Classic & Vintage - Is a die grinder too aggressive for polishing tasks on bicycles?

like this one............

197539

It's one of the tools that I use for polishing metal.

Depends on the attachment you are using I think. I use a Dremil sometimes. A larger die grinder is a bit heavy to hold after a while and not as easy to manipulate in tight spots as a tiny Dremil tool.

Yes.

Get a Dremel. Or, better yet, use compounds, polishes, and lots of rags n' elbow grease.

I think it would get to heavy to hold after awhile. I only use my Dremel tool to get hard to reach spots like around the spokes at the hub when polishing a wheel that is built up, anything else I do by hand. Being that my shop is uninsulated and unheated I spent all winter polishing bike parts in the house, some for my wifes bike, a few for mine & a bunch just because I had them. I went though two 5oz containers of Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish and I am working on a third, my hands hurt lol.

Glenn

It would probably work well with a cotton buffing wheel mounted.

The nice thing about the dremel tool is all the attachments. The mini cotton wheels and tips work great with polishing or rubbing compounds and can be manipulated into tight spots on the frame or other parts. The big mongo-kit (http://www.harborfreight.com/188-piece-rotary-tool-accessory-kit-96828.html) that they sell at Harbor Freight for $10-15 has every attachement known to man. I really like the rubber emery wheel for tough rust spots on chrome that OA can't get. You end up going through the chrome but at least you can buff/polish it back out and seal it back up. Better than a big black spot.

If you buy a heavy duty electric grinder like that make sure you get a speed-dial with it. You will have to slow it way down for polishing. I used to use a big grinder like that for porting cylander heads, and then only for the initial "hogging out". It's a bit much for bike parts. I have used a small cotton buff on it for for polishing crank spiders and parts that are dangerous to do on a wheel. But I can't say it's a great tool for that.

Yes. Get a Dremel. Or, better yet, use compounds, polishes, and lots of rags n' elbow grease.

We all know where I stand on the issue :)

http://home.comcast.net/~khatfull/images/america/shinybits.jpg

I do use some mechanical methods now just for expediency but all the above were done totally by hand.

That's beautiful. I'm a big proponent of hand work too. Glutton for punishment. Also, the Zen of it all....

I'm in with the "elbow grease" set. Everything I've done so far has been accomplished with 4/0 wool, old toothbrushes, q-tips, old t-shirts and mag polish. Looks real nice to me.

I think grinders work great! I used one on my Bian**i, and it polished up real nice.:thumb:
http://i700.photobucket.com/albums/ww1/rothenfield/1-537x716.jpg

I use a bench grinder with buffing wheels impregnated with various types of polishing compounds.