Old Chrome part2

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jdegase

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ok so awhile ago I posted that my valve covers were clear coated aluminum and I had removed the clear and buffed the chrome but wasnt happy with the results yet...

so I did some research and found that aluminum polishes alot like paint because its much softer than other metals.
heres what I did. and a few pictures .
a trip to the local body shop got me some various grits of wet-dry sand paper.
and scrounged a large rectangle plastic parts tub to work in. but even a cheapy oil pan from wallyworld will work fine.
working one at a time
I started with some cheap oven cleaner. make sure to use this stuff in a well vented area.. trust me, if you think your all big and bad after a wiff of this stuff you will change your mind. best to start where you can leave the parts sit, you really done want this on your hands, eyes, clothing, or anything else.
spray the part down covering everything... I was worried about the black on my covers, but figuered if it came off I could repaint it.
let them stand about 10 minutes, and then rise them completely.
my covers turned darker, like the oven cleaner oxidized the aluminum.
look closely make sure there is no clear-coat remaining. if you do have some left, give them another shot of oven cleaner and another 10 minutes...and rinse, this stuff works better if the parts are warm.

ok so now you should have a very nasty looking dark film on the cover.
I put some water right in the wash tub, and started working on the cover with 220 grit wet dry.
this is gonna be the longest and hardest part. if you do this right the parts will become very bright and clean with even "scratch" marks.
make sure to rinse your paper alot, this will help keep the grit cleaned out and make easier work for you.
metal can be worked in all directions, but I found as I worked the finer grits working in one opposite directions would allow me to see if I had taken all of the previous grit marks out.
fold up the paper and get to work...
when you feel your arm is about to fall off. inspect the part closely... wipe it off with a wet rag and look for any pit marks or other spots you have missed.. when your thoroughly satisfied you have sanded EVERY bit, empty your washtub, rinse it out well and move on to the next finer sand paper.this is important because any particles from the coarser sanding can dull the next step, and cause you much more work.
next grit for me was 400
then 600
then 800
rinsing and washing out everything in between.
by this time my arms were very sore. hands were pruney and fingers looked black like I had been working in coal dust.
but after the 800 my covers were looking great!
now, as soon as I started working them with the 1000 grit I noticed they were starting to really shine, and by the time I was ready for the next step I could plainely see myself in the finish.
if you wanted a "brushed" finish this is where I would stop. and clearcoat the parts to presurve the luster.
but I was after a more "chromey" look...
so on with the 1200 grit.
then 1500.

wow, I gotta tell you, I was amaized.
after the 1500 grit, I applied mothers aluminum polish about 3 times.
I am very happy with the results, and might even touch them up again in a few months.
heres a few pics of the before and after, since I did one at a time you can really see the difference.

before:
image.php


after:
image.php


side by side:
image.php


honestly these pictures dont do the finished covers justice. but will get you some idea of what I ended up with...
after finishing the first and taking the pics I went ahead and did the second.
and after reinstalling and cleaning up the mess, the wife came home from work and asked what I had done to make the engine so shiny... LOL
 
I'll give ya $5 to do mine, Jim... :beg:

That looks great! Sounds like a lot of werk, too! I'll prolly wind up sanding mine lightly to get the big stuff off, then using a buffer...
 
On my last 83, I used polishing ruge and then "Semichrome" with a buffer to finish them off. I used an aerisol paint stripper to get the clear coat off, first.
 
They look great JD!!

All in all, how long did it take for both covers?

Did you do the letters and numbers the same way?
Did you have to repaint the black?

Pics Emil?

I've copied this thread to "Tips and Tricks"
 
took most of the day, but this is the first time I'd ever REALLY worked them down.
the black didn't budge, I was very surprised.
went right over the gl1100 part.. so they got the same treatment.

I too have a variable speed 7" and white and green rouge. but decided to try this method. and I can say I'm very happy with the way it turned out.
(I used the buffer, and the rouge on the carb. tops. they turned out great also, but think I would finish them with the 1500 grit if I had the chance to do it again)
yes lots of work.
I think you can tell, the previeous owner had dremeled these at one time..
so there was odd marks all over it.
 
Looks great.I did mine with paint stripper and a buffer a couple years ago,but the black didnt hold up as well.Its probably time to give them some attention again.I will try the 1500 first this time thanks.
 
joedrum":2v42no0h said:
yes jim thats some nice work and the best way i think ......but im going to try and sand blast with baking soda as this will not hurt the the alloy in any way so im told

I really like the looks of the soda blasted aluminum.. its very satin finish.
I'd like to have the block, and heads soda blasted, and top them with polished valve covers. also the same with the carbs... soda blasted bodies, with polished covers..
I think this would make a nice contrast.
I'm also looking at powder coating over the soda blast with clear.
 
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