How do you clean up and old bruiser/mounty chassis and parts?

[violetmind]

I just got my hands on an old mountaineer but I'm curious as to how everyone cleans up and polishes their metal parts. Does everyone just use brasso/autosol or polishing dremel brush? both perhaps? or are there other methods?

Thanks

[shodog]

The metal parts of the frame are zinc coated. To be able to polish them, you need to take that coating off with either snad paper or what i used is a metal etch chemical. I then used a buffing wheel mounted to an inexpensive 6inch bench mounted grinder. A dremel will take forever. For polish I liek to use Mother mag wheel polish becuase you can get a sizable tub of it for only $8.00. The pot metal axle casings take a lot more work in polishing as the metal is not high quality and doesn't taakie to polishing very easily.

Here is my moutaineer chassis I polished

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/tc_userimages/34/img34_21082002201255_5.jpg

[violetmind]

Here is my moutaineer chassis I polished

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/tc_userimages/34/img34_21082002201255_5.jpg

That is INSANE!!!! I mean, how did you do it?? :omg:

And the mounty chassis isn't too bad either! :LOL:

Seriously though, that chassis looks sweet. I wish I had that kind of equipment to work with. I have none of that here where I stay. Do you have to keep it well maintained or is it a case of simply polishing up to that mirror finish and leaving it alone? Will it start to fade off and tarnish again soon?

[violetmind]

The metal parts of the frame are zinc coated. To be able to polish them, you need to take that coating off with either snad paper or what i used is a metal etch chemical.

Is this also true for other old trucks like the xlt and hilux?

[shodog]

Is this also true for other old trucks like the xlt and hilux?

The Hilux has an aluminum frame and the XLT is a totally different creature that shares it's chassis with the Sand Scorcher and Rough Rider buggies

[violetmind]

Understand about the xlt but I was just wondering if I should treat the metal parts the same way as you described for the mountaineer/bruiser.

Thanks!

[slimlaflin]

i use a vibrating tumbler to polish up all my old parts. it woks good with the green corn cob media, but frame rails are to big to go in the tumbler. works real good on the old cheep aluminum, that tamiya used.