PM roadfix. I think he polished his Firenze.

make sure he's paying you $60/hr (or more) to refinish that bike

I am sooooo looking forward to how this ends.

Clearcoat?

I suggest a pm to 'thylacine' or a post in the framebuilders forums Rad.

How does Lynskey do it on their Helix?
It's an über expensive option for their frames, I know.

I forgot where I saw it, but I read a blurb on the Lynskey Helix on their polishing process. The terms Silver polish and jeweler's rouge came up. IIRC, there were more hours in the finish treatment than there were in the frame's fabrication.

Get it cermachromed, or powdercoated clear after you finish polishing.

Exactly.

Litespeed has offered this for years. But it's a lot of work more than most people even dream of. And a company will have plenty of powerfull buffing wheels and belts to do it faster than by hand.

I worked in plating shop for a couple of years and spent hundreds of hours behind a large buffing wheel. I can tell you for sure that polishing the entire frame is not worth the effort.

I owned a polished '98 Litespeed Ultimate. It was extremely difficult to keep looking good - a real PIA. The final finish was done by electropolishing, so even the finest polishing compound would not produce the same luster as the original.

Settle for a nice satin finish that can be done with the finest scotchbrite pad that you can find. A real poilsh would require a lot of small buffs to get into the tight spots.

If a frame was really going to be polished when first built, about 90% of the polishing would be done before the frame was welded to minimize the amount of work in tight areas, created after welding.

https://www.swmetal.com/

Rad,

I spoke with several people I know who are aircraft techs. They recommended Autosol, a powerful buffer, and lots of patience. They felt it would take weeks to get a mirror finish if you were able to get it there at all. They also said be prepared to be tired, sore, and dirty but not impossible.

Best,

Ripa

The guys you talked to don't know much about polishing. With the proper tools, and several buffing compounds, it could be done is a day, but it would take some sanding, and relatively expensive buffing equipment to do the job quickly.

my polished 94 ulitmate


there are scratches but nothing too noticable, I've been thinking about polishing a frame for a long time. I have a firenze I wouldnt mind using as a test subject but I would really like to get my 06 vortex to a mirrorish finish.
at 2g to polish a frame no wonder Litespeed no longer offer polish frames.



Mr Fly

I would love to see more pics of that home polish serotta. how is that finish holding up.

I'll let them know. Thanks!

Believe it or not Rad, leaving it brushed is easier on the finish. Once polished, it shows every little scratch it gets in the future.

You can polish it. Heck, I'd even be willing to do it for you. I have the gear, but it is a bit of work, and takes alot of time with a small wheel and polishing agents.


If you just want it to shine a little more, all you need is a really good cleaning agent.

On my Ti bike, I used Black Magic Titanium wheel cleaner. It's formulated for aluminum alloys (which Ti bikes are mostly), and does not have any harmful acidic agents which could cause corrosion. I used it before I decided to paint my Ti frame, and it really cleaned it well. It is brushed, but almost ended up with a shiny hue to it from the shine agents in the cleaner. Really neat stuff, and easy to use.

+1 on that. I purchased a brushed finish Litespeed because it is ultra-low maintenance. I use a "very fine" (3M classifies it that way, but I don't know the grit rating) Scotchbrite pad that I bought at the local Ace Hardware in the paint section. A few times back and forth and it erases any blemish, leaving the frame looking brand new.