremels, just havent had the time to get one.

Posted by: Exrider434

ive got a brushed aluminum HMF, so do i have to do what you did on those fmf silencers and sand the brush off of them......and what happened to your banshee?

Posted by: cbrooks118

If it isnt in too bad of shape i would just bring ou tthe mother's aluminum polish. It works like a charm on all my aluminum rims and exhaust. Bought the polish kit from harbor freight for like $15 and just polish them up every couple of rides. But...they were in good condition to begin with

Posted by: Mxjunkie

quote:
Originally posted by pro-rider46
you should still do that. cause most kids that are too young to get those normally dont care to take the time to do the sanding and polishing, and dremels are only about 30-60 bucks, and you can get a good bit of tools for under $100, i have been looking into the dremels, just havent had the time to get one.

So tell young kids to use power tools with slim if any experience with them? Doesn't sound to safe, plus a little sanding won't hurt some of the younger kids out there.. I wouldn't want anyone getting hurt then saying well I read here, I know some little kid's parent would be all over who ever told their wonderful kid to use their dads dremel.. lol but if you want to go ahead and write it up, like I said everyone has different ways.

Posted by: Exrider434

mxjunkie, what happened to your shee?

Posted by: pro-rider46

heres my engine, not bad for a white guy.

Posted by: Exrider434

quote:
Originally posted by glamiskid395
heres of few of what ive done
header, took bout 1 hour
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e38/glamiskid395/my%20400ex/400expolishproject016.jpg

front rims, took 2 hours each
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e38/glamiskid395/my%20400ex/400expolishproject015.jpg

shocks, took bout 30 minutes
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e38/glamiskid395/my%20400ex/400expolishproject013.jpg

starter cover, 1 hour
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e38/glamiskid395/my%20400ex/400expolishproject003.jpg

left side case after 120 and 220 grit sandpaper
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e38/glamiskid395/my%20400ex/400expolishproject002.jpg

how do you get the header looking like that? Sandpaper and polish?

Posted by: hondarider101

quote:
Originally posted by Exrider434
how do you get the header looking like that? Sandpaper and polish?

dont do it. id did my wb head pipe and in 10 mins it looked like it did before i polished it its a waste of time.

Posted by: derrickwade

before:
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r139/derrickwade/Nov-6.jpg

after: http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r139/derrickwade/IMG_2751.jpg

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r139/derrickwade/IMG_2726.jpg

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r139/derrickwade/IMG_2722.jpg

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r139/derrickwade/Nov-2.jpg

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r139/derrickwade/Nov-4.jpg

Posted by: mak400ex

OK - I finished polishing the clutch side cover last weekend - sooooo I think i am done, yeah right.... maybe for now.

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/mikody/P3094281.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/mikody/P3094240.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/mikody/P3094239.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/mikody/P3094326.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/mikody/P3094357.jpg

Posted by: vic425

hey im trying to polish my stock 86 swinger for my r ill post pics later and i know its not aluminum but i think it will get there.........any of you got pictures?

Posted by: mofaracing

does polishing have any side effect like it get very dirty and need to polish every time or something

Posted by: pro-rider46

quote:
Originally posted by vic425
hey im trying to polish my stock 86 swinger for my r ill post pics later and i know its not aluminum but i think it will get there.........any of you got pictures?

it will rust if it is steel. remember that.

Posted by: pro-rider46

quote:
Originally posted by mofaracing
does polishing have any side effect like it get very dirty and need to polish every time or something

not every time but after awhile it will eventually dull. and will need to be touched up. just dont let mud sit on it for a long time

Posted by: UNBROKEN

heys guys i have a ? i have a gold anodized 250r front rim that i need to polish to make it match my other polished rims, were do i start ive been sanding with rough sandpaper but realy does nothing, is there any chemicals / cleaners that will help getting rid of this anodize gold,

Posted by: LiiL pOpSz

some aircraft/paint stripper will do the job......you could get that at an ace hardware or wal-mart

Posted by: UNBROKEN

ight thanks but rite now i have some paint brush cleaner will that work

Posted by: UNBROKEN

i got the aircraft remover ill let u know how it turns out

Posted by: klutch

Sooo... umm... I have a Black HMF Slip on... but i want the polished look... would it work?

Posted by: UNBROKEN

maybe ^ mine is a factory anodized finsh i still cant get it off , ure hmf is probally painted so it should work its 5 bucs for a can of it i wish this stuff would work for me

Posted by: Crashmore 22

Give eastwood a call. They are great people. Here is a link to what you probably need. I have used this in the past with great results.

Anadize remover

Posted by: UNBROKEN

thanks but ive painted my wheel black and im going to see how well it holds up befor i paint them all

Posted by: Rider-trx_250ex

Can I use a dremel tool to sand the surface rust off my frame and polishing? I know dremels are used for light work but i don't know.

Posted by: pro-rider46

yeah, you should be okay as long as you have a stone or something to get the rust off

Posted by: hondarider101

can i polish my stock 450r heatsheid?? thanks

Posted by: derrickwade

quote:
Originally posted by hondarider101
can i polish my stock 450r heatsheid?? thanks

I'll try polishing mine and let you know how it goes.

Posted by: derrickwade

quote:
Originally posted by derrickwade
I'll try polishing mine and let you know how it goes.

I wouldnt do it if I were you. The shield is not aluminum, It will rust and look like **** in no time at all.

Posted by: hondarider101

can you ploish it and clear coat it?? thanks

Posted by: derrickwade

quote:
Originally posted by hondarider101
can you ploish it and clear coat it?? thanks

I've heard clear coating will make it dull and yellowish hazy. Have you ever heard of chrome powdercoat? A friend of mine has his valve covers on his mustang done. It looks just like chrome. I dont know how well it would handle the punishment we put our sh*t through though...

Posted by: hondarider101

dosent pappy offer some kinda chrome pc? ohh well my pipe is to big for my heatsheld anyway!!

Posted by: kawi

I was just wondering if u could polish a stock header off of a 2005 KFX 400 if so what grade would u use

Posted by: pro-rider46

chrome pc is more like a silver, pappy has pics in his section.

you can polish the stock header. but it will turn a crap brown as soon as you start it up. your best bet it go aftermarket and get one thats ceramic coated.

Posted by: kawi

Alright cool thats what i was thinking but i didnt want to do it for nothing lol well i already have a white brothers e-series slip on do i have to get a white brothers head pipe also or does that not matter if it doesnt what header would you recommend thanks

Posted by: pro-rider46

well i thin your best bet is to clean up that slip on and sell for a full system pipe, you can even buy a used full system for half the price, i bought my sparks used for 250 when it cost 500 brand new. and i polished it and looks better than new.

Posted by: kawi

thanks man i will for sure do that

Posted by: pro-rider46

no problamo

Posted by: hondarider101

like he said i bought my wb aluminum pro full for 150 and its 600 new on here... bead blasted the can and repacked it and now its basically new.

Posted by: Yippie-Ki-Yay

If i polish some of my parts, and use zoop seal, will it haze, will it last a few years, will water mess it up, will mud, and will it withstand some heat? And do i have to buy a new zoop kit every time i want to use it, or can i reuse a kit a couple of times?

Thanks!!

Posted by: 400EXtreme

how did you get your header to come out so good?

Posted by: ssam1019

Anyone do there swingarm?