Restore/Polish your clear plastic

[TLRam1]

Here you go Bob.

This is what we do on vintage bikes.

Plastics














This is done with gradual decreasing grades of WET sandpaper. This gage was really bad and made a good example. Start with 400 and worked all the way to 1800 and finished with Plexiglas polish.

The trick is every time you go to a finer grade, be sure to get all the scratches out from the previous grade, total time about 1.3 hours per gage.
If you use power tools be careful because the plastic will easily burn.

And another guy did this though I have not seen his results. I will play around with this on my next set.

I would normally agree with you on the high speed buffer actually burning lines into the lens.

This situation I've seen before all too often before, but it depends on what medium you are polishing with.
For instance, the J Buffalo plastic lenses were fine with the white rouge bar I used. I even tested it on a cracked lens to see how much abuse it could take. No damage at all, just a high quality shine using the buffer and rouge bar. Even with the drill spinning at 3,000 rpm and applying some serious pressure on a spot there was no burning issues, and yes it was getting rather warm to the touch.
Had this been a polishing compound it would have burnt the lens in many sections.
Id say try the white rouge bar and the buffer on the yellow lenses and you probably won't need all that sandpaper and hand rubbing.


If you need info on polishing aluminum....let me know

[drkngas]

If you need info on polishing aluminum....let me know

WOW.... Those pics look great.  I need the polishing aluminum info because my project looks nothing like that.

[Sledge Hammer]

If you need info on polishing aluminum....let me know

I'd sure like to learn about it, Terry!

[greg_o]

Our bikes are comprised of all kinds of materials : clear plastic windshield; colored plastic fenders and side covers, chromed pieces, painted/clearcoated tanks, brushed aluminum, etc, etc. etc........

I've picked up dings, scrapes, scuffs and general wear on all these surfaces and sure would like to know the best way to clean, polish. and dress up the gal......

Anybody have a how-to manual or FAQ that gives idiot friendly advice on cleaning up scuffs and scratches ... polishing out scratches on fenders and tanks, proper windshield care, suggested cleaning stuff and polishing stuff......?

I'd love to see a one thread pinned down covering this here

[Sledge Hammer]

Anybody have a how-to manual or FAQ that gives idiot friendly advice on cleaning up scuffs and scratches ... polishing out scratches on fenders and tanks, proper windshield care, suggested cleaning stuff and polishing stuff......?

I'd be glad to know where to find something like that, too... assuming it's dumbed down enough for me.

[TLRam1]

I will post info on Aluminum, let me put something together.

[Magnum Magna]

My wind screen was horrible.  As a fluke I has some clear cellophane shipping tape get stuck to the screen and when I pulled it off the screen was much clearer.  So I did my entire wind screen and it improved mine considerably.

[Greg Cothern]

Robert that was probably the UV coating you removed....  Check with the manufactuer..  I had a National Cycle shield that did that along with tiny little cracks at the drilled bolt holes.  They replaced it for me.

[TLRam1]

You may not believe me  but you first sand the pieces with sandpaper.

Start with 320/400 on bad pieces and then go progressively to at least 800, which gives a more stock appearance, and on to 1000-1500 if you want a highly polished finish (I take it to the finer side). I have used both wet and dry sand paper but as you progress to the finer papers, wet sanding will work better.

Than you can put a buffer wheel to it with rouge and bring it to a shine in minutes. At this point I have also hand rubbed with a metal polish such as Mothers Billet Metal Polish or Blue Magic.

This process works well (similar to the above) and doesn't take as much time as you may think unless you are doing a motor!

Now go and try it!

[crash]

hey terry how about i just ship my parts to you and do them for me

[Greg Cothern]

I have a box full of parts to be polished as well 

Now I know why chroming costs so much 

[roboto65]

Yeah I think the Chrome would be cheap but it is the time it takes to polish the metal first then chrome it we all know time is $$$$ . Very nice job on the engines the plastic pictures are not showing up though.

[Mack]

Actually chrome plating involves several steps. If steel or iron is being plated it is first plated with copper. I have heard this is because nickel and steel react with each other. Wikipedia says it's to help the nickel to adhere to the steel. Then nickel is plated onto the copper. The nickel is what makes it shiny and silver. Then chrome is plated on top of the nickel. The chrome is to keep the nickel from corroding and becoming dull. Anyone seen a shiny nickel?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plated

[TLRam1]

Keith & Greg,

If you sent me yours....my reaction, you want it When?? 

I am like you guys, too many projects going on. 

Yep, chrome plating does have to start with a smooth base than copper, nickle, chrome. Than there is Hard Chrome which is a harder surface and used on bushings, shafts, etc. Soft chrome (cosmetic chrome) is what we are use to seeing.

[Greg Cothern]

Yeah its going to take me FOREVER to do all the polishing I want to do   

However here is what a couple minutes with the polish will do!

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