polishing a fork
 

i've got a fixed fuji i converted and i was wondering how to go about polishing the fork. it's made of va-lite tubing which means it's steel-- i think. i was thinking i would take the fork off, strip the paint and go from there. does that sound right? can this type of tubing be polished? what kind of polish should i use?

thanks

I think the problem is not so much the polishing as it is to keep the polished steel from rusting.I've done it a long time ago on a bumper for aTruck build project and it was a PITA to maintain the polish.The shiny forks you see on other bikes are chromed,so you're probably better of buying a chromed fork.

thanks. any chrome fork recommendations?

you could polish it and clear coat it[?] i believe.

Apparently that doesn't work so hot unless you use powder.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...t+clear+powder

Chromed forks available here: http://www.niagaracycle.com/index.ph...sort=2a&page=2 and certainly at your local bicycle shop.

OT: does polish then clearcoat work with aluminum frames?

I think I remember reading that a lot of the shiny al components are polished and then clear anodized. I would worry that any modern Al frame would be thin enough that polishing it would weaken it. You're not even supposed to media blast them for new paint.

yikes...good thing mine isnt modern though

dang those forks are cheap, $13...

Carnauba wax and a soft cloth. Shine on, you crazy diamond.

Whats up with that? That crowned chrome road fork is looking pretty nice...any reasons NOT to get one? does it weigh 40 lbs? will it disintegrate hopping a curb? whack slope to it? i'm pretty dumb when it comes to that kind of chit.

Well, the $13 one is for 26" or 27" wheels, so I assume it's old stock. It will not give you super tight tark bike clearance and since it doesn't say it's cromoly, it's probably not. The 700c ones are $30 and unicrown with ugly welds. But Niagara always has good prices.