I am big on polishing things. I have done complete Campy sets and odd alu parts. Always seems to be alu parts and most with coating.

Well, lessen up - use Easy Off oven cleaner before you start polishing. This was told to me buy another on this web and I wanted to be sure I past it on again. It saves LOTS of time.

Spray it on and wait 10-15 min. wash off with water and then go to the polishing wheel. Some coatings are softening more than others, but it always helps me. At first I thought it did nothing to the anodize coating on most stuff. But when I hit the wheel, I found it must have removed some or soften it. So it you do not see a change when you pull the part from the mix and wash it, go to the wheel and see what is up.

Don't leave it on too long.

I fell asleep.

That is, of course, if you want to remove the anodizing.

-Kurt

I did a Shimano crank by hand a few months back. It had salt water stains on it and it looked terrible, but it would not polish at all because it was anodized so I did the oven cleaner thing. 10 minutes of cleaner, then wash off, followed by 0000 steel wool, then 3M pad with auto-body rubbing compound. At this point it is a dull brushed finish. Then Mothers polishing compound until it's almost a mirror shine. It took about 1 hour to do both crank arms. I'm sure a power wheel would have saved 55 minutes.

I just started a C-Record crankset only to have my cheap-made-in-China Bench Grinder catch on fire; literally. That's what I get for buying something that cost $6 and $25 to ship.

wow hope you didn't get hurt!!

Nah. Just got teary eyed because of the smoke. I always do my polishing outside since it's such a dirty process. I'm now in search of a good Benchtop Polisher or a good bench grinder. I'll make sure it's a brand I've heard about.

www.eastwood.com, I think but not sure. Google Eastwood. They sell bodyshop, cleaning and detailing equipment and supplies. Their buffers are top quality.

Lee Murray

I tried Easy Off on Araya CTL-370's, nothing happened.
I tried Purple Stuff on Araya A20's, just to clean them, the finish came off.
I'll try the EO on the A20's, and see if I can get a nice polished rim.

Thanks for the info.

Beer works, too.
The bike is unchanged, but now I'm fully satisfied.

Yes but in the morning you'll be sober and the rims will still be ugly. Or something like that.

Two great resources:
https://www.raydobbins.com/polishing/
https://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/buffman.htm

There is also an in depth discussion on a BMX site, that escapes my mind at the moment.
FWIW, I only polish and buff as a last resort. If the anodizing is shot, or the part is deeply scratched, then I bring out the wheel.

I think you're doin it wrong

I mount my polishing wheel in a 16" drill press. That means that black stuff is thrown in every direction, but it has pleanty of power for the job and I can vary the speed.

On chrome I like Simichrome tube polish-- best stuff for that if you ask me.

I avoid kitchen degreasers in general-- some will have adverse reactions with paint, especially older paints.

I use a very small amount of automotive paint-friendly bug and tar remover for degreasing and cleaning. On older paint you want to go VERY easy-- some paints respond better than others.

For cleaning up the paint, I like Menotomy Formula from the Menotomy Bike Shop in Massachusetts.

One product that must be avoided at all costs on everything except chrome is "Goof Off" cleaner. This stuff will outright strip paint. In fact, that's what I use it for- stripping silver paint off chrome (you get this on old ballooner parts a lot). I've used it to strip paint from chrome without adverse effects on the chrome. But that said Goof Off is pretty nuclear.

I'll have to post pics, but I think you can get really good results on unanodized alloy parts without a wheel and the mess they create using rubbing compound followed by Mothers metal polish. Of course to get the mirror-like shine that Ray Dobbins gets you'll need a wheel.

Goof Off is really good for getting tape and sticker residue off kids toys, metal things, painted walls, even old book or LP covers (but be carefull...). I'd have never thought it would strip paint! I'll have to try it.