Author Topic: Early Sandcast Found...... (Read 88986 times)

RAFster122s · « **Reply #925 on:** May 01, 2023, 10:09:24 am »

If it were not a K0 I would say leave as is, but since they are on a K0, I would agree, polish them. It did a great job bringing them to a consistent tone of finish erasing all oxidation.

BenelliSEI · « **Reply #926 on:** May 01, 2023, 10:14:13 am »

Quote from: JamesH on May 01, 2023, 10:05:33 am

Polish gets my vote. Would look totally wrong as-is imho.

Thanks James, value the feedback.

BenelliSEI · « **Reply #927 on:** May 01, 2023, 10:14:36 am »

Quote from: RAFster122s on May 01, 2023, 10:09:24 am

If it were not a K0 I would say leave as is, but since they are on a K0, I would agree, polish them. It did a great job bringing them to a consistent tone of finish erasing all oxidation.

I probably will......

denward17 · « **Reply #928 on:** May 01, 2023, 10:34:26 am »

I responded in the other thread to keep them as they are, but on 2nd thought, I bet they would polish up to a nice mirror finish.

I think I would polish them, since most of the work is done now.

PeWe · « **Reply #929 on:** May 01, 2023, 11:05:59 am »

Close to stock look.
That includes clear coat as Honda did?

Some parts had a brushed look and clear on top.

It look otherwise really good on a not back to 100% stock bike.

What future buyers would expect how a Sandcast should look is one fat factor too.

BenelliSEI · « **Reply #930 on:** May 01, 2023, 01:16:12 pm »

I’m thinking these would stain easily if I just leave them. Whenever I’ve tried any clearcoat, it ultimately yellows and peels..... I wonder what clear powdercoat would look like?

RAFster122s · « **Reply #931 on:** May 01, 2023, 01:44:25 pm »

Generally the finish is very durable, unless you get a corrosive fluid on the cases that you don't clean off...
The finish is peened and holds up very well, unlike a sand or glass bead blasted finish that would oxidize. You would be safe leaving it bare.
The vapor blasted finish really is good at not picking up stains.

Stev-o · « **Reply #932 on:** May 01, 2023, 02:16:10 pm »

Quote from: BenelliSEI on May 01, 2023, 01:16:12 pm

I’m thinking these would stain easily if I just leave them.

What would stain them? On my Kawasaki, I did polish the side covers but the heads, cylinders and carbs look as good as they did when I received them from from being vapor'd.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #933 on:** May 01, 2023, 11:44:26 pm »

Yep, don't worry about stains John, I've been riding my K0 since 2020 with no staining on any other vapor blasted parts, and the Suzuki T500 (which dribbles two stroke over everything) is stain free as well.

BenelliSEI · « **Reply #934 on:** May 02, 2023, 09:44:51 am »

Quote from: Terry in Australia on May 01, 2023, 11:44:26 pm

Yep, don't worry about stains John, I've been riding my K0 since 2020 with no staining on any other vapor blasted parts, and the Suzuki T500 (which dribbles two stroke over everything) is stain free as well.

Good to know, thanks all!

MauiK3 · « **Reply #935 on:** May 02, 2023, 02:46:26 pm »

I didn’t know there was such a thing as clear powder coat. I wonder how well it works.

RAFster122s · « **Reply #936 on:** May 02, 2023, 03:42:05 pm »

Clear powder coat has improved greatly in past few years but it dulls a high gloss powder coat a little like the near chrome powdercoat finishes. The later do not hold up well without top coat, last I read.

Some will use the clear powdercoat over polished aluminum rather than tackle the periodic polishing that polished aluminum requires.
It reduces the luster a little.
A bare polished aluminum part can have higher reflectivity than the bulk of chrome plated finishes.

BenelliSEI · « **Reply #937 on:** May 02, 2023, 06:46:42 pm »

Quote from: MauiK3 on May 02, 2023, 02:46:26 pm

I didn’t know there was such a thing as clear powder coat. I wonder how well it works.

The local shop (they do very nice work) use it over some very high gloss finishes (chrome and pewter). It prevents yellowing and looks great. My only criticism is it can make small parts look a little “over coated”, but the guys are getting better at doing very light, even applications. They do a lot of tubular, fabricated hot rod parts this way. They look almost identical to the bright nickel finish on my Rickman CR frame. I am considering it as an option......

HondaMan · « **Reply #938 on:** May 02, 2023, 07:30:20 pm »

About polishing the cases: there is one product (not cheap) called Simichrome that I've used for decades that also seals the surface as you polish it, and it never needs to be revisited again (at least, not since 1973...). I polished the front forks and side covers of my engine in the winter of 1972-73 and aside from some scratches from wear & tear since then, they still look like I just did it. All the other aluminum polishes I've tried (including "Mother's", which doesn't work very well despite its hype) have disappointed me with loss of gloss and/or surface smoothness over time.

One thing, though: wear sacrificial gloves and maybe pants while using it: it doesn't come off the skin easily, nor the clothes.

BenelliSEI · « **Reply #939 on:** May 02, 2023, 07:38:30 pm »

Quote from: HondaMan on May 02, 2023, 07:30:20 pm

About polishing the cases: there is one product (not cheap) called Simichrome that I've used for decades that also seals the surface as you polish it, and it never needs to be revisited again (at least, not since 1973...). I polished the front forks and side covers of my engine in the winter of 1972-73 and aside from some scratches from wear & tear since then, they still look like I just did it. All the other aluminum polishes I've tried (including "Mother's", which doesn't work very well despite its hype) have disappointed me with loss of gloss and/or surface smoothness over time.

One thing, though: wear sacrificial gloves and maybe pants while using it: it doesn't come off the skin easily, nor the clothes.

Thanks, I’ll look for some and give it a try....

PeWe · « **Reply #940 on:** May 02, 2023, 07:59:52 pm »

John, check on the Sandcast forum how the oppinion is about which procedure so the bike will keep it's best value. Those covers are not easy to find.

The covers are otherwise really beautiful as they are!

newday777 · « **Reply #941 on:** May 03, 2023, 01:42:00 am »

My K5 covers were polished with Semichrome years ago. I had instructed my friend that had it before me to polish the covers with Semichrome when he got the bike in the early 80s from the original owner. He did it all by hand. Lots of work but winters are long in NH. He kept it in his warm basement in the winter months, where it was when he passed. It still looks good. I polished my K6 that way back in the day.

PeWe · « **Reply #942 on:** May 03, 2023, 11:28:39 am »

Look good! I have never heard about Semichrome.

I removed the oxidized covers and hubs, put them into a bucket with water + caustic soda. One by one.
The alu oxide became black within a minute or 2. Heavy reaction. Long sleeved gloves and eye protection.

Dishwashing brush and a few minutes brushing in the bucket. Rinsed with water.
Used steel wool to grind off the black oxide. The aluminium got an old look.

Grind off scratches and polish further from here.

BenelliSEI · « **Reply #943 on:** May 03, 2023, 12:42:33 pm »

All good ideas. Thanks!

Retorqued the head today and then a neighbour walked in with a crusty carb off his HONDA generator. He’s all fixed up. He has a back hoe I like to borrow occasionally, so worth the time.

Stev-o · « **Reply #944 on:** May 04, 2023, 06:41:42 am »

Quote from: newday777 on May 03, 2023, 01:42:00 am

My K5 covers were polished with Semichrome years ago....polish the covers with Semichrome ...

It's Simichrome, I have a tube on the shelf. Great stuff, invented in Germany back in the 60's.

BenelliSEI · « **Reply #945 on:** May 04, 2023, 08:42:41 am »

My favourite is “Autosol”. Also a German product!

Don R · « **Reply #946 on:** May 04, 2023, 08:52:47 am »

I had some green dragon polish, it's pretty good, when I tried to find more I learned that's also the name of an Everclear and Marijuana drink.

Slow2 · « **Reply #947 on:** May 29, 2023, 06:23:13 am »

I’m with the Semichrome crowd. Have hand polished many covers and they stay looking nice for a long time. The stuff is impossible to find locally and I’m almost out. Guess I’ll just order some. Oh yeah, not cheap but a little goes a very long way!!!

Ed Bruton

RAFster122s · « **Reply #948 on:** May 29, 2023, 07:55:27 am »

Simichrome is often carried at Ace Hardware...worth a phone call if you have them in your area... Sometimes Amazon is more expensive than local suppliers.

denward17 · « **Reply #949 on:** June 01, 2023, 11:13:34 am »

Was going to ride some this afternoon, but started raining, so broke out the simichrome and touched up a bit.

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Author Topic: Early Sandcast Found...... (Read 88986 times)