? about polishing forks

[motoman]

But if it's not gone, is polishing really going to do anything? Seems like you'd need to strip it off first, then polish.

Nope, use what I suggested.

[Prisoner6]

Hey, Hammer -

Once you've removed the factory clear coat, removed any corrosion and cleaned/polished the fork lowers, try applying this product as a protective coating:



Read about it here: Glisten PC

A friend of mine used it on his bike after polishing, and it looked fantastic (and still does, several years later).

And he told me it's very easy to use, especially if you spray it on.

I know Marty has had great success with it. He has mentioned it being "tough as nails", it "never yellows", and "that stuff is forever".

Perhaps he'll chime in ...

[mrhammer2u]

Nope, use what I suggested.

Right. I'm going to keep it simple and give it a rubbing with some polish 1st. Don't want to get into stripping/rubbing/spraying if not necessary.

I have $10 in rewards from Pepboys. Cha-ching! Hope they carry what I need.

Thanks all!

[kboehringer]

Mothers Mag

MrHammer,
My forks looked like poo with scratches, dings, etc. I polished using a cotton buff pad and Mothers Mag & Aluminum polish only. I guess the protective coating was long gone as there was no need for stripper on these.



I know that I like this polished look much better than the scratched, dinged up, dull not taken care of look. BUT, if I had a set that was factory clean looking I'm not really sure if I would polish them, just a personal preference.

KURT

[bikerphil]

Those fork legs look great, but your fender is busted.

[kboehringer]

but your fender is busted.

Best our friend up north had. Still 100x better than what I had. Still looking for a better one.

[bikerphil]

I hear you bro, I have one from a Standard on my Special, had to re-drill it though. If one doesn't turn up for you, MikesXS and IIRC other vendors have a repro ones.

[jwhughes3]

Kurt you need to make a list bro!

I have two super nice fenders front and rear off my 79Special.

List up what you need, we will make you a good deal.

John

[mrhammer2u]

Looks good Kurt.

The bike mechanic said not to use the nevr-dull because it will make it cloudy. I've got one day to polish up some items before my bike show so I need to do it right. No time for do overs...ugh.

I've already purchased the nevr-dull. I used it 20 years ago on my cars alum rims and I remember it working great. He's got me 2nd guessing now..... decisions decisions...

[Prisoner6]

Hey, Hammer -

If any of the factory clear coat is still on the fork lowers, it really should be removed (along with any corrosion) before you polish.

These bikes are old enough that removing the clear coat is the only way to really do the job right.

Obviously, a metal polish designed to polish bare aluminum should not be used to polish clear-coated aluminum.

If the clear coat is already gone ... so much the better.

But once you polish a part that had factory clear coat on it, you really need to re-seal it with a protective coating, i.e. Glisten PC or Sharkhide.

If you don't, then polishing those parts will become (as Rob said) a part of your regular maintenance (assuming you want the parts to stay brightly polished).

If you re-seal the parts, they will look good for years to come.

[jetmechmarty]

Keeping it polished isn't really too difficult, if you're one to do that sort of thing.

I put Glisten PC on my forks 15 years ago and it's still perfect. The prep knocks the shine down, so forget about using it if you want mirrors.

[MaximPhil]

I and BDF polished Addies forks and various other covers and did not seal or add anything and while 5 years later they are no longer as bright they still look good. Buffed with a cotton wheel and jewelers Rouge. Will certainly last more than one season and be easier next time. YMMV
Phil

[kboehringer]

The bike mechanic said not to use the nevr-dull because it will make it cloudy.

Mr Hammer,

I've used Nevr-Dull for many years starting in the Navy when we used it to polish belt buckles and such for inspection. It's great stuff and I've never seen it leave anything "cloudy". I have some but find I use it rarely as it is quite expensive. It seems to me that Nevr-Dull works better than anything else on: Brass, and Copper items (fittings, etc.).

I would agree that once polished, without some sort of protective coating, the forks need regular cleaning and a light buff to keep them nice. I recently took the forks off to replace the left tube. After the repair was done, I had to clean all the greasy paw prints off them and re-polish. They must have lost a little glimmer over the last month or two as they look even better now.

KURT

[jetmechmarty]

Aluminum gets a light layer of corrosion on it and then the corroding slows to a crawl. Once you get it shiny, it's just a little work to keep it that way.

BTW, there's clear paint at the auto parts store that the label says will never yellow. Will it stick? Do you want to be a guinea pig?

[mro]

mrhammer2u

If you can please post some before/after pics

jetmechmarty

The prep knocks the shine down, so forget about using it if you want mirrors.

I kinda like the mirrored look