All 2st advice for damaged chrome stanchion/slider?

Hey all i copped a rock a month or so back that broke my lower plastic fork guard & chipped/scratched the stanchion tube(i think thats what its called-the chrome slider?). it caused the seal to leak a little. i cleaned it up & the seal doesnt seem to be leaking anymore although ill still replace to be sure. the scratch is only about 5mm long & it catches my nail when i touch it. rechroming the stanchion is gonna cost me $200-$300. Question is, can i sand the scratch down to smooth it out so the seal wont leak? wet/dry paper the go & what grade? anyone done the same? id rather not spend the money(want a lectron!) but dont want the stanchion to look like a dogs breakfast either!

Would very fine, like 000 steel wool and about a gazillion passes smooth it. I know I can polish anything from aluminum wheels to gun stocks with no damage. Maybe?
Dave

I have not done it, but when/ if I do it'll be wet n dry 400 grit or finer.

Yeh 400 sounds safe if u concentrate on knocking the burr down. Then move up to 800 or 1000. If you have to fill an area nail polish/epoxy/jb weld will work.

Pretty common on mtb forks which are basically the same.

I smooth tons of flaws from forklegs all the time. Like Avid said, concentrate on knocking the bur down. An oilstone can be best for this, paper tends to not be aggressive enough and bends over the burr, working the surrounding area too much. Finish it off with 600 then 1000 grit. Wrapping the paper around a round wooden dowel helps direct the pressure the best. WORK SLOWLY! Don't be in a hurry and have excellent lighting.

thanks for the advice all. where would one get an oilstone from?

And if you decided to replace it, Let me know, I can point you to a set of new black Nitrited stanchions for just over 300 in California, Vs. waiting 6 months (yes, that 6 months is NO JOKE) from Marzocchi over the pond.

mate if i cant get nick smoothed down & sorted id rather buy 2 new ones as opposed to one repaired one for that price! they are KYB forks though

Oh, so sorry I overlooked that part. I was for sure talking about the zokes...

After you've smoothen it with 400, and before you go 800 to 1000, grab some clear nail polish off the missus and brush it over your scratch. Let dry and proceed to further smoothen with 800 and 1000 (wet and dry of course).

Hey Shawry
You can get an oilstone from a tackle shop, a small fine one that has a Vee formed into one side like used for sharpening fish hooks .
First clean the area with carb or brake cleaner to remove the oil, then fill the "Hole/chip in the chrome" with a drop of superglue then let it dry overnight.
Sand the area with 400 until the majority of the superglue is gone, then use the flat side of the stone with a little WD spray, very lightly, to take just the burr off the edge of the "Hole" where the metal is pushed up, so it doesn't nick the seal as it moves up & down.
Then hit it with 600 & then 1000 grit wet & dry with WD spray, the chrome is very hard but very thin on the edge so go easy, as you dont want a lot of scratches from sanding.
The superglue fills the "Hole" & the stone takes the burr off the edge of the "Hole" & brings the finished surface a lot closer to the original level than just taking the burr off.
Works a treat.

superglue or jb weld u reckon? when you home mate, scared im gonna make a meal of this!

Next Friday mate.
I have had good results with superglue. Never used JB weld but worth a try.

mate if you reckon superglue then thats good enough for this little black duck!

Hey I really like that superglue tip! I've never tried that but I bet it will help seal off the bare metal and prevent corrosion! as well as filling a depression. Often fixing the "burr" leaves bare metal which is prone to rusting... good stuff guys!

I have been using super glue for all sorts of things and usually don't leave home without it. I even repaired a big cut in a truck tire tread.
The thing about JB Weld is that it is so thick that a small application like filling a scratch would be tough without getting way too much, requiring lots of sanding.
Good idea.