REMOVING LACQUER OFF FRONT FORKS

  • speedzter
    speedzter
    12 years ago
    I guess you could remove the wheel and guard etc, and use very carefully use paint stripper !
  • kingchops
    kingchops
    12 years ago

    I've polished up several bits on my old sporty including forks.  I first used 3M paint striper then rubbed off the clear coat with steel wool.  I used the same method on the forks but also used wet and dry on them because they were fairly oxydised.

    Then to finish off I bought a aluminium polishing kit with two grade compounds and several grades of polishing wheels.

  • FXSTC 09
    FXSTC 09
    12 years ago
    Be careful around the fork caps when applying paint stripper as it will destroy the inner dust seals
  • vmax
    vmax
    12 years ago
    Sea To Sky make a great stripper that is water based and will not harm rubbers or seals or the ally ect .Because it is non toxic with no solvents in there it takes a while to work so if a bit flickon on your other paint you have time to wipe it of and comes as small as 500 mils and is available in a lot of paint stores
  • WAGlide
    WAGlide
    12 years ago
    Done the forks on several of my bikes and always used 800 wet & dry then after the laquer is gone I use 1000 wet & dry & finish off with autosol. I have also just taken the forks out & machine polished them.
  • philthy
    philthy
    12 years ago

    I spotted some 2000 wet/dry recently. Didn't know it existed after 1200, real fine stuff to use before the polishing finish.    

  • Bourkie
    Bourkie
    12 years ago

    Lacquer removal is easy on most bikes from Honda’s to Harleys Take a  piece of old towel  lay it on the metal and keep it wet with acrylic lacquer  thinners  for a few minutes and the coating will wrinkle up and turn to sludge wipe it off with a clean rag with thinners on it. Do not get it near paint or plastic and do it outside without smoking, use gloves. This will not stain the alloy

  • the_mongrel
    the_mongrel
    12 years ago

     I have done a few of these and never used stripper or the like.  I took the forks off the bike, and then polished on a bench polisher with a stitched rag and buffing wheel.

     

    Below is a bit of a look at a set of forks of a Yammi cruiser.

     
     
     
    Prepare to get dirty!!  :)   But no stripper required.  Much cleaner in that regard.
  • agav
    agav
    11 years ago

     I would reccomend that chroming over alloy is not a good option as it wont last long, de-laquering and polishing only option.

  • the_mongrel
    the_mongrel
    11 years ago
    The Bench Polisher is your friend.
  • russ4570
    russ4570
    11 years ago

    http://www.hdforums.com.au/Default.aspx?tabid=71&forumid=15&postid=472358&view=topic

    Have a read of this thread. I stripped the forks and describe the do's and donts of what stripper you should use.

    Regards