Home Polishing Advice

[hooga1975]

I have a few items that I want to polish, but I have never done it before.

I have seen some kits on ebay that will go into an electric drill.  Has anybody used this type before and are they any good?

If anyone could point me in the right direction or give me some advice that would be great.

[Deano]

Mate it depends on how big the parts are you want to polish and if they are ready to polish ie sanded down enough or smooth enough.

As for polishing kits i use Thepolishingshop.co.uk and buy the 3 stage kits as they are a good enough kit to start with imo. Think there about £11 for 3 mops and 3 bars of soap (polishing compound)

If parts need sanded before polish i normally sand from 240 grit up to 2000 then polish with Autosol then mops then Peek p[olish for the final mirror hit.
Thats basics one thing ill say is you have to make it look worse before it gets better, dont be scared just go for it as long as you dont take any stamps or cast marks of the parts so they still keep there original look. 

[hooga1975]

Good advice there Deano.  I didnt realise the items need sanding before polishing!  I would have been disapointed had I not asked the question

[ozone]

Mate it depends on how big the parts are you want to polish and if they are ready to polish ie sanded down enough or smooth enough.

As for polishing kits i use Thepolishingshop.co.uk and buy the 3 stage kits as they are a good enough kit to start with imo. Think there about £11 for 3 mops and 3 bars of soap (polishing compound)

If parts need sanded before polish i normally sand from 240 grit up to 2000 then polish with Autosol then mops then Peek p[olish for the final mirror hit.
Thats basics one thing ill say is you have to make it look worse before it gets better, dont be scared just go for it as long as you dont take any stamps or cast marks of the parts so they still keep there original look. 

2000 is overkill if you have a polishing kit.  A decent medium felt wheel and brown (cutting) compound means you can get away with going above 400 (800 tops) grit paper as that combo will buff out the marks from the abrasive paper.   Drop down to a softer mop with green or blue soap for the next stage then break out the Peek to finish the job.  Sorted...

This is not about cutting corners but more about giving your right arm a break.  Unless you like practising that back and forth motion ad nauseam.   

[BENDYCAT ELEVENTEEN]

temperature will play a part - let some items cool down or you can get a slight colour change in places

in sunlight you might still see hair lines - this will show up as a rainbow colour in a single line as the sunlight reflects off of the surface


a locked down polisher will be easier to work with as this gives both hands to hold a item.
you can use hand polishing for smaller items, but this may not be as so precise on some corners

when sanding, use a wooden block for a flat sand this will give a nice even surface


don't be too tempted to rush things - work on them in there stages - then go on to the next - the more time you spend on it getting it right, the better it will look in the end




from this



to this

[HUTCHMAN]

nice stems...PERSONALLY preffered them as they were,but the outcome still looks good anyway. 

[BENDYCAT ELEVENTEEN]

I have a few of these and wanted a polished one

they will be for sale soon - left raw so the buyer can choose to polish or not 



it take time and practice with polishing - the more you try the better it gets

[GTnumber1]

dont use dremels they are dog shit 

[BENDYCAT ELEVENTEEN]

dremel are good for getting inside bolt heads - very small stuff and cutting

multy speed and wear goggles as stuff flicks off as you take a close look


and forgot to say about mop polishing on bench grinders - place a soft mat under the grinder ~ stuff will fly off or drop down, and a fresh polished item look shite with a concreat mark from a drop

gloves - thick leather glove will take out some of the heat if you are grind polishing down and the item heats up - the item can get pretty hot pretty darn quick and burn 

[Deano]

I only go to 2000 grit on alloy wheels and use 2 stages of mop. i guess everyone has there way and you will find yours like B says the more you do the better you get. Also different metals polish up to different shades.

Im no pro i just dabble. Only just got air tools and full kit so should get better results soon.

[bobbbbsy]

 

[pickle]

Bendy, your names not Neil is it? 

[hooga1975]

Well I have ordered a  polishing kit so I will hopefully be able to have a go by the weekend.  Hopefully mine will turn out as well as bendys

[BENDYCAT ELEVENTEEN]

Bendy, your names not Neil is it? 

   sorry that went over my head as there are so many neils >?

polishing takes time and i have fooked up a lot of bits - it just takes time to learn how the stuff works - have fun, but be safe 

[ozone]

Bendy, your names not Neil is it? 

   sorry that went over my head as there are so many neils >?

polishing takes time and i have fooked up a lot of bits - it just takes time to learn how the stuff works - have fun, but be safe 

He's on about Neil N2CUS.  He took a bit of stick for his polishing fetish but he seemed like a nice enough guy and offered to help me out a few times.   

He also painted a few sets of Skyways which didn't go down to well either.   

[Gashead]

Did they have polished items back in the 80's then? Must have missed that 

[sid1972]

  No Nick, but not sure they had show and shine either 

[BENDYCAT ELEVENTEEN]

I like to shine stuff, stops me going round house's of people who moan, and burning them down  

[ozone]

Did they have polished items back in the 80's then? Must have missed that 

They did have them back in the 80s.  There was loads of evidence of these items on the site but it all got lost when the mods went crazy and dumped all of the old threads.  Guess you'll just have to take my word for this claim since the evidence can't be retrieved.   

[Mattdub]

Polish smolish .......

[BENDYCAT ELEVENTEEN]

not tried that stuff ? is it a paste or spray