Mountain Biking - Day one in Fork polishing done,this is as far as I got.

Still have to strip the rest of the sliders. Note none of the area that was sanded was done by a power sander, that was pure elbow grease used.

Interesting idea...What about using paint stripper from an auto parts store? I assume the lowers are made of aluminum...are you planning to clearcoat it?

I don't want to use chemicals on it.

so what is your process? is it hard? what's your desired effect?

Going to be a polished with a brushed finish.

That will look awesome when done.

what did the fork look like originally?

http://jonbuder.us/images/kona_pink.jpg

...Except the bike wasn't pink :P

Come to think of it, you should sand that down and repaint it. Pink looks might sweet on it...

wait...his bike was that purple crap???

wait...his bike was that purple crap???
No, that was photoshopped on, I don't even have that fork on there anymore.

http://ee.1asphost.com/sk8teordie256/kona_limegreen.jpg

ha! LIME GREEN!

I'm not sure how good of an idea that is... I was just reading something we got from Kona about how sandblasting and powdercoating voids the warranty on any of their aluminum frames... something about the blasting taking off the hardened outer layer resulting in a significantly weakened structure... anyways I think the info is mostly on their site in the FAQ section... I would imagine it applies to aluminum lowers as well.

I would imagine it applies to aluminum lowers as well.

Arent they Magnesium??

those are magnesium casted siders you know.

no idea if 'zocchi has anything blended into the mix, but mag normally corrodes if unalloyed/untreated enough. badly. i'm assuming 'zocchi alloys their mag lowers with something to lessen the corrosion proccess, but if not, your fork may not last long.

make sure to do some type of clearcoat. either way, warrante go bye bye. no big deal if it's a used fork, or you don't care.

yes, i know forks get scratched and gouged all the time. but that's a bit different than removing all the paint, and any anodizing protectant 'zocchi may have done.

those are magnesium casted siders you know.

no idea if 'zocchi has anything blended into the mix, but mag normally corrodes if unalloyed/untreated enough. badly. i'm assuming 'zocchi alloys their mag lowers with something to lessen the corrosion proccess, but if not, your fork may not last long.

make sure to do some type of clearcoat. either way, warrante go bye bye. no big deal if it's a used fork, or you don't care.

yes, i know forks get scratched and gouged all the time. but that's a bit different than removing all the paint, and any anodizing protectant 'zocchi may have done.

I was thinking the same thing. You may have just really messed up your forks, there kona.

What made you want to strip the fork anyway?

Will look good when its done though i would imagine.

I'm not sure how good of an idea that is... I was just reading something we got from Kona about how sandblasting and powdercoating voids the warranty on any of their aluminum frames... something about the blasting taking off the hardened outer layer resulting in a significantly weakened structure... anyways I think the info is mostly on their site in the FAQ section... I would imagine it applies to aluminum lowers as well.

That hard outer coat better not be the "paint". Because mine's chippin off quite a bit and I don't know why. I have to use the touch up paint so often. lol

Dude, he didn't mess up his fork. The same effect would be had by repainting it. Man, what a bunch of softies in here!

I did not mess my fork up at all, I looked into this before doing it, besides I decided on repainting it right now.

Dude, he didn't mess up his fork. The same effect would be had by repainting it. Man, what a bunch of softies in here!

bare finish of magnesium alloy sliders the same effect as repainted? in what world do you live in? those are going to oxidize (no, not rust) pretty quickly, unless he coats them, or spends alot of time keeping them polished up.

softies. right. hey, it's his fork, i just suggested some type of clear coat over the bare metal might be a good idea. and that he may be voiding any warrantee he had/s.

i've done alot of stuff to end up voiding part warrantees too, not a big deal if you aren't worried about it.

http://img229.exs.cx/img229/8644/hpim11217hh.gif

Just have to wait for it to dry up then clear coat it. The fork just has to make it for a few months and will be replaced by a different fork.

Btw, magnesium is way too soft to use as a lowers metal in the first place, The lowers are a Magnesium Alloy, and is combined with Aluminum, the combination is mostly Aluminum.

And, I imagine he was planning to CLEARCOAT it. This has the same effect as painting. Ass.

Ok, correction, I'm not done with the paintjob. When it's done, it will be a knock out.

Get some Mother's Aluminum/Mag polish and buff that bad boy out it will make look like Chrizome! then clear coat it.

That fork looks ****ing bad ass.

Kona, what're you going to put on there instead of the 'zocchi - also, what's wrong with it anyway?!
(I'll happily (sp) take it off you though...) hehehe

:eek: I agree with B-izzle - get some mothers mag polish and polish it till its chrome

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v246/pinit/blingbling.gif

Life without decals. I wish companies would offer stealth products. I hate stickers ... Zocks always look better with nothing on them and bare metal is even hotter

I know if it is polished aluminum, clear coat will not stick.
Owned a show truck before. Heard other people try it but the
clear coat comes off in weeks. No rough surface to stick to if you
put it on after polishing...

And, I imagine he was planning to CLEARCOAT it. This has the same effect as painting. Ass.

go reread my original posts. stunning lack of reading comprehension from some folks around here.

i suggested he clear coat it. he never mentioned paint or clear coat until AFTER other people suggested he might have trouble with his lowers.

i never said the fork was ruined, or that it would fail. i merely suggested he *may* have problems, and he *may* lose his warrantee. and you and some other folks got all uptight about it.

go unwind your panties a few notches, ok?

and clearcoat does NOT equal paint. unless you do a very good clear powdercoat, in many cases, oxidization can very easily still occur under clearcoats. thay are not the same.

Btw, magnesium is way too soft to use as a lowers metal in the first place, The lowers are a Magnesium Alloy, and is combined with Aluminum, the combination is mostly Aluminum.

same to you; reread what i wrote above about assuming that marzocchi would have the mag alloyed with aluminum.......

no one said that they were solid mag, but that they were an alloy.

sheesh.

looks good, btw.

why worry about re-doing it all though, if you're just going to replace it? some of your resale value is gone now, though that and the warrantee may not matter to ya.

i think i remember seeing you taking about buying this used a while back, right?

And, I imagine he was planning to CLEARCOAT it. This has the same effect as painting. .
Probably due to the fact that a cearcoat IS paint.

that was pure elbow grease used.

Where can I find me some of this elbow grease?? :D

Looks good.

Btw, the paint is working, but I sold the fork.