A few questions:
I will try to get some pictures for you. The plating thing isn't working out because all the local platers are backed up 6 weeks and I'm not waiting that long. I'm going to have to do my best and deal with it next winter if it's not to my liking.
A couple of newbie questions (in no particular order) while I'm trying to get pictures:
1. When I'm sanding the tubes, do I sand around the diameter in one direction only, or do I sand in multiple, or criss-cross patterns?
2. If i go to 600 grit (any finer and I've heard you actually push the oxidation back under the surface), do I start with emery or go straight to tripoli compound?
3. If you have too little compound on the wheel, what happens to the part? I ask this because it seems to be hard to load the brown tripoli onto the wheel. My main problem may be that I don't know what is too much and what is too little compound. Do you use a feather touch to load it up, or do you have to give it some real pressure or somewhere in between?
4. Should you have absolutely no compound left on the part after buffing?
5. Same question as #1, only when buffing. Do you buff in one direction only or try different directions? I've just been holding the tubes to the wheels and spinning them with my hands and slowly feeding the length of the tube to the wheel (results in a spiral pattern).
6. I've been cleaning off any compound by using paint thinner, wiping dry and then hitting it with the propane torch to burn off any residue. Is there a better way?
7. The loose wheels that I use with super bright (white compound) turn black after a short while. No amount of raking makes them white again. Is this normal?
Okay enough questions for now. I will have to keep trying, I guess, but it sure is hard not to go postal after a while. After the emery, it shines not too bad, but I can still see scratches, then as soon as I hit it with tripoli, it goes all cloudy.
I'll try to get pics, but it could be tough to really capture what's going on.
Thanks to marsfroggie and anyone else in advance for your insight.
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