Topic: Need advice in repairing light gouges in aluminum swingarm

[inline4]

Although this has nothing to do with sohcs, your replies might help someone down the road anyway.
 The other night I was grinding down the chain guard tabs on a boxed aluminum swingarm. The grinder slipped a couple of times and put some light gouges in the swingarm; nothing too serious. I took a file and tried to level off the weld marks that were left but the marks still look like caca.
 Is there a product that you guys would recommend that I could use to level out the grinding marks (kind of like using a wood filler/putty)? In this age we live in there HAS to be something out there other than J-B Weld.
I've done the google thing and there seems to be some promising products out there, but I would like a personal recommendation on something you guys have had success with.
Is there such a thing?
Thanks.
Jim

[fuzzybutt]

alumiweld i think it's called. i'm pretty sure theres a thread talking about it someplace

[BlindJoe]

You can get alumaweld at harbor freight, 12 sticks of it, for around $13 I think. Just make sure you get it hot enough, or it will not bond and just flake off. It takes a little practice to get the hang of it.

[mystic_1]

Here's the Alumiweld thread:

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=36600.0

On a large part like you have, make sure to pre-heat your part well or the metal will wick the heat away from your work area and you'll never get it hot enough to flow the Alumiweld properly.  I need to update that thread, I made better progress on large parts after I pre-heated them enough.

Having said that, if you're going to paint the swingarm than I'd just fill the dings with JB Weld, or even bondo, it'll be fine.

mystic_1

[333]

If you are not painting, you will need to sand with progressively finer sandpaper, working from 400 to get the scratches out,to 1200 grit wet/dry sandpaper to get the sanding marks out.  Don't do it wet, though.  Then use metal polish.   It's a lot of work, but in the end, you can have a mirror finish.

[Uncle Ernie]

As far as I know, if you're showing bare aluminium- you can take it away, but you can't add it on.  Best to just buff it and forget it.