Mods on my vt s1 v6 6 speed auto exe. wagon

[keith reed]

Eureka

 

[Lex]

Eureka

Hi Keith
Its just the plenum cover you want to polish?

What ever you want to polish will eventually go black.
This is why l decided to chrome plate my parts (not the wheels).
They will be easier to clean as well.

I tried 2 pack clear. Didn't like the finish. Some of the clear flaked of the polished surface.

Whatever you decide to do, is up to you.

I suggest getting some pieces of scrap aluminium & practise on that first. That way you don't stuff up what you already have?
Lots of work involved.

I'll be back later for the first lesson.

 

[keith reed]

Hi Keith
Its just the plenum cover you want to polish?

What ever you want to polish will eventually go black.
This is why l decided to chrome plate my parts (not the wheels).
They will be easier to clean as well.

I tried 2 pack clear. Didn't like the finish. Some of the clear flaked of the polished surface.

Whatever you decide to do, is up to you.

I suggest getting some pieces of scrap aluminium & practise on that first. That way you don't stuff up what you already have?
Lots of work involved.

I'll be back later for the first lesson.

Yes just the plenum cover. I have had a bit of a play with it. Vinegar and water. Fine wet and dry and alluminium polish. It looks better than when I started but as you say lots of work involved. Thanks anyway

 

[Lex]

Vinegar and water. Fine wet and dry and alluminium polish

The only thing l have used, that you have mentioned above is water, on the last wet & dry. Which is 800#grid.
Depending how rough the casting or moulding is, is how rough the sand paper is.

My plenum lid, l originally started with 80 grid. But wasn't getting the crab out of the metal. So, l got out the 4"angle grinder using 40 grid flap wheel. Started at one end & worked my way down till the other end. Did this a couple of times. You want to surface it evenly (like prepping a car body panel) At the end of the job, its like a mirror, flat even no waves.

After the 80 grid l went 60 grid with the flap wheels. After the 60 grid flap wheel, l went to 80 grid by hand & sanding block. Start at one end & work your way down to the other end. Once at the end lift paper & block & go to start. If you drag the paper & block back, (as back & forth like sanding wood) metal dust that sits on the surface will damaging the surface and you wont notice till the final polish. Those scratches will stick out.
After the 80 grid, 120, 180, 240, 320, 400, 600, 800 wet. Remember l was a metal polisher, so l only know what a metal polisher would use.
After the 800 wet, l used what is called a single section 4" close stitched mop on my 4"grinder with an extentsion. With this mop l used a polish called tripoli. Its an aluminium polish. After that l used the same type of mop, but with a finishing polish called green rouge.
Now the object you are polishing is looking like its been chromed.

Tomorrow l will get some pics of the equipment l used.
Here's the pic of my plenum lid again. When its plated l'll post some pics.

 

[keith reed]

The only thing l have used, that you have mentioned above is water, on the last wet & dry. Which is 800#grid.
Depending how rough the casting or moulding is, is how rough the sand paper is.

My plenum lid, l originally started with 80 grid. But wasn't getting the crab out of the metal. So, l got out the 4"angle grinder using 40 grid flap wheel. Started at one end & worked my way down till the other end. Did this a couple of times. You want to surface it evenly (like prepping a body panel) At the end of the job, its like a mirror, flat even no waves.

After the 80 grid l went 60 grid with the flap wheels. After the 60 grid flap wheel, l went to 80 grid by hand & sanding block. Start at one end & work your way down to the other end. Once at the end lift paper & block & go to start. If you drag the paper & block back, (as back & forth like sanding wood) metal dust that sits on the surface will damaging the surface and you wont notice till the final polish. Those scratches will stick out.
After the 80 grid, 120, 180, 240, 320, 400, 600, 800 wet. Remember l was a metal polisher, so l only know what a metal polisher would use.
After the 800 wet, l used what is called a single section 4" close stitched mop on my 4"grinder with an extentsion. With this mop l used a polish called tripoli. Its an aluminium polish. After that l used the same type of mop, but with a finishing polish called green rouge.
Now the object you are polishing is looking like its been chromed.

Tomorrow l will get some pics of the equipment l used.
Here's the pic of my plenum lid again. When its plated l'll post some pics.
View attachment 256676

Thanks for your help Lex. I might stick to carpentry and get someone to do it for me.

 

[Lex]

The only thing l have used, that you have mentioned above is water, on the last wet & dry. Which is 800#grid.
Depending how rough the casting or moulding is, is how rough the sand paper is.

My plenum lid, l originally started with 80 grid. But wasn't getting the crab out of the metal. So, l got out the 4"angle grinder using 40 grid flap wheel. Started at one end & worked my way down till the other end. Did this a couple of times. You want to surface it evenly (like prepping a body panel) At the end of the job, its like a mirror, flat even no waves.

After the 80 grid l went 60 grid with the flap wheels. After the 60 grid flap wheel, l went to 80 grid by hand & sanding block. Start at one end & work your way down to the other end. Once at the end lift paper & block & go to start. If you drag the paper & block back, (as back & forth like sanding wood) metal dust that sits on the surface will damaging the surface and you wont notice till the final polish. Those scratches will stick out.
After the 80 grid, 120, 180, 240, 320, 400, 600, 800 wet. Remember l was a metal polisher, so l only know what a metal polisher would use.
After the 800 wet, l used what is called a single section 4" close stitched mop on my 4"grinder with an extentsion. With this mop l used a polish called tripoli. Its an aluminium polish. After that l used the same type of mop, but with a finishing polish called green rouge.
Now the object you are polishing is looking like its been chromed.

Tomorrow l will get some pics of the equipment l used.
Here's the pic of my plenum lid again. When its plated l'll post some pics.
View attachment 256676

Just to add to my previous post, if the job you are dioing isn't that rough, you may only need to start with a lessor grid sandpaper.
With every operation the idea is to cut out last grids sandpaper marks. For clarity if l started with 40 grid & didn't cut those marks out, by the time l got to the polishing with the mops & tropili & or the green rouge, those 40 grid marks would stick out. After all the work you put in you would be disappointed.

Thats why l suggested starting with a bit scrap alli. That way you can try different techniques? If the first way works , just use that.

Another tip was l used a couple of the holes to screw it to a wooden horse. That way it would move when using the angle discs or polishing mops.

Sorry its so long.


Good luck on your first polishing expirence.

Think l remember another member polishing something, he finished using 2000 or 3000 grid wet & dry & then either car polish or maybe autosol?

 

[Lex]

I might stick to carpentry and get someone to do it for me.

Take it to electroplater & get them to polish & plate it/
If so, keep us in the loop how it comes up & are you happy with it? Don't forget the pics please.

 

[keith reed]

Take it to electroplater & get them to polish & plate it/
If so, keep us in the loop how it comes up & are you happy with it? Don't forget the pics please.

I do know someone here in Ipswich that I have had work done before so I will take it to him.

 

[Fu Manchu]

The only thing l have used, that you have mentioned above is water, on the last wet & dry. Which is 800#grid.
Depending how rough the casting or moulding is, is how rough the sand paper is.

My plenum lid, l originally started with 80 grid. But wasn't getting the crab out of the metal. So, l got out the 4"angle grinder using 40 grid flap wheel. Started at one end & worked my way down till the other end. Did this a couple of times. You want to surface it evenly (like prepping a car body panel) At the end of the job, its like a mirror, flat even no waves.

After the 80 grid l went 60 grid with the flap wheels. After the 60 grid flap wheel, l went to 80 grid by hand & sanding block. Start at one end & work your way down to the other end. Once at the end lift paper & block & go to start. If you drag the paper & block back, (as back & forth like sanding wood) metal dust that sits on the surface will damaging the surface and you wont notice till the final polish. Those scratches will stick out.
After the 80 grid, 120, 180, 240, 320, 400, 600, 800 wet. Remember l was a metal polisher, so l only know what a metal polisher would use.
After the 800 wet, l used what is called a single section 4" close stitched mop on my 4"grinder with an extentsion. With this mop l used a polish called tripoli. Its an aluminium polish. After that l used the same type of mop, but with a finishing polish called green rouge.
Now the object you are polishing is looking like its been chromed.

Tomorrow l will get some pics of the equipment l used.
Here's the pic of my plenum lid again. When its plated l'll post some pics.
View attachment 256676

Mirror mirror on the Commodore, Who’s the fairest of them all?


“You are Lex. You are”

 

[Lex]

Yesterday installed the front & rear caster bushes.
Took 2 hours to do drivers side. After doing that, only took me 1 hr. to the passenger side.

On the utube video's, they say 20 min. to 1/2 hr.

The drivers side front bush was cactus.

Had an alignment last week. The tech told me about it after doing the alignment. I did know about it, but forgot.

Have to book it in again tomorrow.

Here's a pic of the cactus caster bush.