can i sand alli?

[hadden]

im currently polishing my rs 125 frame up and its going well.im going to do the top yoke to as my keys have worn some of the paint of too.im wondering if i sand it down will i be able to get the tiny scuffs out left by the sand paper and will it polish out?thinking of using 180 grit first then use some wet and dry.then plenty of polishing with a drill and buffer wheel style thingy majiggy.will this bring out the mirror effect of alli?

[Pete.]

Yes you can sand it no problem.
____________________
a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[stirlinggaz]

hi,
the top yoke CAN be sanded.....but its a pig of a job.
its anodised & needs to be really rough grade of wet & dry, then done with higher grades until its smooth.
looks really good if done properly, but like i said, c*nt of a job to get all the old blue finish.off.
& you really need to keep on top of the polishing (autosol ftw) or it looks crap......
easier & quicker to get a cover.(sticker type thing)
cheers,
GAZ

[Suntan Sid]

[hadden]

cool well iv been using autosol on the frame and to be honest iv spent hours on it and its good put not as good as i want it.i really dont mind putting the hours in so i was just thinking of polishing with autosol till its perfect.what paste should i use for an immaculate finnish?heres the swingarm so far..

[Drake]

will be a pig but a bench grinder with mops would make it easier after you have used wet and dry
____________________
was: derbi senda, aprilia sx125, nsr250 mc16, cagiva mito, cb600 hornet now: mk1 bandit, KR1S, landrover series 3 light weight 2.5 petrol, 5speed box

[Beamexican]

I've always found peek metal polish better than autosol comes in a similar size tube, silver with blue writing i think.

Rick

[Nope.]

I still swear by autosol.

My GSXR frame is the proof.

Just keep at it and you'll get there.

With regards to the yoke just use a buffing wheel and some proper buffing compound if you've got access to it. Thats what I did to mine and now that gleams.
____________________
Former: Derbi GP1 50, Sachs XTC 125, Suzuki GSXR 400 GK73A, Kawasaki ZX7R, Suzuki DR250, Yamaha RD350
Current: 2011 Yamaha XT660Z Ténéré, 2003 Yamaha YZR-R1 5PW (In Build), 2009 Kawasaki ZZR1400

[Fizzer Thou]

I only have a few polished bits on any of my bikes as I prefer the anodised finish.But parts that have looked scruffy in the past have come up nicely with emery cloth and a dab of WD40.

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/search/filter/emery+cloth/type/any/page/1

I then use Duraglit type metal polish wadding to keep it looking good.
____________________
Just talk bikes.What else is there?

Always have a 'Plan B'

[Walloper]

Polishing is a process for removing surface layers.
The more aggressive the polish the deeper the marking it causes.
Fine polish (200 grade) still leaves microscopic marks more or less invisible to the naked eye. (Almost).
Aluminium is soft so tends to clog more than steel when polishing. For this reason you need to use coarser grits and probably lots of sheets.
Finishing is perfectly OK using Autosol.

You have to consider the fact that every grade of polish leaves it's mark. So changing grades from 80-200 etc. makes the marks less visible.
If your final polish using Autosol etc. is still not like a mirror then you have not completed the wet or dry stage yet and the little polishing marks have not been rubbed off yet.
____________________
W-ireless A-rtificial L-ifeform L-imited to O-bservation P-eacekeeping and E-fficient R-epair

[Suntan Sid]

Buy a polishing mop, fit it to an electric drill and buy some proper polishing paste, it will make the job so much easier.
Use wet and dry to start with, then go to the polishing pastes/sticks.

If you feel you can't resist the allure of Autosol use it as the final polish.
A word of advice, if you use Autosol with a polishing mop, buy a separate mop and use it specifically for Autosol only, the Autosol tends to saturate the mop, and will leave a residue on anything you polish with the mop.

Seriously using Autosol, as your only polishing agent, is just making more work for yourself, buy the polishing pastes/sticks, they're relatively cheap and you'll see the difference straight away.
____________________
"Everybody needs money, that's why they call it money!"

[hadden]

right ok.well thanks to everyone again for all your input.im currently using wet and dry and it sais 400 on the back but its still leaving marks.theres is loads of tiny little nicks in the frame which are bugging me and its gettin them out sound.i dont want to sound like a donut but do you sand it dry first then wet the paper or the other way round?im going to get some proper polishing paste this weekend so ill see how i go on with that.
____________________
red bull gives you wing sting!!!
current:aprilia rs 125
previous:honda c90,honda cm 125,yamaha xt 550,2004 suzuki drz 400.(all used for off road back in the day)and a piagio zip 50cc..oooossssshhhh

[kerr]

[Walloper]

Using water makes it easier and the paper lasts longer.
The idea of using wet and dry is that the water washes away the material rubbed off by the grit so the grit can get to the next layer.

Google: 'Polishing Aluminium' on a computer.
____________________
W-ireless A-rtificial L-ifeform L-imited to O-bservation P-eacekeeping and E-fficient R-epair

[Pete.]

https://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/Buffbook.pdf
____________________
a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[hadden]

brill.ill get that stuff for this weekend then.and ill start using wet/dry properly .cheers
____________________
red bull gives you wing sting!!!
current:aprilia rs 125
previous:honda c90,honda cm 125,yamaha xt 550,2004 suzuki drz 400.(all used for off road back in the day)and a piagio zip 50cc..oooossssshhhh

[spyuggy]

When using wet and dry, I always use soap rubbed into the paper, so as to smooth out any little scratches, left by the grit.
I put warm water with washing up liquid mixed, then rub washing?face soap into the grit after it is wet, works wonders for me.
____________________
Treat each day as if it was your last, because one day you will be right.

[Pete.]

[Damon]

[Frog]

[hadden]

where am i going wrong??i have spent hours on it and you can still see tiny scratches.i went from 400-600-800-1000-1200-1500 with at least 15 minutes on all grades,just on 6 inches, with fairy liquid and warm water and still not half as shiny as i hoped.i have bought some polishing compound which is a wax like stuff.a brown lump and a blue lump.iv just ordered some new polishing mops and the old ones where extremely black.will the brown stuff get those little marks out???
____________________
red bull gives you wing sting!!!
current:aprilia rs 125
previous:honda c90,honda cm 125,yamaha xt 550,2004 suzuki drz 400.(all used for off road back in the day)and a piagio zip 50cc..oooossssshhhh

[Ariel Badger]

That is polishing for you, hours and hours of tedium. You need to get absolutely every mark out from the previous grade before moving to the next and guess what? Now you have removed the anodising it will tarnish and pit at the first sign of moisture or salt.
____________________
Bikers make great organ donors, get 115 on your licence today.

[Nope.]

Strip, shot blast and powder coat is probably the best way if you dont want to polish.

Its not overly expensive and you should get a good finish if you go to a proper bike place.
____________________
Former: Derbi GP1 50, Sachs XTC 125, Suzuki GSXR 400 GK73A, Kawasaki ZX7R, Suzuki DR250, Yamaha RD350
Current: 2011 Yamaha XT660Z Ténéré, 2003 Yamaha YZR-R1 5PW (In Build), 2009 Kawasaki ZZR1400

[Ichy]

Unless you have a big mop 15 minutes isn't going to be enough. I've done a lot of polishing and it takes hours to get the finish you want. One tip is to sand it with wet and dry, wet, in an orbital fashion, as random as possible. Rubbing back and forth creates marks all going in the same direction which are harder to polish out.
You also need to ensure that all of the scratches from the lower grades of paper are removed before moving to the next level. I rarely use more than a 800 grit for major work and then a 1200 prior to polishing.

To get these fork legs to a similar shine as the stanchions took about 4 hours each side
https://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l41/marki_03/xv1000/edit4.jpg

The quality of the aluminium also causes problems. If you look at my old eliminator you can see different finishes in the fork legs, timing cover and clutch cover. This is just down to the differences in the alloy. Sometimes you just have to accept that the finish is as good as it gets.

https://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l41/marki_03/stuff/PICT1123.jpg

I've said it many times before and I'll say it again, methelated spirits helps to preserve the finish. The ethanol causes micro corrosion on the surface of the alloy in a similar, but not as effective, way to anodising. It does reduce the shine but not enough to make a difference. The only off the shelf polish that I have any confidence in is peek.
____________________
https://www.metacafe.com/watch/1972097/how_to_behave_on_a_forum/

[Ariel Badger]

I would like to thank the OP for the bad Karma rating. Would it like to explain itself?
____________________
Bikers make great organ donors, get 115 on your licence today.