I prefer to take the industrial route: As I work for a Honda (motorcycle) dealer, both the parts washer and bead blaster are available to me any lunch break. And I use them often. A good parts washer will clean up bloody well anything, as I recently found out on the teardown of a MTB I recently purchased.
If I'm caught on a job over the weekend that I don't care to wait, there always a bowl of kerosene (paraffin) to soak the parts in - which is always around as my garage/shop is heated using the stuff.
As for polishing, I've always been partial to a product called "Top Bright" which does a nice job on alloy. Have occasionally used "Simichrome" too. For the individual who was asking about it a couple of days ago, just hit any motorcycle shop that deals in cruisers (Harley-styled bikes). They always have the stuff in stock.
George R. "Syke" Paczolt Montpelier, VA
-----Original Message----- From: Adrian Levick <obey27@sfsu.edu> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Sent: Sun, 12 Feb 2006 14:35:15 -0800 Subject: [CR]Two questions:
I have picked up an old shimano 600 group, and have been cleaning some of the parts to put them on my bike. I was wondering if anyone had any advice about cleaning off grease/dirt from old components, and shining them up again.
Also, the hoods on the brake levers I have are DONE, and I need to replace them, which is proving to be harder than I thought. The levers are BL-6209. I was looking at the newer line of shimano stuff, and the ultegra hoods are definitely a different shape, but some of the duraace brakes look like they might fit. Anyone?!?
-Adrian Levick
Syke Deranged Few M/C
"I think, therefore, I am neither Republican, nor Democrat, just unpopular." ---anon
"The only good bureaucrat is one with a pistol at his head. Put it in his hand and it's good-bye to the Bill of Rights." ---H. L. Mencken
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