What is ball burnished?

[mivvi]

Hi all, after a bit of info. I am looking to polish an alloy frame and then lacquer it, to keep its shine. I have done this in the past and had a real mirror shine and then i got it clear powder coated.......it lost all its shine. The frame currently has the mirror finish but is now over ten years old and I wish to restore it but just dont know what the correct process is. It really looks like chrome but just dont know how its done? I have heard of ball burnishing or am I barking up the wrong tree? Cheers all     

[hunterdubber]

Ball burnished is a different thing altogether , it also goes duller in time .

If you want it to stay like chrome , without sounding funny , have you thought of getting it Chromed or chrome powder coated 

[stidds]

If you want a mirror finish to your frame then get a polishing kit, either for an electric drill or bench grinder/polisher this will give you what you want.

Ball burnished is when a piece is placed in a vat of moving ball bearings, which hit the frame repeatedly and this is action is used to polish the piece.

[stidds]

Ball burnished is a different thing altogether , it also goes duller in time .

If you want it to stay like chrome , without sounding funny , have you thought of getting it Chromed or chrome powder coated 

The problem with getting chrome powdercoat is that you need a clear over the top of the powder which then makes it a very shiney silver.

[hunterdubber]

I think  he wanted the bike to be like chrome and like a mirror finish , Sean  

Like chrome and shiny

He was complaining he'd got it shiny ,,,,but then went duller when it was clear laquered ,,rather than maintaining a permanent shine  

[animal]

Having being envolved in Metallurgy its the quickest way of weakening a parent metal that is known  

Hence they break , snap and crack   No idea in that factory in my book  

[mivvi]

Thanks all for your replies. Well I never knew you could get alloy chromed? I thought it was only steel that you can chrome, possibly thats what the finish is now then? I didnt know you could get chrome powder either? Well I have a few options now, getting it proper chromed could be the way to go....excited now. Cheers all  

[mivvi]

Having being envolved in Metallurgy its the quickest way of weakening a parent metal that is known  

Hence they break , snap and crack   No idea in that factory in my book  

Yea, its a mountain bike 24" frame and its very thin alloy as it pings when you flick it. I suppose they are just strong in all the right  places 

[stidds]

I think  he wanted the bike to be like chrome and like a mirror finish , Sean  

Like chrome and shiny

He was complaining he'd got it shiny ,,,,but then went duller when it was clear laquered ,,rather than maintaining a permanent shine  

Sorry Christian wasn't actually having a go there mate, I wrote it on my way to do something else and didn't word it nicely.

I actually didn't know that you need a clear powder to go over the top of chrome powder, it was something SBD told me recently.

[mivvi]

OrgasmDonor, there is no need! 

[OrgasmDonor]

i'm just at this very moment deleting all traces of that search from wor lasses computer 

[mivvi]

This is how it looks now, you can see its the front end that is chrome:

[bobbbbsy]

it would be reflecting more light if it was chrome, it may be bare lacquered ally or gloss silver !

[mivvi]

Yep, it has lost it's shine but its quite an old bike now but love it, do its staying with me. I think it may well be lacquered alloy?

[hunterdubber]

Didn't think you were being funny Sean    ,,, and I learnt something new myself ,,didn't know Chrome powder needed a top coar roo  


Daz you need a nice Selle Turbo  , your current one is making a reeeyt nasty mess of your sac  


Nice Scott MTB Mr Mivvi  

[bobbbbsy]

probably get it light grit blasted so it is bare then polish the hell out of it with PEEK but you ll have to do it every few weeks !
you ll prob need a dremel and special polishing bits.
send bmx a pm. hes the polishing queen(some say he has a sweatshop full of oompa loompa's)!  
i dont like the look of it !  

[bobbbbsy]

Didn't think you were being funny Sean,,, and I learnt something new myself ,,didn't know Chrome powder needed a top coar roo 


Daz you need a nice Selle Turbo  , your current one is making a reeet mess of your sac 


Nice Scott MTB Mr Mivvi 

some mid school chrome bikes are lacquered not our o/s !

[OrgasmDonor]

Didn't think you were being funny Sean,,, and I learnt something new myself ,,didn't know Chrome powder needed a top coar roo 


Daz you need a nice Selle Turbo  , your current one is making a reeet mess of your sac 


Nice Scott MTB Mr Mivvi 

thats one unfortunate freudian slip dude 

[bobbbbsy]

i thought hed gone all ɹǝpun uʍop on us ! 

[hunterdubber]

Didn't think you were being funny Sean,,, and I learnt something new myself ,,didn't know Chrome powder needed a top coar roo  


Daz you need a nice Selle Turbo  , your current one is making a reeet mess of your sac  


Nice Scott MTB Mr Mivvi  

some mid school chrome bikes are lacquered not our o/s !

Who said anything about O/S or mid school  

, it's a mountain bike that is already polished and he wants to maintain it's shine by putting a clear coat on or alternative permanent finish ,

 so then he doesn't have to keep polishing it  

That's the way I read it ,, I could be wrong 

[bobbbbsy]

he wants super bling at all costs !!

[mivvi]

Thanks for all the comments guys. Yea, before I even start stripping this back, I wanted to know is I can achieve the same effect. And yes Bobbbbbbsy, yr spot on. I want it bling and never have to polish it again lol

[Gal]

There is now a painting process that will make it look exactly like chrome. That or get it wrapped. Thats if anyone is good enough to do it to a bike

[hunterdubber]

There is now a painting process that will make it look exactly like chrome. That or get it wrapped. Thats if anyone is good enough to do it to a bike

Getting a bike vinyl  wrapped is possible and has been done on here  

[griff]

To be honest I'm surprised there aren't more gonads in this thread