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fender beading

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tahoe healey

tahoe healey

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Has anyone ever polished the fender beading that looks like stainless steel? I would prefer to re-use the original if possible. It looks okay, just dull with a couple of small dings. I'm thinking fine sanding and buffing polishing wheel.
 
Tahoe,
I just checked mine which is new and it is magnetic so it is either regular steel and plated or type 400 stainless which is what I think it is as I don't think I have ever seen any rusted. I would first try polishing with jewelers rouge before I sanded it. If it is stainless it should end up looking like it is chrome plated. The dings are another matter. Have a good day!

John
 
I used 0000 steel wool. Local hardware store should carry it.
If you sand, then you WILL have to finish with jewelers rouge.
 
If it is just dull, I use Noxon seven metal polish and a rag. Follow the directions and be sure to leave the polish on for a few minutes. If the surface still does not shine, try a buffing wheel. You can get them for a drill if you do not have a bench grinder.
 
I have polished the beading. Polishing any metal is a progressive process. It can start with aggressive abrasive, proceeding to the finest of polishing compounds, depending upon the state of the original piece. Assuming that a particular grit of compound will do the job for all jobs is simply incorrect. If you start with too fine a compound, you will just be polishing the scratches, and you won't be happy. Compounds come in a variety of grits, and wheels come in a variety of compositions and weaves. You can certainly experiment. Starting with too light a compound or too soft a wheel will do no damage, and will reveal the need for more aggressive materials. You just need to develop a keen eye for perfection.
 
Cutlas has a good point. For my bumper bolts, I bought stainless steel carriage bolts which I sanded with someting like 1000 grit wet or dry sand paper and then polished. They shine like chrome and look great on the car.
 
If you use a bench motor and buffing wheel, be very careful and work down the length of the piece. It's really easy for the wheel to fling the piece out of your hands and bend it up. Oh, and wear gloves, the buffing process will cause heat buildup in the part.
 
Buy new ones....you won't regret it!!


Pete
 
TH,
Depending on what finish you're looking for, there are three things you can do.
The beads are stainless steel.
1. Clean them so they look original, use 0000 steel wool
2. Polish them with a metal polish like Mothers Billet Metal Polish
3. Wet sand with 1500 and polish with jewelers rough for a chrome look.

I just got my carbs back from Joe Curto the other day.
I spent some time wet sanding and jewelers rough.
I polished the aluminum and steel parts. No chrome plating here.
 
Speaking of dings (beading still on the car) is there any reasonably effective way to reshape the bead without dismantling? Certainly not expecting perfection, but disassemby and replacement is a bit drastic in my case - just looking to minimize a little "patina"
 
MoHealey said:
Speaking of dings (beading still on the car) is there any reasonably effective way to reshape the bead without dismantling? Certainly not expecting perfection, but disassemby and replacement is a bit drastic in my case - just looking to minimize a little "patina"
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When I bought my beading from Moss some years ago the package came and was "kinked" about a third of the way down. Of course that meant that every length of beading in the box was slightly bent. I too thought that should be eash to straighten. It can't! One you can't use a hammer and dolly, their too thin and will collapse, two, the pieces are just to small to work with. I did the best I could, I wish I had never done that. They stick out like a sore thumb and now I have the daunting task of having to reinstall new ones. That was 5 years ago and I still haven't done it.

Trust me, order new one's NOW and do it right.
 
Roger: They look terrific. Since you polished the steel parts, and there is no chrome plating, how are you going to prevent rust?
 
Cutlass said:
Roger: They look terrific. Since you polished the steel parts, and there is no chrome plating, how are you going to prevent rust?
Click to expand...

Cutlass:
Seems here in California, it's not humid. Water does not get under the bonnet either. I've actually polished this set up about a year ago. (I sent the carbs to Joe and touched up the polish the other day).

It seems that they don't rust. Maybe because they are so polished or that I stay on top of it.

Cheers,
Roger
 
I like Greg. He never misses a beat!
Dude, how have you been. Been a while that we've commented on the same post.
Oh, that humidity! Well I don't drive my car in that kind.
Plus, I bond with the cleaning/polishing rag in the engine compartment more than a compulsive person should.

Cheers,
me.
 
Here in our part of Georgia, we've had nearly 20 inches of rain in the last six weeks or so. Mold and mildew have been added to our local list of basic food groups. Roger's work is nothing sort of spectacular. Wish we could get away with such here. Guess we could reproduce all those little carb pieces in stainless. That work would keep us busy while we're not pumping out our basements.
 
Cutlass said:
Mold and mildew have been added to our local list of basic food groups. Guess we could reproduce all those little carb pieces in stainless. That work would keep us busy while we're not pumping out our basements.
Click to expand...

Cutlass,
You're a funny guy. I laughed reading the food groups. Plus your a Good Looking Smart guy (I'm sure your better half will back that up). Get the parts from the local hardware store in stainless...right you are!

I used to live in Milford CT. I know what a basement pump is. And it was my job to empty the dehumidifier in the summer. (Plus cut the lawn, shovel the snow, rake the leaves. Hey wait a minute, what did my younger brother do?)

By the way, Greg...thanks for sending that rain up here. I'm looking out the window and watching it right now. Who says it never rains in California.

Now, back to TH beading question.
What have you decided to do TH?

Cheers,
Roger
 
I'm going with the hand sanding and light buffing. The painter I think I'm going to use will do any chroming at his cost and they have plenty of guys who are expert on everything. This is a custom Reno (Hot August Nights) shop. They also have 50 cars they are going to restore form the 20's on up. They have 6 56 and 57 Chevys and 4 Nomads. It was like going through an auto history lesson. All I want is paint and light surface work. All they want is big bucks.
Anyway, any tips about taking the fenders off besides patience? I understand getting to some of the nuts and bolts is difficult. I'm figuring 4 days to get everything off. Optimistic? Dreaming? Tomorrow is the start date.
 
Chrome can be pretty brittle. If you have to bend the beading when installing it, some of the chrome may crack and flake off.
 
AUSMHLY said:
By the way, Greg...thanks for sending that rain up here. I'm looking out the window and watching it right now.
Click to expand...
No Roger, we didn't send you the rain, must have been someone else. If we (in So Cal) had done that we'd just have to buy it and send it back down here in the aqua duct.
 
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