Polishing Kit

InfamousXS

XS650 Enthusiast
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is VIZ on this board?

that dont look too bad to me.
i finally got my bike running, but no cash to register and insure it, so instead of riding it around and getting a bunch of tickets that i obviously cant afford im in the same polishing boat as you.
 
You can buy the same kit at harbor freight if u have one near you. I just polished my whole motor. I have that exact kit and I didn't use any of them to do it. They just were not aggressive enough to do the job. I did the whole thing with. These. http://www.harborfreight.com/2-inch-lambs-wool-buffing-pad-kit-95993.html
I put them on a air angle die grinder and went thru three packs. It sucked but it was worth it in the end.
 
Here's two pics First one is after soda Blasting it second is half way thru polishing
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Vis did you just do the normal process of wet sanding using different grits and then use the polishing compound with those harbor freight discs? I am not familiar with the soda blasting process
 
I didn't really sand the motor at all. I just polished it up. The side cases have to be sanded first though. You have to get that old clear off. The baking soda blasting I did because it was in such poor shape to start. I bought a 50 pound bag of baking soda from harbor freight loaded it into a hand held sand blaster and blasted away. Make sure to block all areas where the baking soda can get in. Disclaimer........Blast at your own risk.
 
I was guessing that you put baking soda through a sand blaster but I didn't know the difference between the two techniques. I plan on polishing the two side cases and then painting the motor black. Everyone keeps talking about how many hours have to go into it and it makes me question the idea ha. How many hours do you have in that motor?
 
Ya the covers are easy. If you have a bench grinder that will work fastest. Put a 6" polishing wheel on it and go to town. After wet sanding use the wheel with black compound then switch to white. Finish off hand polishing with mothers aluminum polish.
 
Do you always need to wet sand? I have read a few times that if there is no major cuts or scratches to the cases that you can just skip straight to the black compound and go forward.
 
That's probably true but I would still hit it a little at least to give a nice clean surface to polish
 
Sounds good to me. Thanks everyone for all the advice on the process. Hopefully I can stop by harbor freight this week and pick up everything I need to start.
 
Do you always need to wet sand? I have read a few times that if there is no major cuts or scratches to the cases that you can just skip straight to the black compound and go forward.

Not always in theory but you have to get off the clear coat and sand out any imperfections. Sanding the clear sucks. I use Bix Tough Job chemical paint stripper, it makes getting the clear off easy. They have 2 kinds a spray on and a brush on gel. I am stuck using the spray on because that is the only one I can find. I get it from Sherwin Williams but Homedepot is supposed to carry it but mine does not. Just brush on, let it sit for a few then use water and a plastic scraper to scrape it off. The clear bubbles right up, in some places you have to reapply but it is much easier than sanding. The aircraft grade paint stripper does not work on the clear. The Bix has some chemical in it that takes it off that the other does not, cant remember what it is off the top of my head but it works.:thumbsup:
If you don't have a bench grinder get one. I use the 6 inch buffing wheels from Harbor Freight, one stitched with the grey polishing compound for the first pass and one loose with the white polishing compound for the finish. Last step is the Mothers Aluminum Polish.
Polishing my case covers, upper tree and lowers legs now. Most of the clear on mine was gone some time ago so there was some nice oxidation that I needed to sand out but it is all coming out. The lower legs were done with the same process as above.
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Yes no doubt, use a bench grinder with 6 inch pads if u are doing pieces. I use those small 2 inch pads on a angle grinder for the motor to get between the fins.


I sanded these with a d.a then wet sanded them. Bench polished
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