How to get varnish off metal??

[Guest Popeye]

Does anyone know a fairly painless way to get that varnish-looking crud off of front forks, engine, trans, etc.?

I was going to get to it last year, but every time I got the scoot out of the garage, I found myself miles away. It's too easy to put off a couple days of grunt-rubbing.

 

Someone mentioned aluminum aircraft paint remover, but there are many places I can see but can't fit my hand in to rub.

 

How to remove varnish..... & then, how to polish metal in nearly unreachable places ??

[Guest ReinyRooster]

Popeye, if you're talking about that yellowish coating that gets flaky and ugly, you can use a furntire stripper called "Circa 1852" or something like that....have some athome and I'm at work right now....may have the numbers wrong but it's close to that. Works well.

[Guest Popeye]

"...if you're talking about that yellowish coating that gets flaky and ugly,..."

 

Yup, that's it. Plane stripper & furniture stripper. Either way it seems I'll have to cover my paint really well. I can't imagine how to reach where I need without removing major parts.

[Guest FreeMasonRC S.FL]

Use a tooth brush for those hard to reach places.

No joke:080402gudl_prv:

[StuD]

Who has ever heard of a stripper called "Circa 1852" Candy, Honey or Bunny maybe .... :rotf: :canada: :rotf:

[Guest timshosvt]

Does anyone know a fairly painless way to get that varnish-looking crud off of front forks, engine, trans, etc.?

I was going to get to it last year, but every time I got the scoot out of the garage, I found myself miles away. It's too easy to put off a couple days of grunt-rubbing.

 

Someone mentioned aluminum aircraft paint remover, but there are many places I can see but can't fit my hand in to rub.

 

How to remove varnish..... & then, how to polish metal in nearly unreachable places ??

 

Just did mine with aircraft paint remover made by kleanstrip. http://www.kleanstripauto.com/products/removers.html

 

I was able to spray it on and use a sponge with warm water to scrub and neutralize it at the same time. A little goes a long way. Now, let the debate start as to re-clearcoat or not.

[CrazyHorse]

Aircraft remover melts it right off like someone said toothbrush or other small instrument. Dont get the stuff in you eyes it really burns even your hands.

[Condor]

I heard someone mention 'Goof Off' as doing a nice job??

[Cdnlouie]

I recently saw a demonstration by a woodworker who was showing how to strip motorcycle pieces at the Toronto Motorcycle Show. He sold a simple buffing arbor to which he attached flexible sandpaper strips (about 120 grit) and that attaches to a drill press, hand drill, etc. and it removes the clearcoat pretty slick. They are very pliable and wrap around the fork leg real slick cleaning off the clearcoat in no time.

 

He mentioned that the stripper leaves a chemical residue in the metal and the sandpaper is a superior stripping process (and of course, who am I too argue that point with him).

 

You can use sandpaper to take out nicks etc (not too coarse because it takes time to get those grooves out), and then work down to about 600 (wet paper is the best), then switch to a buffing wheel and at least a coarse buffing compound and then finish with a red rouge or the white compound that gives the ultimate shine.

 

P.S. I don't know how anyone who has ever done this work can look at a piece of aluminum the same way again, and think such things as "Gee I really want to clearcoat it again."