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#1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Fayetteville Arkansas
Posts: 830
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Polishing trim
Any one have any luck polishing the trim. I bought a new strip for the center of the cab below the back glass, but I would like to reuse the original corners since they have the Chevy logo on them. I would also like to polish the tailgate trim as well. I have heard of polishing and then covering with clear to keep the shine. Any one have any suggestions...... Have any success polishing?
Polishing trim, let the jokes begin....
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Scott 87 Chevy 2WD SWB, 88 4x4 LWB http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=610652 |
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#2 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Bowser
Posts: 13,594
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Re: Polishing trim
Been there, done that! Spent a winter doing the trim on a 56 belair. Tedious but worth it. And when you're done you don't need any coating to preserve it.
Look here for some polishing kits. http://search.eastwood.com/search?w=polishing%20kit |
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#3 |
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: washington
Posts: 4,178
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Re: Polishing trim
Alot of trim is hard anodized. Sand forever or professionally have it removed
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#4 |
Frequent Flyer
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Tulsa, OK
Posts: 2,258
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Re: Polishing trim
Lots of polishing later....
It does not have any clear over it. Last edited by JWall; 09-19-2013 at 08:40 AM. |
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#5 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Bowser
Posts: 13,594
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Re: Polishing trim
Nice job Justin!!
THe one I did is still lookin' good 25 years later (and no clear)! |
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#6 |
Senior Member
![]() Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Phoenix AZ
Posts: 4,557
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Re: Polishing trim
These are hard anodized. The anno can be removed with Easy Off oven cleaner or a mix of liquid plumber and water. I use a plastic play pool and the Liquid plumber. The thing with doing it this way is the item needs to be completely submersed. If you only do 1/2 at a time you end up with a line at the middle where it didn't strip the anno at the same rate. I do a lot of old school BMX bikes and many of the parts where clear or color anodized and I have used the process often.
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#7 |
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Location: Cypress, TX
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Re: Polishing trim
Justin- I never get tired of looking at pics of your truck. Please elaborate on the process you used to strip and polish your trim.
geezer#99- I may be wrong, but I am pretty sure the trim on your 56 belair is stainless steel.
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#8 | |
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Tulsa, OK
Posts: 2,258
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Re: Polishing trim
Quote:
Since at the time it was still my Dad's truck he actually was the one that had the idea to polish the trim out. Now with my Dad being kind of "old school" he tried a lot of concoctions of chemicals to get the coating off the trim & couldnt tell you for sure what all was used (and we might not want to know what was used when I wasnt around ![]() Then we used a 2 or 3 inch buffing pad on an air driven die grinder with a kit of jewlers rouge to polish them out. Then at the end polished them out with some good billet polish with the same style pad set up & then finally by hand. It took some time & getting dirty buffing but I think it turned out great. It has only taken a few quick passes of hand polishing over the years to keep it maintained. But also this truck lives a pretty sheltered life these days too. And Thank You for the compliment... I drool over your truck quite often as well. |
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#9 | |
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Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Sheffield, ALA
Posts: 2,471
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Re: Polishing trim
Quote:
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#10 |
425hp409
![]() Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Prosper Texas
Posts: 841
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Re: Polishing trim
I picked out an bench mounted electric buffer with 6 inch wheels from Sears years ago for my wife to give to me for Christmas, and it works great. I have polished many pieces of aluminum and stainless to near mirror finish. The link to the video from Eastwood on the previous post is good. I bought the three DVD set from them and it goes into great detail on repairing, straightening and buffing. It is very satisfying to me to do the work myself and see the finished product. I have not clear coated any of mine and they stay looking good.
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Charles 68 SWB, Dad bought new, now 396 & factory ac 64 Impala SS, 409 425HP, 4 speed AC 64 Bel Air Wagon, 400 Small Block 57 Bel Air all original 283 w/Factory Air 77 GMC Sprint, 454/425HP 67 Olds 442, all original 90 ZR1 Corvette |
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#11 |
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Fayetteville Arkansas
Posts: 830
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Re: Polishing trim
I have polished aluminum before with great results, but have never tried to polish this type of trim. I have a polishing wheel and some jewelers blocks to use. I will polish the crap out of the trim and not worry about it dulling quickly, from this advice I am sure it will work. Thanks for the tips, I will try to post pics when I get some of it done.
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Scott 87 Chevy 2WD SWB, 88 4x4 LWB http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=610652 |
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#12 | |
425hp409
![]() Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Prosper Texas
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Re: Polishing trim
Quote:
Posted via Mobile Device
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Charles 68 SWB, Dad bought new, now 396 & factory ac 64 Impala SS, 409 425HP, 4 speed AC 64 Bel Air Wagon, 400 Small Block 57 Bel Air all original 283 w/Factory Air 77 GMC Sprint, 454/425HP 67 Olds 442, all original 90 ZR1 Corvette |
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#13 |
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Fayetteville Arkansas
Posts: 830
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Re: Polishing trim
Well I got one side just about done. I tried the oven cleaner to get the coating off, no luck. I used 80 grit, 220, and then wet sanded with 1000. I have a polishing wheel, so once I got the coating off it polishes right up. I think I will get some 1500 and wet sand a bit more before final polish. Still have to clean and paint the Chevy emblem.
JWALL-I hope to get it as nice as yours[IMG] ![]()
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Scott 87 Chevy 2WD SWB, 88 4x4 LWB http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=610652 |
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#14 |
Frequent Flyer
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Tulsa, OK
Posts: 2,258
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Re: Polishing trim
Lookin good!
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#15 |
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Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Newalla, OK
Posts: 600
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Re: Polishing trim
dang now I think I am going to polish mine. looking good
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#16 |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Athens, GA
Posts: 25
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Re: Polishing trim
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#17 |
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Fayetteville Arkansas
Posts: 830
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Re: Polishing trim
Not a big fan of the cream on the polishing wheel, makes a mess....I have been using mothers metal polish for a long time for final hand polishing, I may have to try that Blue Magic out.
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Scott 87 Chevy 2WD SWB, 88 4x4 LWB http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=610652 |
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#18 |
Account Suspended
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Location: lumberton tx
Posts: 575
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Re: Polishing trim
Wow, those are some beautiful jobs! JWALL, did yall hand paint the black on the trim?
Sodell, please tell me exactly the style tools you used, and the methods! My truck is being painted apple red now and i want it to look like this! |
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#19 |
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Fayetteville Arkansas
Posts: 830
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Re: Polishing trim
I used 320 on an DA sander, then 600 west sand, ect.. up to 2000 west sand. I then use polishing wheels with jewelers rouge, red then white.
http://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-1-2...RCCODE=1SE1531 I have polished a lot of stuff since this original post, once you get the anodized stuff off, its similar to polishing stainless steel.
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Scott 87 Chevy 2WD SWB, 88 4x4 LWB http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=610652 |
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#20 |
Account Suspended
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Location: lumberton tx
Posts: 575
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Re: Polishing trim
Thanks, wherr can you get the rouge red and white? That link goes to a polishing drill
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#21 |
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Fayetteville Arkansas
Posts: 830
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Re: Polishing trim
You can get it just about anywhere, I think Walmart sells it.
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Scott 87 Chevy 2WD SWB, 88 4x4 LWB http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=610652 |
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#22 |
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Fayetteville Arkansas
Posts: 830
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Re: Polishing trim
If you have a Harbor freight, they have it
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Scott 87 Chevy 2WD SWB, 88 4x4 LWB http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=610652 |
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#23 |
Account Suspended
![]() Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: lumberton tx
Posts: 575
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Re: Polishing trim
Is the red and white rouge a polish or a wheel? We do have a horrible freight. I may be making a trip there tomorrow
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#24 |
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Fayetteville Arkansas
Posts: 830
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Re: Polishing trim
Its a solid polish.
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Scott 87 Chevy 2WD SWB, 88 4x4 LWB http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=610652 |
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#25 | |
Frequent Flyer
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Tulsa, OK
Posts: 2,258
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Re: Polishing trim
Quote:
Here are a couple more pics... My friends hate to drive behind me when its dark because of getting blinded by their own headlights ![]() |
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