Polishing exhaust.......

[ducman82]

Hey guys,  I'm thinking of polishing up my Termi race exhaust on S4RS.......  anyone got any tips that can make a slightly shorter work of that kind of job?

[lazylightnin717]

What exactly are you polishing?

How much of a polish are you thinking?

[ducpainter]

I think he's talking visible stuff like headers.

They really can take on a beautiful golden color if polished and handled correctly.

[ducman82]

headers and mid pipe to my term cans. some of it has that gold, but most is a "meh" burnish / dirty looking etc...

[lazylightnin717]

I've used WD40 and scotch brite.

And a lot of elbow grease.

[oldndumb]

I've used WD40 and scotch brite.

And a lot of elbow grease.

Although I've never used that technique, I would be surprised if the results would qualify as "polished". Probably more along the lines of a clean satin finish.

What has worked for me and results in a polished finish is to first brush on Lysol toilet bowl cleaner (black bottle, contains hydrochloric acid) to remove the surface contaminants and major discolorations. After a thorough rinsing I then use strips of wet 400 paper followed by wet 600. Half inch strips make it easier to do. Once all marks are removed I then use a PowerBall and whatever metal polish I have handy to bring out the high luster. Once and a while there may be a nook or cranny which is visible but difficult to reach with the paper. When that happens I use a fine grit Cratex point. Once satisfied when the polish,, I give the pipe a thorough wipe down with MEK. Other solvents will suffice so long as nothing remains on the pipe which might discolor when brought to temperature. Forgot to mention, I remove the exhaust and use various rods/plastic pipes in a vise to secure the pipe being polished.

One example after about a month of riding.



Latest mod and polishing. Note that the remaining weld beads left over after removing the exhaust valve brackets are gone and the surface polished. This required careful grinding and filing prior to progressing to the wet papers.

[ducpainter]

To add to what O&D said...

Nitric acid works too.

After install you need to remove all the finger prints and any contaminants from the surface or they'll show in the coloration.

[Howie]

Too much work

Call the yuk patina

[dbran1949]

the polish looks nice, I have used the scotchbrite and wd-40 which looks better than just the normal patina. I like the polished look but it does sound like a lot of work. I don't know about anyone else but I am a little nervous about removing the Termis. When I had the dealer install them the mechanic busted the mounting point on the engine case and had to replace the part.

[Speeddog]

IMO, and from what lots of folks have said.

Give the exhaust to a professional polisher, and pay them to do it.

[lazylightnin717]

IMO, and from what lots of folks have said.

Give the exhaust to a professional polisher, and pay them to do it.

+1

My hack job of polishing was more of a cleaning the crap off and giving the pipes a nice brushed look.

[d3vi@nt]

Good "how-to" article here: http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=43917.0

[oldndumb]

Good "how-to" article here: http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=43917.0

I know it doesn't matter to some, but there is a difference between a satin finish and a polished one.

As far as polishing taking a lot of elbow grease, it really doesn't so long as you work smart. Removing the pipes and then placing them on pieces of PVC pipe as makeshift mandrels makes it easier because it allows you to use both hands on strips of wet paper in a back and forth sawing motion .

The two grades of paper removes surface marks and leaves a smooth but dull finish. That part of the process takes the longest. The PowerBall and metal polish then brings out the polished shine and only takes a few minutes. The whole process on a used set of pipes, once removed, usually takes me about two to three hours. A new set takes almost the same amount of time.

Again, I know some could care less about polished pipes, but those of us who have them quietly enjoy being smug when parked next to other bikes. 

[monsta]

Do yourself a favor...
Buy a bench grinder, full 1 HP is the go.
Then get polishing wheels, 1 stiched for the the heavy work and a mop for the fine polishing.
Make sure you have the correct polishing compound for the respective wheels.

Saves a lot of the work... and you can even use it as grinder! 

[oldndumb]

Do yourself a favor...
Buy a bench grinder, full 1 HP is the go.
Then get polishing wheels, 1 stiched for the the heavy work and a mop for the fine polishing.
Make sure you have the correct polishing compound for the respective wheels.

Saves a lot of the work... and you can even use it as grinder! 

Been there, done that.

The problem is that grinder arbors are too short for polishing anything other than small, simple pieces. Trying to use it on something like an exhaust pipe results in the piece to be polished contacting the motor bell. Very aggravating!

In addition to the longer arbors on a polisher, another reason why they manufacture dedicated polishing machines is the motor torque. Put a polishing wheel on a grinder and use it very often and you will most likely find that anything more then moderate pressure will tend to stall the grinder motor.

I'm an old guy who has been doing this stuff for a long time and have wasted untold $$$ on tools and equipment. I'm always open to learning new, easier ways to do stuff, such as a PowerBall chucked in a die grinder. IMO, using a grinder as a polisher is a very limited method. If I needed to polish many pieces on a recurring basis, I would get a polisher.  YMMV.