Metal Polishing Advice

[spaynenda]

This is a request for advice, rather than advice offered. My concern is over-polishing the various parts in our '62 200GT project bike. How should I tell the polisher what I want...is it enough to say "Don't give me a mirror finish"?

Because my son & I are doing much of this ourselves, the result will surely not be concours quality, so to have wheel hubs, triple clamp etc over-polished would look out of place and, frankly, is not the look we're after. We want it to be more like original, and we intend to ride it.

Having said that, I must admit we're repainting with base coat/clear coat materials, mostly because of concern for preservation of the side cover and gas tank graphics. (Hoping to keep the clear coat from looking too juicy by controlling the mixture...we'll see.)

Any advice from those of you more experienced with polishing stuff???

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[ajleone]

I would recommend doing the polishing yourself. This way, you can control the amount of shine versus over wearing the part. It is simple, easy and you have control of the outcome.

Here is what I do:

Start with some fine steel wool to remove the coarse surface material. I start with a 0 grit and move to 000 grit.

Once the surface is smooth, you can you use a buffing wheel on a drill with some basic compound to remove uneven color and get a medium shine.

Auto store type of polishing compounds like Mothers or Simichrome and a cotton cloth can be used to bring out a nice level of shine. Lots of elbow grease.

Professional polishers will remove details from the parts and that is subjective to whether or not that is important to you.
TOny

[Jordan]

The brake plates were quite shiny when the bikes were new, although maybe not as highly polished as could be.
Another vote for hand polishing only, in the interests of preservation.
I've used fine, single cut files to remove raised scratches, as these don't make ridges like double cut files. Progressively finer grades of "wet & dry" abrasive paper, used with water, can produce a good finish. Each finer grade of paper should remove the marks left by the previous. Probably a couple of hours effort for a brake plate. By the time you've used the finest grade, it's pretty shiny already, and just needs a polishing paste and cloth to finish.

Jordan

[JimF]

I used "Never Dull" and was very happy with the results.

As was mentioned, the polishers can and probably will go deep and aggressively to get deep gouges out of the metal. You have to be careful if there are logos or stampings in the metal, particularly if you don't want them to be "erased."

After taking serious metal off to eliminate any gouges the polisher will work his way back out with less aggressive compounds until he achieves the look of chrome. It may look great, but I sort of doubt it will look like it did when it left the factory as I suspect they didn't polish their parts to chrome-like finish.

But you should do what's going to make you happy.

[sandman800ss]

This is a great question, and one I struggle with when restoring my vintage bikes. I've left parts off for polishing (prior to rechroming, but same process of course) and specifically requested that my parts not be overpolished. I didn't want letters and numbers erased from rims, casting details removed from somewhat rough looking parts, etc. Have it written down on on the work order, and had a verbal "no problem" reassurance.

Well, when I get said parts back, they looked like show chopper junk. All originality polished off and gone forever, parts devalued. Got just a shrug when I asked to see where the rim manufacturer name and numbers were on my completed parts.
Finally found those- they were a ghost shadow, partially there, and would have been better off removed completely. Couldn't believe it. Never again with that shop.

Turns out the people doing the actual work don't speak or read English!

How can you get work done correctly when you can't communicate in the same language? You obviously can't, and I only offer this up as a warning and something to be aware of when picking an outside source polisher/plater for your valuable vintage parts.

[JimF]

I have to agree, these little Ducati singles are like a hidden road-map to post-war Italian revitalization. The closer you get to the bike the more brand names start popping out at you:

Super Practic, Veglia, Pirelli, Baruzzo, Safa, Silentium, Dell"Orto and more.

Nowadays of course motorcycle makers may still buy from suppliers, but most everything sourced outside the motorcycle's plant comes with the motorcycle's name stamped on it.

Our singles are even more special because they take you back to an era when a little factory proudly put their own logo on something that became part of a Ducati motorcycle.

We'll never see this kind of subdued display of contributing manufacturers again and when these tiny logos get polished off or eradicated by nameless pattern re-pops I think that the soul of these diminutive motorcycles fades just a bit.

[Jordan]

Well, when I get said parts back, they looked like show chopper junk. All originality polished off and gone forever, parts devalued.

Free wisdom, after the fact: Hand it over, and lose control. Don't give anything important to anybody, unless you know for sure you can trust them.

[sandman800ss]

We're in agreement here, Jordan.

I have to ask you, then: who do you trust for polishing/chrome plating your vintage Ducati parts? Any recommendations?

[Jordan]

I do it myself. I find it very enjoyable and satisfying, and not difficult. Just need to arm yourself with the needed equipment, and rub away. I don't use power tools on soft metal. Great to listen to your favourite radio programs to.

[sandman800ss]

Ahh, OK. Sounds like a very zen-like activity. Trance like. Into a tranquil inner zone, if you will.

Actually, I do my own polishing as well, but I'm partial to my Baldor 3/4 hp 1800 rpm time saver. I need to be able to control my parts finishing better, and will research chrome stripping/removal so that I can do my own polishing preparation. I'd then be able to just hand the parts over ready for plating, so that they can't fuck them up. But I suspect the process involves nasty chemicals in large quantites...