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jaybird

jaybird

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Polishing sucks.

Everyone (painfully) knows the story of Emma's hooters. They are these bugly plastic things that sound like I'm grinding gears when I honk. Tony sent me a set. I just wanted them pretty. There's a fair amount of crud and rust on them. Which is fine, they honk, I wired 'em up and tried.

HOW can I get them clean? Can I just soak them in mineral spirits or something? My hands are black, my french manicure is now grey, I have bits of wire in my hair, face and probably embedded in all exposed skin.

I've come to the determination I don't LIKE polishing. It's tedious, time-consuming and boring. I'm too highstrung for this sort of chore. I can't even fathom polishing every bit that goes on Binabox.

So. Can I 'soak' off the rust and paint? We do have a parts washer, but I don't think it's going to help, unless I can leave them in there overnight.

I just wanted to perk 'em up a bit!
 
Ya don't want to soak 'em, they have piddly bits inside that won't like that at all. You could try some paint stripper, applied with a 1" *natural bristle* paintbrush. Take yer time and do 'em half at a time. Try to NOT get the stripper on any plastic bits. They do have a lot of lumps and crevices, don't they.
 
Yea, I figured my idea of soaking them wasn't going to fly. I'm thinking - 'how much will they show if I put them in just like this?' /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif I really hate the bench grinder and I'm starting to hate the dremel tool. I'm not polishing anything beyond my fingernails from now on.

IF I use the stripper, (I don't see any plastic bits on them) what color should I paint them, black?

I'm farming out all my polishing jobs. I've been all day trying to work on these horns and get the crummy paint off the center hub of the steering wheel that came on Emma. Whatever sort of paint they used would withstand a nuclear meltdown.
 
Ya know buggy, I left that line alone considering we were talking about my hooters. I thought MAYBE it would pass by. But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif
 
I can't be sure but I think the horns were originally black on your car. No clue with regards to the wheel hub. Is it not the black soft plastic original?
 
Yes, I'm putting the original one back in, (taking out the wood wheel) wiring the horns to the horn button proper instead of the lame button on the console that *some* DPO rigged. It's black, with what must have been red at one time around the MG. It's now halfarsed painted this bugly goldish copper color and I can't get that paint to budge. I've tried scraping with a very small straight slot screwdriver, I've tried mineral spirits, I've tried non-acetone nail polish remover (thought acetone would 'eat' the plastic) and I've tried lighter fluid. Nothing.

horncenter1.jpg


Not having a very productive day today.
 
[ QUOTE ]
But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

You didn't really expect me to let it slide, did you? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/angel.gif

Do you know anybody with a sandblaster that would be willing to knock the crud off them? Then, just paint 'em black. I think they were shiny black originally.
Jeff
 
Make the hub paint as smooth/flat as possible and paint it with a brush and a red Testor's model paint.
 
~thumps self upside head~

Sandblast. YES! I have a few things that need done anyway, the fanblade for Binabox, the frames for the top. I'll have Chuck run over to the plant and do that!!!

THANKS!!!
 
You don't polish hooters - you paint them! A little paint thinner & rattle can.
 
try some CLR or Lime Away, or even Kaboom. it seems to knock out rust pretty good. now if it is deep rust no dice but if what you have is just stained by it, then spritz that stuff on there and use a coarse bristle brush. I recommend CLR (Calcium, Lime, Rust) works like a charm
 
Its just surface as I remember...but, they are out of a '66 so I was pleased when they worked!
 
It is just surface, no worries. I'll have 'em looking good if it kills me.
 
Duct tape the openings before you blast 'em.
 
I'm with Jaybird. I hate hand polishing. I already have the blast cabinet, with glass beads. I have the nasty industrial carb cleaner. And now I'm working on the parts tumbler. Current variation is an old cloths dryer with a smaller container inside to hold the work piece and some polishing media. I'm now at the "media experimenting" stage, to see what will make aluminium come out all shiney by just pushing the button and letting it go for several hours.
 
Lazy cur. Back in ~MY~ time it was steel wool an' elbow grease.

Kids.


Sheesh.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Lazy cur. Back in ~MY~ time it was steel wool an' elbow grease.

Kids.


Sheesh.

[/ QUOTE ]Yea, well, now we have electricity /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif
 
bloody 'ell. Why didn't I get th' memo on that?

I gotta get a better secretary...
 
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