Clear coat for aluminum
#5
12-19-2013 | 01:58 PM
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 2,325
Likes: 6
From: SE Illinois
What aluminum on your bike are you wanting to clear coat?
The factory clear coat on the fork lowers is what gives them the grayish appearance, which is why I stripped the clear coat off and polished. If you polish aluminum smooth & use a good metal polish, such as Blue Magic, then follow it up with a good carnauba based wax job, your aluminum will stay perfect with minimal maintenance and cleaning & stuff will just wipe right off.
It's actually easier to keep my fork lowers looking nice now that they are bare polished aluminum then it was from the factory with the clear coat....and it looks 100 times better. Nothing looks better than polished aluminum, not even chrome, and if you do it right it's not that difficult to maintain it. Another good thing about it is that if you do get a blemish, such as a rock chip, you can polish it right out as opposed to having something clear coated...once it's chipped, it's chipped.
Just my $.02
The factory clear coat on the fork lowers is what gives them the grayish appearance, which is why I stripped the clear coat off and polished. If you polish aluminum smooth & use a good metal polish, such as Blue Magic, then follow it up with a good carnauba based wax job, your aluminum will stay perfect with minimal maintenance and cleaning & stuff will just wipe right off.
It's actually easier to keep my fork lowers looking nice now that they are bare polished aluminum then it was from the factory with the clear coat....and it looks 100 times better. Nothing looks better than polished aluminum, not even chrome, and if you do it right it's not that difficult to maintain it. Another good thing about it is that if you do get a blemish, such as a rock chip, you can polish it right out as opposed to having something clear coated...once it's chipped, it's chipped.
Just my $.02
Last edited by Sharkman73; 12-19-2013 at 02:00 PM.
#7
12-19-2013 | 02:28 PM
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 4,990
Likes: 8
From: Marina del Rey
Word.
Chrome looks cheap next to polished aluminum.
Chrome looks cheap next to polished aluminum.
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#9
12-19-2013 | 06:03 PM
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,477
Likes: 14
From: Western MD
I had the wheels on my 07 FB polished and then clear powder coated. the machined outer section and the center hub section was polished to a chrome finish and the center "as cast" section was semi polished, just enough to take the dull out but still leave a contrast. best thing i ever did.
#10
12-19-2013 | 07:55 PM
Former Sponsor
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 452
Likes: 5
From: Westminster, CA
My shop works with a company that does a clear coat for aluminum that is almost invisible. It seems like the powder coating clears take a bit of the luster away. We use it to coat our custom finishes like nickel plating or gold plating but I'w sure it would also be available if you need it done for your parts. Let me know if I can help.