Polishing and buffing kits

[walkingpictures]

Ok Gary,this might be right up your street!!

I am looking for a polishing kit that can be used in a cordless Black and Decker drill.I have found plenty that fit Dremels but I don't have one of those.

I don't need the big polishing pads that people use to polish cars but smaller pads to polish small items like the bar risers,brake line banjos etc.Maybe even a re-polish of the header pipes that were already polished when I got the bike (well,what parts of it I can get to without trying to take the whole system off!) I have found one or two kits on Fleabay that might do the trick but they look a bit cheapo Chinese to me.

Any thoughts,recommendations or help muchly appreciated,thankyou all.

Kimbo

 

[Mr Gazza]

I get all my stuff from Metal Polishing Supplies. https://metalpolishingsupplies.co.u...qRTfw3hC_iHLgn05YDtipbcsMStksUyhoC0AQQAvD_BwE

I'll start by saying your cordless drill isn't going to cut the mustard. It probably won't spin fast enough, have enough power or last long enough.
We need more power Scotty!
I use a big 1/2" chuck drill with a gearbox and electronic speed and torque control. Originally intended to be used in a diy pedestal stand, but that was not up to the job and I dismantled it to just use the drill clamp to hold the drill in a metalwork vice horizontally.
You can use a decent sized pedestal or press drill, which should have the advantage of having multiple gears to get the speed right.
There are also attachments to adapt a bench grinder, but it needs to have plenty of oomph.

Far better to bring the metal to a fixed polisher rather than try and wave a skiddy cordless drill at little bits.
Always take the bits off the bike and cover the bike and yourself. It's messy!
Best to wear overalls with a hood, a flip up visor and a face mask/respirator. If you can rig some extraction, so much the better.
You'll need gloves too, to keep your hands clean and protect a bit from the heat of the polished metal.
If I'm doing small bits I'll probably rotate them when they get too hot to handle and pick up a cooler bit.

Don't polish your brake line ends unless they are stainless. If they're plated you will fetch the plating off in no time and most likely contaminate the lines whatever the metal.
I'd just buy new Ti banjos.
You can polish plating gently with pink soap and a soft mop if you must.

I've got a fair range of mops and soaps now for various metals, which you'll need if you get into electro-plating.
Your drill is only likely to spin a 4" mop, but the bigger the better if you can. I would start with a stitched mop and a bar of Blue soap, which is good for stainless and aluminium. You'll also need a conical adapter for your drill chuck, the longer the better.

Hope that helps get you started? I could fill a few pages about it.

 

[walkingpictures]

That's a great reply Gary,I knew you could come up with some good info.Thanks for the link,I'll have a look through what they've got.I also have an electric drill for more power.

Incidentally I did borrow a Dremel to see if it would polish a small piece of aluminium that's on the bike and had become a bit tarnished and it worked a treat on that,shame I had to give it back.

To be honest I'm only looking at small bits and pieces to clean up so don't need big mops or anything like that.

Thanks again

Kimbo