Xtc so far

[Bill C]

thought it was about time to give a progress report on the other Xtc i bought in the sjs sell off
taken awhile to get this far as first attempt using proper spraying kit rather than rattle cans









a bit of effort and a lidl polishing kit for a drill and .......



hopefully it won't take as long to get her finished as it has to get to this point, but that's project bikes 

[Danneaux]

Absolutely stunning result, Bill!

Can't wait to see it complete!

All the best,

Dan.

[Danneaux]

Back again now I have a bit more time...

Superb choice of color, and you laid the paint nicely. Sure do love what you've done with the head badge, and the polishing! Oh, be still my heart! I've polished cranks myself, and they really make a bike shine.

Wonderful job, just great Bill, and a real pleasure to see.

Best,

Dan.

[Bill C]

Hi Dan
always wanted a BRG bike, i saw a tout terrain silkroad on peter whites site that was a very similar colour and loved it, most of the pics of it don't seem to be there any more, i remember a bb shot that looked like the hottest bike pron i've seen 
so when i saw this paint i didn't even need to think about it
the spraying was easy but i could write a don't do it yourself book on stupid or clumsy mistakes I made, still you don't learn by reading

as to polishing it's a ball ache from start to finish but the results are worth it, and i do spend a lot more time looking at used kit thinking quick buff n that would look tasty
there's some lovely twisty v brakes on ebay dying to be rubbed down and polished I'm trying to resist them though 

[Andre Jute]

Man, that's a beautiful blke.

[jags]

pure class color is stunning and yeah u sure put a lot of elbow grease into getting the shiny bits shiny, nice crankset 

[John Saxby]

Nice work indeed, Bill -- we don't see enough BRG these days.  Flash cranks too, making a great contrast with the Middleburn rings.

[Joe B]

That's going to be a stunning bike, i've only ever seen one xtc in the flesh and never riden one but i often hear that they are regarded as one of Thorn's finest ever bikes. She'll be a beautie.

[ians]

great bike and fabulous job

ians

[Bill C]

time for another update
getting there slowly

shifters sorted



rear mech is an xtr m953 rapid rise
did look like this (not mine)



but now



hopefully brakes next 

[jags]

Bill your a feckin Genius 

[Danneaux]

My, that's some polishing job, Bill! Even the nooks and crannies are shiny as can be!

Well done, and what a pleasure to see. 

A bit of polish and a 200l drum of elbow grease. 

All the best,

Dan.

[Bill C]

Hi Dan
it's not perfect but the mech is around 17 years old, had it in the parts bin for i don't know how long, barely used so about time it had some    , i did look at the sunxcd polished mech but it isn't rapid rise so had to diy 
at some stage i'm going to treat myself to some rubber polishing points and some Radial Bristle Discs, should be able to get right in there then
watched a bod on youtube using them in a foredom seemed to work for jewellery 

[Danneaux]

I sure admire what you've done, Bill, and keep coming back to admire the photos you've taken of your work.

My setup mirrors Eastwood's system ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SidCppOfJY )with a dual-wheel buffer, with the added element of small cone-shaped buffers on the flex-shaft of my Dremel Moto-Tool...and lots of elbow grease added. 

I use a flannel (Canton) wheel in isolation for the final "coloring" (high polishing) and jeweler's or white rouge. I have to be careful of burns at that stage, 'cos the aluminum conducts heat so well. It pays to wear insulated gloves to prevent blistering (no wonder I've about used up my hands). My final finish coats is always Blue Magic. It uses ammonia instead of abrasives and leaves a fine silicone coating to prevent re-tarnishing. See:
http://www.amazon.com/BlueMagic-400-Metal-Polish-Cream/dp/B000BO8Z9I
http://bluemagicusa.com/index.php/blue_magic/products/210

If the surface has been clear-anodized, I often find it faster if I use a fine abrasive to cut through the anodizing first before buffing the base aluminum.

All the best,

Dan.

[Bill C]

that's a good youtube link
i haven't bought a bench polisher i reckon it's to big for anything i'd use it on, i have thought long and hard about a foredom/ generic pendant motor but they all seem to be limited to 1/8 bits ideally i want something i can use by hand/flexshaft that will take 3x0.5 and 4x1 wheels
so far the best i have seen for what i need is the metabo die grinders http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Metabo-600618000-240v-950w-Straight-Die-Grinder-GE950G-/231733234953?hash=item35f4608d09:g:EEsAAOSwF1dUNxSU
but i can't see them in kit form, only one i did was for a an american veterinary firm
all the separate parts ie the stand, the flexshaft and motor unit make it a scary price
at the moment im improvising with an old bosch pof500 router and a speed controller and my dremel
I'm collecting parts for a diy silent compressor at the moment so the xtc and buffing is suffering, lol not rich so i just get things as they crop up

I also looked at this kit http://www.polishingworld.co.uk/1100w-variable-speed-bench-polisher-flexible-drive-shaft-metal-polishing-kit/