Bike Forums - Tips and tricks for restoring like new condition

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Glennfordx4 (Post 16452631)

That's the best way I have found, old cotton mix socks work good as do the arm from a old flannel shirt cut up for rags. I place my wheels in my park truing stand to do a lot of the cleaning and polishing.

Glenn

That's the one issue with the cheaper Pyramid truing stand I have. It's solid enough to true wheels but to really get in there and reef on the hub like that while polishing it then it just isn't heavy-duty enough, even with C-clamps holding it down to the bench. If ever I am tempted to upgrade to the nice park stand this is one of the reasons.

I could always use an old fork in the vise for this kind of wheel cleaning & polishing I suppose. Maybe I could bend up another junk fork for rear wheels too

self serve car wash I just keep the spray up and down near the bottom brackets and hubs to keep the spray from getting inside plus it gives that bike a nice lemony smell

Quote:

Originally Posted by big chainring (Post 16403688)

All this polishing! But I do it too. Mothers brand aluminum polish. Also use the Turtle Wax chrome polish on chrome bits. And my ace in the hole for cleaning and degreasing, "Challenger" cleaner. Cuts thru crud faster than anything else including solvent based products.

One of the ways to identify a good bike back in the day, was if the components didnt shine. You knew a bike was of decent quality because it didn't have chromed steel parts. And Campy had the satin anodized finish. Shiny parts meant cheap bike!

Yep. All that polishing. Some bikes' chromed aluminum was junk, like this crank:http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=362088

So then it's scrape, file, sand course, sand fine, sand superfine, steelwool course, steelwool fine, steelwool superfine with wd-40, metal polish, then wadding cloth, then wipe down, you get to this:

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=362089 http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=362090 http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=362091 http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=362092

easy off oven cleaner (with lye) will remove that anodized finish in 5 minutes then scrub with steel wool ................ but don't leave it on too long or the part will look like spongebobs skin

A couple of minor tips that have worked well for me:
a) non-metallic scrapers for nasty stuff: Small bits of formica (softer than steel, stiff and harder than fingernail). I have a few strips about 3/8 inch wide filed to different shapes on each end. I also keep a few bamboo chop sticks around, again ends shaped to different profiles to get into nooks and crannies but too soft to scratch paint or aluminum.
b) I use several of the solvents mentioned before but also keep a little alcohol around both rubbing alcohol and 'meths' - IOW denatured alcohol. The Kleenstrip 'natural' has a higher % of ethanol than most denatured alcohol and will dissolve or loosen things MS or Isopropyl will not. I never slobber this stuff on anything but will dampen a rag to see if it cleans something stubborn.
c) Almost forgot: eyelash brushes - the small round things. Real good for reaching into tight spots (ex RD cages) or for brushing crud out of wee threaded holes.