Mirror polishing, what do we think?

tarloone":kbldu4rp said:

Ian Raleigh":kbldu4rp said:

I dumped a chainring into some oven cleaner and forgot all about it, that was until the next morning :roll: It had a thick black hard layer on it and was a cow to remove.

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:roll:

The DIY 'Century Finish'

Some interesting views from both camps here. So, we all agree that it's really just a customisation and it's a route only worth considering if the subject is cosmetically past it?

I wonder how man of us have a botched 'polish' project shamefully hidden behind the tool box. I just weep for those beautiful Italian castings ruined by fools following a fad.

There can be a functional side to it... Cheesedisease mentioned the cracked spider/crank intersection...As beautiful as some of those Italian castings are, they do have design flaws.. polishing them out could be seen as stress relieving and good maintenance. Stress in the metal, that is, not the polisher, although that as well! Any scar in any component can be a stress-raiser and develop into a crack?

Having said that, I think it's a ritual best reserved for 'keepers' rather than for old scarred tat that you are hoping to add value to on the market. I have this idealistic vision of an octogenarian cyclist who has been polishing (and pedalling) the same pair of cranks for 50 years or more. As a result they are as emaciated as (s)he is, and they have about as much structural integrity left as an octogenarian needs. Those cranks will be ready for recycling about the same time as their polisher.

There are many companies these days who can re anodise old alloy parts and bring them back to good as new.

Think about this? You have polished cranks! Do you know you can have them done in a gold colour which is like chrome-gold

There is even local to me!

http://www.mansfield-anodisers.co.uk/

Well as I do polishing I feel I should put in my two pennies, but it's pretty much all been said.

If something is cosmetically past it then it is like giving it a new lease of life. Seems wrong to do it to something thats prestine and personally I wouldn't (although I would to a brand new piece).

I think bikenut2010 summed it up quite well when comparing it to classic cars. Personally whether it be a hotrod or a restoration I admire the amount of work and aesthetic beauty of both.

Anyway I'm just going over whats already been said.

Couple of my examples:

On my wifes Raleigh Twenty Special I did not mirror polish but gave it a good going over with the buffer removing defects and tidying it up:




http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... l&start=15

The C-Record Crank on the Omega (still awaiting completition!) is mirror polished and looks fantastic in my opinion, the bike is very bling and it would be wrong any other way. It also has 11 speed Athena rings fitted as they are very nicely finished (although not engraved, just laser etched which will eventually wear off) Obviously the crank was in quite a sorry state prior to being polished:



http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... a&start=15

Tel":bqb5yjs7 said:

The C-Record Crank on the Omega

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I'm intrigued, the logo on your C-Record crank, was one side engraved and the other just a decal? I have a very sorry looking set which I might (now) try polishing but the non-drive side which is in good shape has a decal/etched logo and the drive-side is engraved, is this normal for this crank? Polishing while retaining the logo appeals to me (now).

Original C-Record were engraved and rather rare, later ones were laser etched.

The set above are the later, originally laser etched set which I had engraved after polishing. I experimented with laser etching but it didn't come out too well and polished straight off again, it needed anodising really but that would add even more expense to an already expensive process.

agentorange":3f42viuk said:

Polishing while retaining the logo appeals to me (now).

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So my Son you have turned to the 'Dark Side'

Ian Raleigh":27g6wtzd said:

agentorange":27g6wtzd said:

Polishing while retaining the logo appeals to me (now).

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So my Son you have turned to the 'Dark Side'

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Ha, well, quite. I have to admit it's certainly an option for badly damaged items. If it's something that's so ropey it either won't get used or isn't worth selling on then maybe. Ahh Tel's crank looks great with the logo, I could to entertain eating my words if I thought I'd end up with something looking as good as that. I just don't think I could do it though, imagine sanding the logo off, I'd have to turn away while doing that bit.

Theres only one down side to polishing stuff is you have to keep polishing it, to keep it looking good.

Applying a layer of clear lacquer is an idea but because of the highly polished surface the lacquer will come off/flake/chip...eventually.

Any road salt on such polished items soon go dull and if you leave the salt on will get pitted.

My campag' chainset is on my Raleigh which is used in all year round, i once covered my cranks in oil/wax, big mistake!

Just to illustrate my point -

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=240714

co-incidence that the two threads are running at once.

On a similar subject - has anyong any knowledge of 'black chrome'?

^^ is that a hijack?