Rear Fender Questions

[moonpup]

Ok Moonpump, I'm movin up to a definite probably.

Brokenstein......how many yay's is it going to take to convince you? 

BTW, I am glad to read elsewhere that Steve has motivated you to do a full-on resto!

[happyharvey]

Hi Moonpup, my 67 GTR has a trace of a black coating on both guards/fenders.

While we are on the topic of guards/fenders I have never understood why a bike would have a front guard made of stainless steel while the rear is chromed steel. Also this black coating we have found on the underside of our guards is of limited value on the front guard........being stainless it is not going to rot.


Regards,

Harvey.

[Bikenstein]

Yeah, I'm gonna do a full resto in due time Moonpimp, but not with the parts I've been able to get so far. I really love the bike like it is. It will probably look funky with a powder coated frame and a mix of new and rusty parts for awhile. But I don't care as long as I can ride it.

[ziggy stardust]

Harvey, I was also under the impression from what I'd read that the GTR front mudguard/fender was made from stainless steel so I put a magnet on mine the other day to check, the magnet stuck so it's made from mild steel or whatever but definately not stainless steel.

Anyone else checked, could there be two types?

Z

[BS Mechanic]

The front fender on the 350 is stainless steel, and it's also magnetic.

It's a common misconception that stainless steel is not magnetic. 

Actually, it depends on the specific alloy, for example the 300 series is generally magnetic, the 400 series is not.  It depends on the specific alloy, and also on the heat treatment.

[coxy]

may the the tar is also a cushion against stone damage hey. 

[Bikenstein]

Good thinking Coxy . It's also a micconception that stainless steel will not rust, but it will. Then again it depends on the grade and the amount of nickel, chromium etc. added to the steel because it is iron and carbon based like all steel. It will rust and rot away and turn back to dust.

[old smokey]

Yes, my GTR rear fender has a black coating on the underside and silver painted on top of that.

[ziggy stardust]

Yes you are correct BS mechanic, I Googled the the question 'can stainless steel be magnetic'.

It's as you say depends on the grade, we use small amounts at work and I'd never come across magnetic SS, also in my garage I test for SS bolts with a magnet, they are A2 grade.

So the light scratches on my front fender/mudguard should polish out then?

Z

[BS Mechanic]

Z,
Yes, but it may take some aggressive polish on an electric buffer depending on how bad the scratches are. 

When polishing alone takes too long, I use increasing grades of wet/dry sandpaper (600-800-1000 etc.) before I go at it with the buffer and compound made just for SS.  The original finish had remaining fine lines visible, not a perfect mirror finish, so it's not that bad to achieve.

[Bikenstein]

Hey BS mechanic, thanks for the tips on polishing the front fender as mine needs some work. What compound do you use for buffing?

[moonpup]

Since I've never had to polish stainless steel before, I'm with BumpinStumps in needing more info on types of compound and techniques used to get these things reeeal purty! 

[BS Mechanic]

I use a 1hp buffer from Eastwood with 8" spiral cotton wheel, using Eastwood's compound made specifically for buffing stainless steel.  It seems to be just right for making the fenders look like they did new.  You can do a good job with a 6" wheel, it will just take longer.  An important detail is to run the buff wheel accross the width of the fender, thats how it looks like they did it at the factory.  For a good reference, look at the area under the fender bracket on the 350 you can usually see some of the original finish. You can also usually find buffing compound for stainless steel with the sets of compound they have at places like Sears, or anywhere they sell buffers.  I haven't looked, but I would expect Harbor Freight probably has it.  It's typically the black stuff.

http://www.eastwood.com/buffing-compound-stainless-1lb-bars-3-pack.html

[moonpup]

Thanks BS Mechanic,

That's exactly the info I needed to get me started. Sure, we've got computers now that we all can use to search for this kind of stuff, but you can spend days reading all of it and in the end, you still may not be sure it's the right way to go.

I'd rather listen to what people who are working on the same thing I am have to say, than try to decide if the method used to polish refrigerator doors will do the same job! 

Mike

[Bikenstein]

Bridgestone people are so smart!

[coxy]

hey mike
when i used to work in the local hotel the publican was a little crazy and wanted to watch himself wee so he got me to polish the urinals (after cleaning them of course) i just used autosol and a buff

[moonpup]

Yuuuuuck....way too much information! 

[Bikenstein]

OK, I know, after reading twice, that the publican you speak of here is like the guy who hangs out in the bathroom to cater to people? At first I thought you meant Re-publican as some of the people in my kneck of the woods sort of have a lazy speech pattern. But that didn't make sense. I don't know if its me or me workin 12 hour shifts, but anyway I like the way you guys talk. I tell you though, I'd feel a little uncomfortable with a publican who likes to watch himself "wee". Will the autosol work on the fenders?

[reed]

David,
Autosol is a great polish for Aluminum and chrome it comes from Germany .
And you can get it now from Eastwood i have used it for years etc.
Thanks.
Steve.

[ziggy stardust]

I've used that much of it over the years I think I deserve some form of company discount.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/autosol-metal-polish-chrome-aluminium-75ml-tube-new-car-motorbike-/170813843888

Z