Dressing up Aluminum parts

[pathfinder]

I probably shouldn't tell this (I was sworn to secrecy but I don't restore MG's anymore so who cares) by a Jag & MG auto restorer. But I think you should know this easy fix. This stuff is called Rub & Buff made by AMACO (http://www.amaco.com/jsps/amacohome.jsp) click on arts and crafts find rub and buff.

This stuff is amazing. I did my rims and the plastic bearing housing & Final Drive Housing about 5 years ago. I have put about 25,000 miles on it since then. I just re-did them last week. It lasted that long and after application. One tube of this stuff will do the whole bike twice. Apply with your finger tip, you'll be able to get in tight places and waste a lot less, apply very sparingly, rub it in, then buff with T-shirt material. Works on finished or cast aluminum, plastic, banjo's and nuts & bolts.

I applied to the engine 2 weeks ago (not the juggs yet) and so far it has stayed looking just like it did after buffing. I have only had a chance to ride about 50 miles (20 each way with a few trips to the store) but it got pretty hot. The heat did not seem to affect it. I slipped and got some on a painted drop down exhaust tube and it's still there so far. I'll watch my test patch and see how it holds up. Temp here has been running in the mid to high 60's.

Don't tell Rub & Buff this works or they will raise the price. It goes for about $3.95 now. You can purchase the Silver Leaf (Part # 76370K) at Michaels, Hobby Lobby or most Art supply stores.

I know this sounds like I'm crazy but it sure looks good. Check out the pics at http://www.snapfish.com/home/t_=9343...9CCD0DFFEE312F
enter my email address delzell@iname.com then d9272.

I have nothing to do with the sale or profit on this product. If you fall down, bike blows up, breaks don't work, your electrical system goes out, get a front tire blowout (God I hope not), I swear its not my fault.

Just try really hard to not let a cage driver get overcome by the look of your ride & run into you.

By the way I always hand wash

Any questions email me.

Dave

[nashville_bill]

That looks interesting and I think I'll try it. Do you think one of the gold colors would work on the plastic side cover emblems?

[pathfinder]

Morn'n Bill, I thought about that, I was able to new ones 10 years ago so I've never tried it. Give it a try and let me know. I would spray with clear laquer after suitable dry time.

Dave

[chevy45412001]

looks good

I like that look.does it require to be spotless clean etc?I was looking for it yesturday,will have to try a few more places as i didn't find it yet.

[pathfinder]

The cleaner it is the better, it seems to cover fuel stains but if it's really pitted it's not a miracle cure. I'd say just try a 3m 7447 hand pad (maroon color) and soap and water first, dry well, or drive around the block. If the aluminum still has the plastic/laquer protectorant on the covers it will have to be removed, I had to remove mine it was starting to flake & peal. The covers that you can remove, after you use rub & buff, spray with clear laquer. Makes them shine better.

[John]

Rub n' buff

I bought a tube yesterday, and tried it out on the acorn style of nuts that are on the cylinder head studs. I cleaned them on a wire wheel, and then applied the product. Wow! I tried it on the banjo bolt for the oil tube on the back of the engine. Cleaned it the same way and got the same results, Wow! I might suggest cleaning larger parts with a buffing compound first, to remove the built up road grime, wash with soap and water, dry, then apply the Rub n' Buff. It is a wax with metallic particles, and a pigment. It will fill small pits in the metal, and cover/fill the rusty pits in chrome. That is why I suggest the buffing compound, to remove the rust first, then the Rub n'Buff can fill the rust/ crud free pits. I am building an engine for my bike, and it will be painted black, but I may polish all bolt heads to a bright shine. I may try some of the black on the fuel tank, where gas has spilled.

[Geezer]

Re: Rub n' buff

Originally posted by John
I bought a tube yesterday,

Where did you find it?

Geezer

[pathfinder]

get it where

You can purchase the Silver Leaf (Part # 76370K) at Michaels, Hobby Lobby or most Art supply stores.

[John]

Rub n' Buff

Geezer, living here in Texas, as does Pathfinder, I have a Michaels' store abouyt 1/2 mile from my house. I don't know if you have Michaels' stores in Oregon or not. It is like a Home Depot of arts and crafts. You can probably find it in most hobby shops or arts and crafts supply store. Like Pathfinder said, a "Little dab'll do ya". If you cannot find any, send me a few bucks, and I'll pick some up for ya.
A while back I asked you about some engine paint for my big bore project, and you recommend Yamaha brand paint. I went to my local Yamaha rip off artist (dealer), and they told me that Yama didn't sell their own brand of paint. can you clarify? I asked a guy I know that runs an independent bike shop, and he uses, and recommended VHT brand engine paint. I bought some of that. I was wondering about baking the finished paint job in the oven at around 200-300 degrees to cure it, but he said that wasn't necessary. Any comment on that?
Thanks.

[Geezer]

Re: Rub n' Buff

Originally posted by John
Geezer, living here in Texas, as does Pathfinder, I have a Michaels' store abouyt 1/2 mile from my house. I don't know if you have Michaels' stores in Oregon or not. It is like a Home Depot of arts and crafts. You can probably find it in most hobby shops or arts and crafts supply store. Like Pathfinder said, a "Little dab'll do ya". If you cannot find any, send me a few bucks, and I'll pick some up for ya.
A while back I asked you about some engine paint for my big bore project, and you recommend Yamaha brand paint. I went to my local Yamaha rip off artist (dealer), and they told me that Yama didn't sell their own brand of paint. can you clarify? I asked a guy I know that runs an independent bike shop, and he uses, and recommended VHT brand engine paint. I bought some of that. I was wondering about baking the finished paint job in the oven at around 200-300 degrees to cure it, but he said that wasn't necessary. Any comment on that?
Thanks.

There is a Micheal's store about 2 miles from here. I'll check it out tomorrow.

I didn't know that Yamaha discontinued there paint. The Yamaha black engine paint was self etching and didn't require primer on clean aluminum. PJ1 paint used to be pretty good but I haven't bought any in years.

I've used GunKoat with good results but it's the stuff you have to bake on. The last time I bought a can, I had to get the dealer to special order it. It's pretty tough and handles heat well but I wouldn't use it on an exhaust system.

Harley used to sell a wrinkle finish engine paint that was pretty cool. I used it to paint a few parts on my Guzzi but you have to heat the part in the oven to get a good wrinkle effect.

Some of the VW people I hang out with sware by POR 30 and call it powder coat in a can. I have no personal experience with it but I'd like to try it, if I can find a local parts store that carries it.

Geezer

[chevy45412001]

por30

I've used por 30. It drys rock hard and very shiny.We used it on battery trays ,excelant chemical resistance.I have no clue as to how it handles heat.

[Geezer]

Re: por30

Originally posted by chevy45412001
I've used por 30. It drys rock hard and very shiny.We used it on battery trays ,excelant chemical resistance.I have no clue as to how it handles heat.

I was planning to use POR 30 when I restore my 79 standard. It was left under a carport for 25 years and it looks like crap. It also only has 17k miles on it.

Geezer

[John]

Photo album

Dave, I just checked out your photo album at snapfish, and I must say that your bike looks great! Did you polish everything with the rub n' buff? I have been using it on the boltheads of ALL of the bolts on the engine of my big bore rebuild. The engine will be black, and the cooling fins on the cyls and head have been filed flat and smooth, then sanded smoother, to facilitate paint removal from the fins. That took about four hours. It is going to look great. Did you polish any of the pieces with a rubbing/polishing compound before using the R N'B? I plan on polishing the covers with a polishing compound first before using R N'B, just to get any oxidation off first. I plan on keeping the valve, ignition, clutch adjusting, alternator, starter, and middle gear covers all silver. The cam chain tensioner, oil pipe from crankcase to the head and the associated banjo bolts, and the oil filter cup will be polished also. I have the air shocks from an XJ on it and I polished them also. I'm thinking of trying some of the black R N' B on the gas tank before I repaint it. I have some bad looking areas where fuel has spilled. Have you protected the polished areas with a clearcoat of any kind?
Thanks.

[pathfinder]

Where I had severe oxidation under the plastic / laquer coating that Yamaha puts on. I got it off with an automotive aluminum mag wheel cleaner and Scotch-Brite fine flap wheel (120 grit sandpaper in between the 3M Scotch Brite part #9416NA) then extra fine Scotch-Brite flap wheels. Keep the wheels damp not dripping wet and be sure to wear SAFETY GLASSES. These are mounted on 1/4" shanks that I used in my die grinder. DO NOT get to aggressive with them, just take it easy. That was only on the outside covers. I really didn't get that radical on the cleanup as I'm very lazy. See post from 04-11-2004 11:05 PM on this thread for how I washed the rest of the motor.

I have done banjo's, wheels, hard brake line on rear, throttle cable tube at right grip, mirror stems where chrome pitted, final drive and misc. nut bolts & screws.

By the way where I had gotten RNB on the black painted drop down header tube (see test patch in previous reply) it did not stay on.

Something you said in your post was you sanded the fins smooth my question is why. I didn't paint the engine but on the wheels when I painted them, all I did was use a razor blade and scraped the parts I wanted to show aluminum.

[John]

On the cooling fins, the casting is kind of rough, and the edge is slightly rounded. I felt that would make it difficult to remove the paint completely, and leave the shiny finish I wanted. The paint would have stayed in the small pits and not scraped off easily. I looked at some of the harleys at work, and saw that's how the edges looked . Smooth, flat and square. I didn't want to have to do too much to the finished, painted part to avoid any chances of screwing it up. Do it once, do it right. The bright areas on the spokes of the wheels are machined, and therefore they have a flat smooth surface that the paint won't penetrate, and will scrape right off easily. Look at the cooling fins very closely, and you'll see what I'm talking about. My engine will look so good that I'll have to do the rest of the bike, again, just to match the looks of the engine. I restored it back in 91, but I have been riding it regularly since, and haven't been as diligent in keeping it cleaned and polished as I was back then. I have three small kids now, and I don't have the time to piddle on the bike like I used to. The only reason I'm doing an engine job is the fact that I missed a third to fourth gear shift @85mph, and bounced the tach off ten grand before I could let go of it. It was twisted up pretty tight. Now I have a slight knock in the bottom end that I don't want to get any worse and trash the crank or rod. I have a few spare engines, and currently I am running an engine from an XJ11. The engine I'm building is the original engine from my bike. It had some oil leak problems when I removed it, and I only wanted to fix those and freshen it up with new rings and pistons, but Yamaha doesn't offer anything for these engines, so I had to get a Wiseco 1179 cc big bore kit. (darn) I figured as long as I'm in there, I might as well replace the cam chain, clutches, and all gaskets. On the head, I polished the combustion chambers, and ports, lapped the valves, and replaced the valve seals, I have the transmission at the machine shop having first and second gears undercut. I don't want all this newfound horsepower just bouncing around inside the crankcase. Do it once, do it right. And, on the other hand, there IS this FJ1100 in my garage (SWMBO's) that just dusts my ass every time I get just a little cocky with the right wrist...I at least want half a chance of keeping up with it.