Trials Australia Forums

Anyone had any experience replicating that factory brushed look, with the clear coat, when restoring fork bottles?

All tips welcome (relative to restoring the forks)

Steve

If you have a bench grinder, these can often be converted for light polishing use. If thats the case, then convert for polishing and get hold of a satinising mop to fit.

Yes, got a bench grinder.

I take it the satinising finish mop is different to a wire wheel?

I have a 5hp polishing spindle and use satinising mops mounted on that. However I would guess these: http://www.moleroda.com/acatalog/Online ... s_593.html would work fine for fork legs, and be possible to use in an electric drill?

Should be easily available in Aus from anywhere that provides pro polishing materials.

the other day I went to Bunnings tool section, they must have had few hundred polishing pads/wheels etc, but I use a dremmel tool for stuff like that, starting with a flappy disc, wire wheel then buffer.
What is a fork bot tle, is it a fork leg or a fork tube

sharvie wrote:Yes, got a bench grinder.

I take it the satinising finish mop is different to a wire wheel?

Very different to a wire wheel.
Here is a link to a place in Sydney that list them.
http://www.harrydaines.com.au/products/ ... GTH%20MOPS

I think you would polish the fork tubes first and then go over them with the scotch bright wheel but make sure you keep the brush lines going in the same direction around the fork as the originals and then a good coating of some sort of clear.

Thank you to everyone who has replied, the 3M SCOTCH - BRITE mop looks like the way to go

Polish first, then brush finish with 3M scotch Bite, finally clear coat.

Any tips for the clear coat? wet spray or powder coat??

Steve

sharvie wrote:Thank you to everyone who has replied, the 3M SCOTCH - BRITE mop looks like the way to go

Polish first, then brush finish with 3M scotch Bite, finally clear coat.

Any tips for the clear coat? wet spray or powder coat??

Steve

I haven't had much luck finding a good long life clear in pressure cans but I know that the boat - marine industries use some good 2 pack clear for their brass bells and other polished metal parts. The powder coat may end up to thick and chip easely.

I havent tried it yet but next time im coating polished aluminium im going to use clear polyurathane, used to coat floors[stone and timber], it should last for a long time, as most spray paints out of a can will turn yellow .

I spent a lot of time trying to figure out the best clear coat for alloy parts, and came up with this. I have purchased the product (expensive) but not yet used.
It can be applied by brush and will dry smooth (apparently). It will apparently not yellow, and sets extrememly hard.

http://www.ppcco.com.au/topcoat_glistenpc.htm

Hope this helps.