WARNING - DON'T DO WHAT I DID!!!
- Thread starter K9Anniv
- Start date
First, steel being harder than aluminum so the cross contamination would be going in the other direction (aluminum to the steel) which is what you want when smoothing aluminum.WTF???Steel Wool to polish aluminum!!????
I don't think so, will create cross contamination and leave carbon deposits in the aluminum which in turn will rust!!
I would use the Scotch Brite red pads and Fitz maybe, then polish with a soft cloth. :2thumbs:
I've been useing the super fine "0000" steel wool for detailing for several years, even on show cars snd show bikes. The point is to "polish" not scratch, and scotch brite's are far too aggressive to "polish" with. And always follow up with polish and a soft cloth.
- B
Thanks for the warning! Sorry about your situation but at least you can fix it. I dropped antifreeze on my Screaming Eagle Vrod and tried to wipe off the spill and the chrome looked like a shadow of the spill and it won't come off. So all in all Shit Happens to everyone at least it doesn't discriminate! LOL
avdhunter
Active Member
I jumped into the Sea of Cortez with my nice expensive sunglasses on and came up with them gone. Dumb ass. :bang: :bang:I also 1 time put my cel phone on the bumper of my truck at home depot, loaded stuff in, drove off. Stopped a few miles down the road once I realized it, phone was gone. :bang: :bang: Dumb ass. Rented some jet ski's in cabo and I fucking hit my wife's ski, that cost me $400. :angry: Dumb ass.
Damn man remind me not to let you borrow any of my crap!!!!!
Cause with my luck combined with yours........ bad bad BAD!!!!
jimizee028
TRUE COLORS COLLISION
anything at all other than soap and water to CLEAN your stuff is a waste of money....snake oil if you may...now polishes and waxes and that sorta stuff for after clean-up is an extension of the enhancement process of course,but anything they sell that is a squirt on squirt off deal you are throwin your money away...simple green and them type cleaners are kool if you are using them to remove oil and whatnot...but i started cleaning cars 30 years ago and now run a bodyshop so you can imagine how many cars i have cleaned and people i have talked to in this industry......prior to knowing any difference i ruined a set of wheels also,matter of fact the clearcoat on them ate away from that spray on wheel cleaner shit........
BIKERDAD61
Puddle Pusher
Apparenty you don't know the difference between Ferrous and Non Ferrous metals
Whatever bro... I've been doing this for probably more than 10 years and never once has there been any "rust" on my aluminum, and yes I ride in the rain. I've already used this technique on my "brand new" pitbull that came from the dealer with a couple of marks in the polished aluminum.Apparenty you don't know the difference between Ferrous and Non Ferrous metals
Oh... and if and when you decide to scotch brite any polished aluminum, hit me up... I'll talk ya through how to fix it. (been there done that... lesson learned)
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jimizee028
TRUE COLORS COLLISION
this is getting interesting...ferrous and non ferrous........what does that mean?plus i never heard of using steel wool to clean aluminum either but i am open to hearing about all this ..please do tell
I don't know what Farris Beuller has to do with it... (j/K) But I'm a professional detailer, and I've been using this technique for a very long time. One of my services is polishing non polished aluminum parts, and the steel wool is part of my finishing process to get out any fine scratches left from either wet sanding, or if the final buff left marks (which they usually do). The steel wool trick is very effective for correcting minor damage. But keep in mind, I did say to use the super fine "0000" grade steel wool WITH the polish. The polish acts as a lubricant and doesn't scratch up the aluminum. You want to lightly rub the aluminum not scrub it.
- B
Home
- B
Home
This just in...- since there's a lot of chrome on the engine, why not spray it on there too and "rinse it off"...seems easy enough, right? WRONG!!! This stuff made the chrome look great, but major 'fubarred' the aluminum
Your motor isn't chromed! :bang:
K9Anniv
Well-Known Member
Primary cover, timer cover, rocker boxes, air cleaner, starter...everything except the jugs and base engine housing on this 15th Anniversary K9 is chromed. The fins are the most tedious to clean up, but taking the suggestion above and using wadding material and 0000 steel wool, it's coming out great! About 8-10 more hours ought to do it!
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Glad to hear it's coming out well. I know it's a lot of work (oh god do I know...) but so far, it's the best results with the least effort that I have found.
- B
chuck kruse
New Member
try some "white diamond" aluminum polish. it may help. i buy mine at a local
harley shop but not all of them carry it.
harley shop but not all of them carry it.
K9Anniv
Well-Known Member
Thanks to all who offered positive feedback..I appreciate it! Yes it was my screw-up:bang:, but it's all working out ok with patience, hard work and utilizing many of your suggestions.
I'm applying the 'wadding material' first to a specific area with Pimp Stixx and a nylon brush, then using 0000 steel wool lightly on it, wiping it off with a Harley softcloth, then applying White Diamond polish and wiping it off.
Wow
, the areas I've done so far actually look better than when the bike was brand new!:up: I think my saving grace was the fact that the bike was cold when I first (incorrectly) applied this "crap", and it hasn't been started since, which helped contain the stains to the surface and not allowing it to sink down into the porous aluminum when it's hot. (Baldielox, does that make sense?) I took today off to keep working on it and hope to complete in time to ride to J&P Cycles Open House in Anamosa, IA this weekend.
Thanks again for the positive feedback and suggestions!
:2thumbs:Yes, the stains would be worse if it had been applied hot, I did the same thing to a set of wheels once, sprayed them when they were hot and spent about 5 hours fixing them.Thanks to all who offered positive feedback..I appreciate it! Yes it was my screw-up:bang:, but it's all working out ok with patience, hard work and utilizing many of your suggestions.
I'm applying the 'wadding material' first to a specific area with Pimp Stixx and a nylon brush, then using 0000 steel wool lightly on it, wiping it off with a Harley softcloth, then applying White Diamond polish and wiping it off.
Wow
I took today off to keep working on it and hope to complete in time to ride to J&P Cycles Open House in Anamosa, IA this weekend.
Thanks again for the positive feedback and suggestions!
Is that white diamond polish the "truck box" polish?
- B