My practice piece

[bamaquad]

Here's a nerfbar off of my quad that I started doing. I sanded up to 600 from 60 to get some scratches out then started with the brown, red.

My question is are there suppose to be a film on the piece after each bar to wash off or is it suppose to be clean. 1 thing I did forget is to rake the wheels frequently. Was this my problem.

I was using Craftsman grinder with 4" medium pad for the brown and a soft for the red. I got a good place on the piece after I wiped off with towel real hard. The rest has a film on it.

Do I keep polishing until the film comes off with the different compounds and rake my wheels frequently?

Here's the good part of the piece.


Here's further down with the film still on it.

[bamaquad]

Everywhere except where u can see the flash has a haze to it.

[bamaquad]

I read a little further and did not de anodize the aluminium, I believe this is causing my black build up.

What do I use to deanodize the aluminium with?

[TRX310R]

You sure those nerfs are anodized? It looks like the polish was starting to show...I think you need larger buffing wheels (8") to get the surface speed up so that the polish will do it's best job possible. Also don't use loads of polish on the wheel, I only touch it for 1 second, polish for a bit and then re-apply. Don't forget to use a cutting motion first and then a color motion for each compound. The brown should give you a pretty nice finish by itself after the color motion. Get some carb cleaner to clean the parts when switching compounds.

I'm no expert but that is what i've learned and read from the experts on these boards...good luck!

[smooth72]

As above, just need to be polished. Be very careful on the nerfs web tabs, if you catch a edge it will jerk it out of your hands, I’ve had it happen and from time to time it will happen. My first polisher was one of the green buffers that you can get for around $70 on sale. You can also do it with a 4" grinder and a 4" buffing wheel, just clamp your nerf real good to a work bench. If you want to you could sand it down with some dry fine first to get the scratches out. No mater what method you use make shure you rake you wheel often, anytime it starts to get shinny rake it. Buffing is very messy I usaly use a blast face shield. Get ready to get black.

[Brintiff]

I do not think they are anodized but an easy way to find out is with an ohm meter. Anodized aluminum is not conductive, if you take your meter and set it to ohms and touch the probes to different areas of the bar you should not get continuity if they are anodized.

I personally think you are just using too much polish

[bamaquad]

Thanks guys, I'll get back to it this weekend.

[smooth72]

Thanks guys, I'll get back to it this weekend.

I have been polishing for 20 years and still trying new methods. Take your time and enjoy it, when you get that deep shine can be very rewarding. My 4 wheeler has top me allot over the years because I polish it out take it to the sand dunes and then polish it out and then.... you get the picture. Definition of insanity.

[bamaquad]

I got it done and it looks really good. The only thing is I don't have nothing small enough to get in tight spaces to sand down or even polish.

Gotta save up some dimes and get something for the tight spots.

I've got an air dremmel for the sanding but not polishing. Any suggestions? Or do they make polishing discs for the dremmel.

[smooth72]

If you have a air compressor, get a cheap air die grinder from Harbor Freight and some small buffing heads. They make a one that looks like a cone that works well.