Other, misc

July 2016 - Some progress has been made on the fork sliders - I found that they had been painted sliver at one point, and then just the outside side stripped and polished (a little).  Thus all the old paint had to be stripped and the sliders cleaned.  Polishing began with steel wool and Marvel's Mystery Oil; then some fine grit sandpaper; then white aluminum compound on a buffing wheel; then some Blue Magic polish followed by a microfiber cloth for buffing.  Whew.  I've stopped short of a mirror polish, and am very happy with how they have come out.  Both photos below are the same, except for one using a flash; post-steel wool but pre-polish on the left and polished on the right.

This is an example of the kind of grime I was dealing with.  Hours and hours of scrubbing and detailing have been required on essentially every part of this motorcycle (including nuts and bolts!).  I have also tried more than a half dozen cleaners and degreasers along the way.  As well as scrubbing brushes and cloths and scouring pads; geez, my hands hurt.  In the end, several parts (including the two below) got a coat of 'cast aluminum' paint as the staining was so difficult to eradicate, and more extreme measures could affect the dimpled surfaces.

Misc painted parts - the oil breather was painted over several times; a quick strip down to metal and a few coats of "chrome" paint returned it to presentable condition (chrome in quotes as spray paint cannot even come close to replicating the look; but the 'silver-esque' appearance is fine in this instance).  I also got some new radiator hoses to connect each oil line as needed.

Parts going back on the engine; just need the frame now!  When I went to pick it up this week, some parts were painted over that needed to stay clean, so it has to be redone.

Some other frame and related parts returned from the powdercoater.  Yes, I know you can't see them through the plastic.  I also finally picked up the parts being chromed; wow, they came out great - photos later.

Almost finished the tank badges.  I had to strip them bare to start with.  Painting was very tedious work, and despite patience and care with a small brush and a magnifying visor, I often could not paint inside the lines!  What would Miss Hamilton from pre-school say?  Fortunately, the undercoat of metallic gold spray paint is more robust than the black and white Rustoleum brand paint I'm using for the letters and background.  Once dry, any over-brush can be carefully scratched off with a fingernail.  This makes me wonder whether I should clearcoat them now too....?

This is about where I plan to affix the badges on the tank.  The stock position is immediately below the break in the tank and a little further back.  Given the knee indents added and the expansive 'real estate' available on the tank, I like the higher and more centered position.