Your Thoughts - Orbital Sander

ElJay

Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2004
Messages
27
Location
Big Spring, TX
What do ya'll think of the idea of using an orbital sander straped with scotch brite pad and wd-40 as a "cleaner/polisher" to clean up the disassembled bensen components?
Thanks
LJ
 
Try it on a small section and see if it works. I might not use the WD, but it might work, let us know. Are you going to use a red pad?
 
I saw a close up of one of Ken Brocks' KB-3 and he had the whole upper end, rotor head and hub, polished to the max. It was awesome. I was wondering how the heck somebody would have the patience to do this? It reminds me of having to polish my combat boots for inspection.

Mark
 
Well WD40 is one of the best coolants for "cutting" aluminum in the machine shop and it works great for polishing alum. The idea behind the orbital sander is to get out of all that "handwork".

I don't know about a "red" scotchbrite. I usually just use the same plain old green kind that the wife uses to do her dishes.

Thanks LJ
 
Polishing aluminum

Polishing aluminum

Becareful, scotchbrite comes in different coarsness just like sand paper. I use it all the time to prepare aluminum for painting and with a orbital sander, but it does not polish just removes surface irregularities with minimal scratching. If you plan on polishing use neverdull or something close to it for good results
 
Cleaner

Cleaner

Right, that is the look I was trying to get. I didn't know about the different grades though. Just trying to get a "uniform" metal color all over. I may paint it later, but want to keep it stock, at least thru the rebuild and learning/training phases.
Thanks
LJ
 
Ken & Scotchbrite pads

Ken & Scotchbrite pads

I use green (fine) Scotchbrite pads and water for aluminum work everyday. They work just fine and with minimal effort.

Ken had the "shiney" parts of his KB2 chrome plated, yes, even the aluminum. Ken's KB3, when I saw it was in pretty bad shape, not pretty at all, dull aluminum and even some rust.

I was surprised, that wasn't Ken's M.O.
 
Back in the 70's, Ron Menzie led the way around here in the spit'n polish trend. He used to polish aluminum with jewellers' rouge and a cloth buffing wheel. This process, while slow, does produce a chrome-like finish. You have to keep it up, however, as it dulls pretty fast. It's pretty while it lasts.

Scotch-Brite might serve as an initial stage of this process, but you'll have to go to progressively finer abrasives to work out the fine scratches it leaves.
 
it's a small world...I ended up with Ron Menzie's old Bensen blades...the very ones you are probably referencing. They still look good and only need occasional polishing!
 
polishing is an art and a pian in the !!@!.
If you have paint use pepboys aircraft paint remover. If is just plain aluminum. first sand it with soap and water with grid 220 if the material is really in bad shape. If not start with 400 then use 600 also with soap.

using tripoly compound and a buffing wheel works but the material have to be in very good contidion. then with a zisal bufing wheel you terminate it with white roughe compound. Now this will lets 6 month you have to keep using, blue magic , mothers to keep it lustre.

Or you can buy a clear spray call nialick to seal the shine.
see some of my work

chuckP
http://www.petersonaircraft.com/images/forsale3.jpg
 
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