Alloy polishing guide

But mine would be and look far far smaller as I am a dwarf ;-)

Fixed

Love it Graham, I do think it could be improved a little bit though.
Maybe with a more cut down looking saddle, like a nice Fizik, or Selle, NJS parts look a bit odd on something as modern looking as your frame, and i'd maybe lose the ourys and go with some flangless, thinner bmx grips.
Little things but I think they would make a nice difference.

Love it Graham, I do think it could be improved a little bit though.
Maybe with a more cut down looking saddle, like a nice Fizik, or Selle, NJS parts look a bit odd on something as modern looking as your frame, and i'd maybe lose the ourys and go with some flangless, thinner bmx grips.
Little things but I think they would make a nice difference.

Not into slim, lightweight racing saddles.
Suggest some better grips then and I'll have a look but black ourys are spot on at the mo

These, black, done.

http://www.alansbmx.com/product_info.php?cPath=32_57&products_id=7556&osCsid=3ddb0b35b8ea09fc663dbaedbeed55b3

burps in face

Personal taste, I just think low flange and slimmer would look nicer ;)

Personal taste, I just think low flange and slimmer would look nicer ;)
Criticising his bike is one thing, but criticising his appearance is below the belt CJ. :p

2 carbon wheels round london? are they both tubs too?

Clinchers. That's one of three sets of wheels I have

Perfick

I've just got hold of an old Aluminium Alan frame which I would like to either Anodyse or polish and wonder if anyone could help. It's not in bad condition at all but if anyone could recommend a company who Anodyse. I have called a couple but most wont do bike frames.

If I decide to polish, is it hours with the sandpaper or simply a question of buying some specialist aluminium polish? Clearly i'm clueless so would appreciate some non-sarky help.

I'd kill for some good, non-sarky, advice about polishing. Srsly.

For instance... what are all the little things that come with a Dremel? I've only had the balls to use the cloth one on alloy. The sandpapery and wiry ones scare me.

I don't know about bike parts, but Slothball anodise paintball markers, might be worth emailing them and asking if they could do it.
Skully I was wandering the same, too scared of fucking it up to try them out though.

Yeah. Maybe I should start experimenting on something that's broken and therefore is no loss if I do fuckitup.

Sorry OP, I know you're mainly after Anodising info. Just that most mentions of 'polishing' get the usual playground double entendres.

I've polished aluminium (car parts) with the cloth wheels that attach to drills and come with bars of polish to use on the material. For more intrigate parts have used faracle cutting compounds to bring up the polished surface but its never shiney IMO. As the aluminium is so reactive that it dulls quickly.

See ... you lost me already. Faracle whatsit?

I've just got hold of an old Aluminium Alan frame which I would like to either Anodyse or polish and wonder if anyone could help. It's not in bad condition at all but if anyone could recommend a company who Anodyse. I have called a couple but most wont do bike frames.

If I decide to polish, is it hours with the sandpaper or simply a question of buying some specialist aluminium polish? Clearly i'm clueless so would appreciate some non-sarky help.

cooooey

http://www.lfgss.com/thread29899.html

See ... you lost me already. Faracle whatsit?

It like t cut but a bit more abrassive. Its meant for polishing paint so doesn't leave visible score marks.

doesn't anodising include a chemical bath? That could possibly damage the lugs which are steel no?

Yeah it does, quite corrosive too. Will take off about 0.2mm from the metal IIRC.

cooooey

http://www.lfgss.com/thread29899.html

Good heads up.

Thread merge and then delete this post?

analsol, and a good rub.

I've just got hold of an old Aluminium Alan frame which I would like to either Anodyse or polish and wonder if anyone could help. It's not in bad condition at all but if anyone could recommend a company who Anodyse. I have called a couple but most wont do bike frames.

If I decide to polish, is it hours with the sandpaper or simply a question of buying some specialist aluminium polish? Clearly i'm clueless so would appreciate some non-sarky help.

Leave it as it is for now, dont try and sand it!

Take it to a company that does polishing and anodising. Check yellow pages or applegate.

They will polish it up with buffing wheels and special polishing compunds/pastes.

Then hard-anodise it in a big vat.

How is your frame built? if it is glued together then the anodising part is unlikely to be possible. Youll just have to shine it up with some autosol every so often to keep it shiny.

I've polished aluminium (car parts) with the cloth wheels that attach to drills and come with bars of polish to use on the material. For more intrigate parts have used faracle cutting compounds to bring up the polished surface but its never shiney IMO. As the aluminium is so reactive that it dulls quickly.

You can get smooth aluminium very shiny rather easily. As long as it isnt hard-anodised. You just need some autosol/brasso and some patience to get it up to a mirror finish.

It doesnt "dull" in the same way that silver does for example by going darker. It forms a thin white oxide layer, which indeed stops it being shiny. But the oxide layer actually protects the metal from any further corrosion, and is similar to the the hard-anodising in function (although not as pretty).

Havent read the thread but Autosol metal polish and cotton wool!

Here is something totally unrelated, bnut metal!