Dismantling bike

[DjDante]

How much would I have to pay someone to take apart my bike, give me the frame so I can polish it, and put the bike back together? Even a ballpark figure.

I really want to polish the whole frame, but won't be able to unless I can get a decent quote for taking the bike apart and putting it back together.

[Smitty]

hmmmm
pm Philthy (Phil)
his mate..our mate Phantim
stripped a bike to polish the frame
see how long it took them...

cheers

[Quin_Daddy]

I heard it takes about 60hrs solid to polish a frame

[DjDante]

I heard it takes about 60hrs solid to polish a frame

I dont know who told you that but that honestly seems doubtfull..
I polished my rims wtih the help of a highspeed drill and cutting compound in about 3 hours... I don't think I am missing anything here.. or maybe I am.

[mrmina]

i reckon it would take a day or 2, but not 60 solid hours

[Rossi]

How To Polish Your Bike Frame
By Nick Rocheleau
http://www.usmcpress.com/extremepolish/ourwork.htm
It is amazing how small the world really is. It is nice to hear that our little web site has made it across the pond. I think it is great that you are inspired to polish your frame. It is by no means difficult just time consuming. If you have some spare time this winter you can have you’re frame looking like a mirror. Not sure how indepth you want this E-Mail so I will give you the general idea on what you can
expect and you can feel free to ask any more questions in the future.
Remove all the bodywork from your bike including the tank. This will save expensive plastic from any accidental slips of the sand paper. Before you remove the bodywork take note of what parts of the frame are actually visible. No reason to polish something that will not be seen. Then start with 220 grit sand paper to remove the anodizing from every where that you want to shine. What is important is to go always in the same direction with the sand paper strokes. Try to go with the existing "grain" of the metal. Removing the anodizing is a long pain in the ass process. You will have no fingerprints left after polishing. From 220 comes 320 to remove the scratches left from 220. I recommend wet sanding all the grits. Wet sanding will help to keep your work area clean and it makes a big difference with the higher grits. The grit sequences I use are as follows: 220, 320, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500 and if needed 2000. Doing the whole bike by yourself with a good part of everyday dedicated to it will take just over a week. If you don't mind investing some money into this project buy an orbital sander. This will greatly reduce the polishing time and wear on your fingers. When you have completely removed all the anodizing and pits, redo 220 by hand to remove all the swirls left by the sander. If you decide to use the sander only use it for the first grit. The only "trick" involved is not to get into a rush to complete it. I really cannot stress this enough. If you do not completely remove the scratches left behind from the previous grit you will always have scratches visible. Whenever I think I am finished with one grit I always go over that same area again one more time with a fresh piece of paper to ensure I have all the scratches out. I recommend to keep using the same piece of paper until it is smooth so you are using it to gradually remove the scratches left from a fresh piece of paper.
You asked about coating it to avoid oxidation. I have seen people who have tried to clear coat a polished frame with little success. I am not a painter but the way it was explained to me is that the polished frame is now very smooth. Special paint is needed so that is will actually stick. The ones I saw painted looked very dull. If you have any success with this I would appreciate any knowledge gained. Upkeep of a polished frame is not difficult though. I use a metal polish called"Mother's" but I have used a product from Europe called "Wenol" that was also good. When I get caught in the rain I just dry the frame and swing-arm to preventany drops leaving rings when they dry. And when I clean the bike I just go over the bike with the metal polish to bring back the mirror shine.
I hope this babbling letter helps you. Time for me to go grab another beer and check out some more bike web sites. I hope that you do polish your frame and swing-arm. I believe it adds to the pride of ownership. Plus it is great to see the look of other people when they see your bike. Best of luck to ya!
Nick

[DjDante]

Wow Rossi, that was really great! Thanks heaps!