Not for Road Use. Polishing.

[johnsmith222]

Hi guys.

The previous owner fitted a race can to my bike and used a dremel to remove the "not for road use".

It has left the tip half mirrored and half matt.

I was wondering what would be the best way to return it to a mirror like finish.

https://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/david_m213/CIMG0627.jpg

I was thinking of using autosol on it but I don't want to give it a go and make it worse. Is the mirror finish seen on the upper half a chrome coating or is that the actual metal?

Thank you for any tips on getting this back to how it should be.

Main reason I want rid of it as it's obvious someone has attacked it.

[Bezzer]

Polishing stainless, which is probably 316 type, in that state by hand would take forever. You really need a polishing mop, one on a bench or angle grinder is best, dremel would be OK but an ordinary electric drill isn't that good (not fast enough rpm)
It isn't plated it's just highly polished stainless
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I used to be indecisive but now I'm not quite so sure.

[johnsmith222]

[ruck bodgers2]

you use polishing compounds . they are like a block of crayon . is how i can best describe them

there are different coarse mops and compounds to use .

if your preparing a piece thats not been polished before
you would want to sand it to as smooth a finish as possible first

then

a sisel mop is usually the first and on most metals a black or grey compound . the sisel mop is the most coarse and will take out the fine grain left from sanding and some scratches

followed by a close stitched mop with a green compound

then a loose stiched mop with a blue or white compound

thats 3 stage polishing . whatever metal you polish with that process you will get a mirror finish with .

clean inbetween stages with white spirit or meths . you need to have all the previous compound off before applying another or it makes your mop gunky

basic order of compounds used for almost all metals is

black/grey
green
blue
and it you want white . white is more soft metals like gold rings and stuff if i remember rite .

but for what you want to polish just a close stiched or loose mop and green compound will make it a mirror finish .

i was polishing just today . i started doing it a few years ago and it was addictive for a while . i started to polish just about everything . bars ,calipers,resevoirs,wheels,tanks,engine cases. all sorts you get the bug for it after doing it once .

make sure to rock a dust mask n some goggles. the crap gets up your hooter something silly and all over your boat race .

i have done a lot of it with a drill before . it demolishes drills . for that small bit you have to do tho theres no reason you couldnt . you dont need a special tool just push a bolt through the mop with washers on and then a nut on . then just put it straight into your drill . you dont need to apply very much pressure when polishing

green compound . you dont need to use much 500g is enough to do every single piece on your bike . little bit every now and then when polishing
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silverline-Polishing-Compound-Green-Metal-Polish-for-Felt-Buffing-Wheels-107889-/380475081095?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item5896150187

close stitched mop
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6-x1-White-Close-Stitch-metal-polishing-mop-new-more-in-shop-/121000269173?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item1c2c2d9575

let us know how u get on if u have a crack at it
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