Aluminum shine like chrome

[grimm]

Hi guys,
Newbie here with a new aluminum polishing kit on the way. I will be using a 3/4 horse bench buffer with 8 inch pads. I have some seriously nasty looking primary covers on a harley I'm rebuilding. I prefer the show polished finish of aluminum over chrome. Anyone care to give tips on buffing and cutting techniques in reguards to how long to hold piece to wheel, what direction(s) I should move the piece on the wheel and so on? I will need to wet sand these down to a 400 for starters. Also I believe heat is a factor and research has told me to keep the parts warm to 150 degrees while at the wheel. Is this a good Idea? Thanks.......Grimm

[polishinginc]

I let the buffing wheels heat the part to a withstandable tempature. Parts will get very hot while buffing.
The best thing to do is practice practice practice. It takes some time to figure everything out but when you do its bliss

[Stryder]

I'm doing the same exact thing Grimm. I won't be starting for a week or two but if I get going first I'll post my findings if you will.

I'm re-doing my Sportster and it came with that silver paint finish.... looks horrible.

[grimm]

Stryder,
Doing the exact same thing. Rescued a 86 sporty from ten years of being couped up in a barn, so you can imagine the aluminum. Will keep things posted. Will be a week or so before I get started.............Grimm

[Stryder]

The thought of all the **** on that thing fron storage in the barn makes me cringe... all I have to worry about is paint. :P Is your's an 883 or 1200 (or 1000 possibly)?

By the way, if you need a resource for the Sportster specific issues, the best mailing list for Sportsters IMHO is the XL-List. Go to:

http://www.sportster.org

... to register and have a look. Great bunch of people there. It's a mailing list, not a forum and it's a pretty busy one but there are people on there that are hard-core Sportster lovers, not simply people that bought a Sportster.

Sorry for the OT mods.

[grimm]

Stryder;
Thanks fer the hook-up