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you2low

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Ok so i got my other fork done this afternoon and my brake arm and shock tops i got from Cycle One Off they just came with a Machine finish:bang head: Still have alot to polish on the max:bang head: The 2 mirrors in the pictures are chrome just laid them beside my parts i polished so you can see the difference:punk:
 

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I'll send you my stuff & "have-at-it!!"

Good work!

Clear-coat it to save you endless polishing.
 
after your done polishing, What do you put on it to hold the shine. :ummm: I see a side business if you were so inclined.
 
Got the foot peg brackets done today.. The water pump cover was some thing I wanted to show that anyone that owns a max can do with the right compounds and wheels and a cheap buffer $90.00 from Harbor fright tools.. I spent less than 10 minutes on the pump cover and it was very very oxidized. no sanding was done.. heck I didnt do nothing but grab and put it to the wheel.. just wanted to show you how you can make it shine easy.. To do it right ..yeah you should clean it and keep all the harsh trash out of your buffing wheel use all 3 stages of compounds the first stage does the hard work the next 2 stages just makes it really shine and takes all the scratches and haze out.. you can not do this stuff good with a DRILL or bench grinder.
 

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This is the same machine and HP I use to do my work bought mine about 8-10 years ago from Harbor freight mine is just made a lil different cause it was 10 years ago :rofl_200: Its only $90.00 http://www.harborfreight.com/8-inch-buffer-40668.html I was just looking there and they have a sell on a smaller one that probally would work ok but it only 1/2 HP motor and takes 6 inch wheels instead of 8 inch but it is only $40.00 on sale http://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-buffer-94393.html I would say get the 3/4 HP motor with 8 inch pads will do the job faster and get to angles better with the bigger wheel. now the compounds Brown then white then red or Blue or The names are Tripoli use first with Spiral wheel then The White Rouge with loose cotton wheel and last Red rouge or Blue rouge with a loose cotton wheel.. http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=buffing+compound

the Big bars of Compound can be found here at caswell plating this is where i get all my stuff from but I have used it from other places works just the same. http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/index.html:punk:
Some DOs and Donts

Always wear thick gloves when polishing. I use welding gloves for few reasons .
(1) the parts will get super hot in your hands and you cant hold them.
(2) The buffer is turning at high RPM and it will jerk you at times kinda into the wheel and trust me you dont wont your fingers hitting the wheel bare and letting it like road rash your skin when it hits with compund stuck in your skin and bare flesh.. I know I have seen it done by a friend who thought he didnt need gloves cause he was only gona use my buffer for a small easy part even after I told several times the Gloves are laying right there..LOL..so after it taking his finger 6 weeks to heal up he has never asked to use the buffer again. I can promise you with good gloves I have never been hurt but I do still feel the heat from the part sum.
(3)Always hold the part real tight in your hands when buffing it will jerk it right out of your hands very easy if not held tight and when it does it goes like a rocket and it will may at first till you get the hang of it and hits the right angle and your not ready..lol.
(4) Wear a dust mask and safety glasses or full face shield.. I wear long sleeves and full face and dust mask buffing will make you look like a coal miner coming out of a mine after a few hours of buffing.

OK now for getting the Parts ready.
(1) If its painted or clear coated a Good Paint Stripper from auto store like Advance auto will take the clear of easy.
(2) If its Powder coated paint stripper will work good sometimes and others times it takes more work doing it a couple of times and even having to scrub the part with steel wool or a SOS pad while the Paint stripper is on it and then just using a water hose to wash it off.
(3) Depending on the finish of the part some will need some type of sanding and some may not.

OK Now your ready to Buff and Polish.
(1) I assume you have or are getting one of the low price Buffers I pictured or one like it they have the power and the long shafts to let have the ability to turn and spin the parts and apply the pressure you need.
(2) SPIRAL WHEEL=on one side of buffer You can also put more than one wheel on at a time.I usually use 2. I use the Right side for it and only use Tripoli(Brown) compound on that wheel never mix the compounds on the wheels. The brown does most of the cutting and smoothing and getting small marks out and it will start to shine the more you work with it.just hit the wheel with the compound while the buffer is running the front of the wheel and lil on both sides about a inch back. starting buffing and keep the part moving slowly dont stay in spot and turn it at angles to get in the cracks and tight spots but HOLD IT TIGHT. Now after your done make sure you wipe the part off good with a soft rag or towel before moving to the next step or you can wash it.
(3)LOOSE COTTON WHEEL= put wheel on the other side of the buffer I use the left side for this and use White Rouge compound(WHITE) never mix the compounds on the same wheel and polish the same as step one white rounge starts to make it really shine after your done again wipe off real good before step 4. the next step you dont have to do but it adds that lil extra shine and is worth it to me.
(4) LOOSE COTTON WHEEL =change one of your wheels out for a new loose cotton wheel and use BLUE ROUGE or RED ROUGE I like the blue has less grease in it put compound on wheel while its turning and buff away till it shines.. last couple of steps dont take that long it the first one that takes the time
 

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Also get a thick pair of leather gloves (the parts get really hot) and eye protection, optional but highly recommended is an apron and a regular paper breathing mask. Hey Donnie do you use different compounds on the same wheel (and just clean it in between gos) or you just change wheels when transferring to a new compound?
 
Got a few more parts done today..put tape on the stem bearings so no dust or compound would get in them.:eusa_dance:
 

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Also get a thick pair of leather gloves (the parts get really hot) and eye protection, optional but highly recommended is an apron and a regular paper breathing mask. Hey Donnie do you use different compounds on the same wheel (and just clean it in between gos) or you just change wheels when transferring to a new compound?
yes always use the gloves and glasses and mask.. Fred use only one compond per wheel the brown is more for cutting like rough sand paper and the white is more like finishing like wet sanding and you can never get all the compounds out of the wheel so it will leave a more unfinished finish when you do it that way and then the red or blue is like a polish. I added more to the what to do list working on it as i can.
 
My problem is I never can get the little nooks and crannies polished as well as the flat or large surfaces... :bang head:
 
My problem is I never can get the little nooks and crannies polished as well as the flat or large surfaces... :bang head:
What size wheels are you using? I use 8 inch wheels most the time .Sometimes I will take one of the wheels off so I only have one and its thinner then it will flex more when you apply more pressure. Then sometimes you can move to a 10 spiral wheel if your machine can take the extra size but for the most part a 8 inch spiral wheel does good on most vmax parts.. Except maybe the valve covers then a 10 inch wheel comes real handy for inside part of them. But I cant stress enough how that $90 buffing works so many wonders:clapping: it gives you power and the space to turn the parts at different angles to get in those cracks and tight spots.:punk:
 
Got a few more parts done today :eusa_dance: The headlight bracket on the left side in picture is chrome and the right one polished. just wanted to show what it looks like next to chrome:punk: not saying its better than chrome but is alot cheaper and you can have your bike looking like you want. Then if you want to you could chrome the parts a lil here and a lil there.
 

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Got a few more parts done today..put tape on the stem bearings so no dust or compound would get in them.:eusa_dance:


I have lots of polish on mine hoping some of it will be anodized soon but Ive done pritty much the same thing except mess up by sanding and not thinking of Paint Stripper :bang head: But that was last year so all better now but it took forever! lol. How did you do the Triple tree?? just stripped and polished? or did you sand at all? the top triple tree i can tell is a little bumpy
 
You try the Sisal wheel??? Im rebuffing all of my parts so i can get everything Anodized..

Lots of good info here

http://www.caswellplating.com/buffman.htm

I've had bad luck with the sisal wheel and black compound. Seemed to do more harm than good. I couldn't get the scratches out with the next polishing step. Maybe I did something wrong? Can't really say as I suck at polishing.
 
Hmmm...... Maybe ill try spiral cotton wheel with black compound first.... thanks man. Says after black use brown on threaded spiral wheel... then white on loose cotton. Did you use brown or the red compound
 
Hmmm...... Maybe ill try spiral cotton wheel with black compound first.... thanks man. Says after black use brown on threaded spiral wheel... then white on loose cotton. Did you use brown or the red compound
I use brown on spiral cotton wheel first... (Don't use a sisal wheel) or(don't use Black compound)then white on a loose cotton wheel on Stage 2.. Then red or blue for a lil extra shine red or blue has no cutting action just more of a shine i can use denim spiral wheel on the first step sometimes but spiral cotton is alot better over all on the first step with brown..
 
Don't use the sisal or black???? So I just spent 30 bucks for nothing. ! :( im getting everything anodized the guy said try to get all scratches out of it or it will magnify scratches
 

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