woohoo polished my FMIC!!! pics

[blcknspo0ln]

here's before and after pics

used grits in following steps: dry 400, 800, 1000, wetsand 1000, wetsand 1500, MOTHERS MAG POLISH!!!

 

[blcknspo0ln]

holy blurry pictures batman!

but you guys get the idea. it took all of 15 minutes to make it look like this. so everyone with an FMIC get off you're lazy asses and polish your FMIC!

 

[leakyfaucet]

Nice job! Did you use an electric sander or some kind of rotary tool?

 

[blcknspo0ln]

you're crazy.. 15 minutes of hand sanding. thats it

 

[L2RTSiAWD]

Well you can't see the endtanks of my FMIC with the bumper on,

But yours is nice and shiny.

 

[blcknspo0ln]

ya you can't really see the endtanks neither, but that's why I tried to focus on the bars in between the fins. since the fins are so delicate.. i didn't do such a great job.

but at least it's much nicer to look at

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

nice job man..

but seriously.. wat tools did u use for sanding..

 

[blcknspo0ln]

15 minutes of hand sanding. thats it

i wasnt lying

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

i wasnt lying

u werent lying.. ..
so i can find those different grits at any hardware store?
wow.. if its that easy and cheap (i assume sandpaper aint that expensive) how come no one does it like that..

so let me get htis straight.. it only took 15min? and just going through those different grits.. no other hidden step or process?

u need to make a write up..

 

[FiReBReTHa]

Haha. Great pics, good post. did you clear coat it or anything?

 

[blcknspo0ln]

I thought everyone knew how to do this

the FMIC is aluminum so it's much easier to work with rather than cast or something like a valve cover [ very soft metal ] . and since it didn't have any pits, it's much easier to do.

and yes, it's THAT easy. I only did this because I was bored and thought my FMIC was kinda dull. I went to the auto store and bought a "variety" package that came with all sorts of grits, then went home and went to town with it.

started with some 400 to take out the larger scratches, then 800 for finer, then DRY 1000 for even finer, then wetsand 1000, then wetsand 1500. the most important part of polishing is really working the mothers mag into it. I basically covered the entire thing is a layer of mothers mag and took some terry clothes and rubbed the crap out of it until it started shining

*edit* nope no clear coat neither

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

great info man..

so wat exactly is wetsanding? i hear about it all the time.. is this a "Type" of sandpaper.. or do u literally wet the sandpaper wit water?
and u mention the mother's mag.. is this the final step? or a process u do throughout the entire process..

thanks for the instructions and replies..

i will do this over the weekend and post my result and pics..
after u answer those final questions above heh

tghanks again

 

[blcknspo0ln]

dry sanding is using sand paper as usual

wetsanding is wetting the sand paper and object with water, sand with everything soaking and keep it constantly wet. this removes nearly all scratches and makes the surface VERY smooth.

use mother's mag after you wetsand 1500. dont be afraid of using a large amount.. you're gonna wipe it off anyway. and be thorough! the more you hurt your arm from buffing the better it'll look

 

[greyforestgst]

i would opt for wetsanding instead, that way you dont waste paper by clogging it up.

its easy to do. i just fill a small bucket with water and splurt a dab of dish soap in there. let your different grit sandpapers soak for a minute or so, then take them all out. as you pull em out and start sanding, dont neglect to dip your paper back in water to make sure everything is nice and wet at all times.

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

great info guys.. will definitely help out a lot wen i start this tomorrow..

any stores u recommend getting the paper?

im probably going to home depot first?
any objections?

 

[blcknspo0ln]

home depot for the most part is the shizznat for things like this.. but fortunately for me, my home depot sucks...

anyway, you can get sandpaper most anywhere: walmart, pepboys, local auto stores, paint stores.. take your pic.. just get enough for the job

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

hey guys. as i promised here is my reply..

i went out and got as many different grits i could find..

home depot did not have any higher than 400..
i got a variety pack from there which had a 200, 320, and 400

then i went to kragens.. where i bought the rest.. 3M brand
600, 800, 1000, 1500, and 2000
and also got the mother's polish compond there..

i did exactly wat u guys mentioned here.. and some of the write ups in the tech articles..

indeed its a long process.. a couple of hours.. its not the best.. but its not the worse.. im satisfied..

here are my results..

 

[blcknspo0ln]

definately looks good man

I guess the time difference was because you did the endtanks and all. i only did the parts you could see