# how to polish titanium?



## Dave K (Jun 15, 2004)

Anybody have any experience or knowhow on polishing a titanium frame?

things I need to know are:

recommended tools
recommended polishing compounds and materials
estimated time to complete
estimated pain-in-the-ass rating on a scale of 1 - 10
will the polishing have to be redone in a year or more due to oxidation?
any other pitfalls, negatives, drawbacks to watch for?


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

Dave K said:


> Anybody have any experience or knowhow on polishing a titanium frame?
> 
> things I need to know are:
> 
> ...


why? bored of the gunmetal grey look? In any event a polished TI frame is gonna look scratched up way before a brushed finished one will. I think this sounds like more trouble than it's worth, but it's your time.


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## Dave K (Jun 15, 2004)

Bocephus Jones II said:


> why? bored of the gunmetal grey look? In any event a polished TI frame is gonna look scratched up way before a brushed finished one will. I think this sounds like more trouble than it's worth, but it's your time.


I figgered polished Ti didn't scratch much easier than paint, and much easier to remedy. Just polish that spot down again. Am I wrong?

My painted bikes don't really get many scratches (knock on wood), and when they do, I have to just leave them cuz big trouble to repaint it and touchup looks worse usually. Just dings from rocks kicked up by riders in front of me or my own front tire.


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

Dave K said:


> I figgered polished Ti didn't scratch much easier than paint, and much easier to remedy. Just polish that spot down again. Am I wrong?
> 
> My painted bikes don't really get many scratches (knock on wood), and when they do, I have to just leave them cuz big trouble to repaint it and touchup looks worse usually. Just dings from rocks kicked up by riders in front of me or my own front tire.


I assume you are talking about that polished, mirrored finish like you see on some Litespeeds. I think you'll have more trouble with scratching on that than a simple brushed finish. With the brushed you just polish with Lemon pledge and if you get a serious scratch just take a little Scotch Brite to it and buff it out. With the mirrored finish you probably have to resurface.


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## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*pain to maintain...*

A truly mirror polished Ti frame, like the Litespeed Ultimate that I owned is a HUGE pain to maintain. Every fngerprint shows and just about anything that touches it will mar the surface. Repolishing to match Lirtespeed's electropolished surface was next to impossible.

A frame that originally had a brushed finish should not be polished. Usually the scratches are deep enough that complete removal could weaken the frame, but I know there are folks who have taken frames to plating shops and had them polished. If you do that, warn then that a dented frame is worth big $. It's not hard to drop a frame or get it caught in a buffing wheel and thrown across the shop.

Anyway, here's a link to good info. You can get some of the materials at Home Depot, but trying to polish a whole frame with a buffing wheel mounted in a drill would take a long time. Not enough surface speed on the wheel and too little power.

http://www.swmetal.com/


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## scopestuff2 (Jun 19, 2002)

*polished is sweet ... but ....*

I had a polished Ti Frame. They look wonderful the day the come from the factory. Every day there after the appearance degrades. I eventually took a 3M pad and 'brush finished" the frame. It still looked great, but after 'applying' the brush finish it didn't show every fingerprint and every tiny, tiny little superficial scratch.

The flip side is that some people really love their polished frames.





Dave K said:


> Anybody have any experience or knowhow on polishing a titanium frame?
> 
> things I need to know are:
> 
> ...


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## Dave_Stohler (Jan 22, 2004)

*Polish Titanium???*

Is that like British Steel, or German Silver??


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## pr0230 (Jun 4, 2004)

*To ANSWER YOUR QUESTION*



Dave K said:


> Anybody have any experience or knowhow on polishing a titanium frame?
> 
> things I need to know are:
> 
> ...


You are asking how to polish metal... 
There are specific polish materials at the auto store... They usually do well on already polished metals and usually only clean them... To take a brushed finish into mirror finish you need a cutting paste.... I have found that SIMICROME, a german jewelers polish is wonderfull for that.... There is also a can called Neverdull from marine stores... It contains a big cotton pad that you pull tuffs from... It has linseed oil and a mild abrasive... It also works well... Its also available in auto stores but I don' know the name of it... Its the same as Never dull... 
as for tools, you definately will need a dremel and polishing pads.... Or a drill with polishing pads.... You can polish your bike in 3 to 4 hours.... 

You will ALWAYS have to polish it put pretty much it will be a 1/2 hr once over... 
IF thats what you want do it ... Cause you can always get some FINE bronze wool and put a brush finish back....(typically sold at boat stores) dont use steel its too abrasive... Scotch bright also works well but the green sometimes gets impregnated in the metal....
Bronze wool is the way to go.


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## Spirito (Nov 26, 2001)

*get it chromed (nm)*

n f'in m


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## Len J (Jan 28, 2004)

*Paint it.......*



Dave K said:


> Anybody have any experience or knowhow on polishing a titanium frame?
> 
> things I need to know are:
> 
> ...


IMO (personal taste) there is nothing uglier than bare titanium, Polished, not polished, shot peened, all of it. I have two Titanium bikes that are 3/4 quality painted with only bare chainstays and seatstays. I wax the entire bike twice a year, wipe it down after every ride, it looks great.....one after almost 15,000 miles.

Len


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## farmerfrank (Feb 11, 2004)

*Cleaning Brushed Finish*

I have used Scotch Brite "Type A Very Fine" to clean my brushed finish Merlin. It will not take out deep scratches but does a nice job of refurbishing the original sheen. Ti will oxidize over time and it is amazing what an annual cleaning will do.


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## TurboTurtle (Feb 4, 2004)

Dave K said:


> Anybody have any experience or knowhow on polishing a titanium frame?
> 
> things I need to know are:
> 
> ...


I emailed a guy that does custom titanium work (bike modifications, wheelchairs, etc.) and he uses jewelers rouge and a 3 hp grinder with a buffing pad for the majority of the frame. He has to use smaller power equipment for the corners, etc. He quit doing it because he would have to charge several (?) hundred dollars to make it worth the time it took. - TF


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## Bikinfoolferlife (Aug 13, 2004)

*I recently got a polished frame (price more than anything)*

and agree that maintaining the polished finish is hard. I waxed my frame a coupla times with a good quality wax before I built it up, and that helped for a while. Best suggestion I've seen, if you want the mirror finish, is to get it nice as possible and have it clear-coated.
Is there sufficient material to take a ti frame from polished to brushed finish?


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## homebrew (Oct 28, 2004)

Dave K said:


> Anybody have any experience or knowhow on polishing a titanium frame?
> 
> things I need to know are:
> 
> ...



I have owned a polished ti frame for three years, it looks like new. Once a month I wipe it down with a buffing compound by hand. Then I wipe it after each ride with a pedge wipe, thats it. If you get a deep scratch you can buff it out with a buffing machine. No big deal. Looks better then all my painted bikes. FYI I get the most complements on the looks of this bike as well.


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## TheDoyle (Jul 18, 2006)

*Keeping Ti Nice*

My Litespeed Ultimate is easily cleaned with Pledge wipes. With little effort, it looks new again in no time flat. I have two painted bikes as well and this is by far the the easiest to keep clean.

I have another Ti frame that does not have the polished look and looks like crap all of the time. It's a royal pain to keep spots off of the dull-gray surface. Sweat, water bottle drips and everything else, creates dark spots.

If I knew of an affordable way to bring the dull look to a chrome-like shine, I'd do it.

What about emory cloth for bringing out the shine? Has anyone tried that or is buffing compound and motorized equipment the only way?


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

One of the biggest advantages of a ti frame is its low maintenance. Sure, they are plain looking, but you don't have to worry about scratches, nicks, etc. You also save a little weight from having no paint or clear coat. 

Personally I don't like the look of polished ti, but everyone has different tastes. My brushed ti frame may be plain, but it is very easy to maintain its finish. If the frame gets discolored from sweat, scratched or dirty, all you have to do is rub it down with a Scotch-Brite pad and it looks like new again.

My steel bike with its fancy paint job is my pretty bike. My ti bike is my utilitarian bike that I take on trips so I don't have to worry about messing up the paint.


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## Marvin8 (May 15, 2011)

As one of the posters already said, the easiest and best way is to strip the bike and bring it to a professional chromer. They shouldn't charge more than $100 or so, but at least you'll end up with what you're really looking for...a true mirror finish that is easy to maintain with simple windex. And the difference between a true chrome finish and a polished metal (titanium) finish is vast.


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## Blue CheeseHead (Jul 14, 2008)

Marvin8 said:


> As one of the posters already said, the easiest and best way is to strip the bike and bring it to a professional chromer. They shouldn't charge more than $100 or so, but at least you'll end up with what you're really looking for...a true mirror finish that is easy to maintain with simple windex. And the difference between a true chrome finish and a polished metal (titanium) finish is vast.


I do not think it is quite that simple. Chrome on the inside of the headtube will change the diameter and thus could cause issues with headsets. The bottom bracket will have to have the threads protected and will need to be re-faced.

Chrome is very hard and re-facing of bottom bracket and reaming of headset will be challenges.


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## Marvin8 (May 15, 2011)

Blue CheeseHead said:


> I do not think it is quite that simple. Chrome on the inside of the headtube will change the diameter and thus could cause issues with headsets. The bottom bracket will have to have the threads protected and will need to be re-faced.
> 
> Chrome is very hard and re-facing of bottom bracket and reaming of headset will be challenges.


 I had it done to my old Raleigh Pro and it turned out fantastic...except for the top of the bottom bracket/seat tube/chainstay junction. And even there, it wasn't too bad. Of course, if the chromer is competent, he'll block off all parts that shouldn't be chromed. Had zero chrome on the inside of ANY of my tubes. My bike got serious compliments wherever I went, and simple windex kept it sparkling. Every coating I've tried on my polished titanium Mongoose road bike shows fingerprints like crazy. No getting around it unless I clear coat or chrome it. I'll probably do neither, but if I did, I would probably chrome it. I've got a good guy to do it.


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## thompsw (Jun 16, 2011)

I have a Litespeed Classic with more than 100,000 miles on it now -- mostly randonneuring -- it goes through hell and back and still looks great. Yes, it could use some polishing and has some "beauty" marks. People still comment on how good it looks. I've done nothing with it except citrus clean and perhaps wipe it with wd40. 

I'm now building up a new bike with a custom Ti frame and want to get the polished look again. It's low maintenance and rugged. 

Dave.


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## adjtogo (Nov 18, 2006)

First, let me say, there are different finishes a Ti bike has. I own a 2014 Lynskey R255 with the bright brushed finish. I chose that finish because I did research ahead of time on the various finishes on a Ti frame and how difficult some are to clean and remove finger prints and minor scratches. I chose the bright brushed finish and paid an extra $250 for it because I know I'm not the type of person who wants to spend hours cleaning and polishing a bike. I know I'd freak out if I got a minor scratch in the basic Ti finish and I'd want the scratch removed. So, with a little research and planning, I spend the extra $250 for the bright brushed finished...and it looks just as amazing today as the day I bought it.

I clean any dirt and sweat off the frame with Simply Green. Once the frame dries, I use Pledge to bring out the natural shine and luster. I don't need to use Pledge after every time I use the bike. Maybe once a month, and it only takes minutes to wipe it to make it very shiny again. I do use Simply Green a few times a week, as I live in hot and humid Florida, where I sweat a lot and the sweat gets all over the frame and drive train.

Now, if you have just the standard, run of the mill frame with just it's natural finish, it is definitely harder to maintain and make it look good.


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## n2deep (Mar 23, 2014)

Have you considered getting it anodized, that might look great depending on the color/material. I would buy a small piece if Ti tubing to test before I took the plunge. Also it may be difficult to find a plater with a tank large enough to dip a frame but I'm sure there is one around. 

Mine is brushed and it gets cleaned with simple green and a non toxic degreaser. The non-toxic degreaser removes all finger prints/etc.. 

Regards


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## Mr Evil (Aug 12, 2011)

I wonder if Dave K still needs help polishing his frame *10 years later*?



n2deep said:


> Have you considered getting it anodized...


I wouldn't want to get a whole frame anodized because of the negative effect it has on fatigue strength.


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## Duane Gran (Feb 3, 2004)

I have a Seven Ti bike where they do the brushed naked look and these are the instructions I got for doing spot polish work:

1) We use Scotch Brite 07447 pads here: http://www.shop3m.com/61500123239.html
2) Cut a strip about 1-2" wide. Grip it on either side with both hands and buff the frame perpendicularly to the tube, like shoe shining. That way, you'll get an even straight grain. You can go extra hard on the scratches. There's no wrong way to do it since the results are not permanent.

This may not be applicable for other manufacturers based on the way they prepared the frame surface. Best bet is to ask and take the collection of responses here as helpful, but not authoritative, perspective.


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