Bike upgrade - a really important aspect: Colour

For discussions about bikes and equipment.
jois
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Re: Bike upgrade - a really important aspect: Colour

Post by jois »

cycle tramp wrote: 1 Oct 2022, 8:30pm A quick Google search does show that there are long term health effects for those who polished aluminium on a long term regular basis...
Unless they wear masks of course and it rather depends what you polish it with, solvo and a rag youl be ok
Last edited by jois on 1 Oct 2022, 9:04pm, edited 1 time in total.
jois
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Re: Bike upgrade - a really important aspect: Colour

Post by jois »

GideonReade wrote: 1 Oct 2022, 9:02pm Clearly it's time to bring back chromed steel cycle parts!

Or, for theft prevention, pre-rust-spotted thinly chromed parts.
Now chrome is dangerous
GideonReade
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Re: Bike upgrade - a really important aspect: Colour

Post by GideonReade »

Go straight for the rust then?
cycle tramp
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Re: Bike upgrade - a really important aspect: Colour

Post by cycle tramp »

jois wrote: 1 Oct 2022, 9:02pm
cycle tramp wrote: 1 Oct 2022, 8:30pm A quick Google search does show that there are long term health effects for those who polished aluminium on a long term regular basis...
Unless they wear masks of course and it rather depends what you polish it with, solvo and a rag youl be ok
Yeah, but if you're a company like shimano paying people to work 40 or 50 hours a week for something like 20 years of their lives just polishing stuff then, then that's a bit of an issue....
It's no use us riding 'round on bikes thinking that by doing so we've made the world a better place... when across the other side of the world two children are mourning early death of their mother because she got employed polishing brakes just to make our bikes look shiny, and then got poisoned or cancer or whatever by the polishing fumes...
Motorhead: god was never on your sidehttps://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&client=m ... +your+side
francovendee
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Joined: 5 May 2009, 6:32am

Re: Bike upgrade - a really important aspect: Colour

Post by francovendee »

cycle tramp wrote: 1 Oct 2022, 9:26pm
jois wrote: 1 Oct 2022, 9:02pm
cycle tramp wrote: 1 Oct 2022, 8:30pm A quick Google search does show that there are long term health effects for those who polished aluminium on a long term regular basis...
Unless they wear masks of course and it rather depends what you polish it with, solvo and a rag youl be ok
Yeah, but if you're a company like shimano paying people to work 40 or 50 hours a week for something like 20 years of their lives just polishing stuff then, then that's a bit of an issue....
It's no use us riding 'round on bikes thinking that by doing so we've made the world a better place... when across the other side of the world two children are mourning early death of their mother because she got employed polishing brakes just to make our bikes look shiny, and then got poisoned or cancer or whatever by the polishing fumes...
Working in polishing areas in the UK is something I've had some experience of.
Depending on the nature of the material being polished, the type of polishing compounds used and most importantly the attitude of the employer. The work can be safe or extremely dangerous to the person doing it.
I've set up one polishing shop from scratch and as it was for a multinational company in health care, I had no difficulty in getting the money to get the very best extraction system. This was tested weekly and to back it up we had a device the chaps wore to see what levels of dust was in the surrounding area. Being so efficient it meant the wearing of masks was not needed. We did supply them though as some older chaps had always worked in places where dust was everywhere so they did wear them.

I'd guess companies who manufacture in the far east don't bother with safety as much but concentrate on the cost.
jois
Posts: 334
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Re: Bike upgrade - a really important aspect: Colour

Post by jois »

cycle tramp wrote: 1 Oct 2022, 9:26pm
jois wrote: 1 Oct 2022, 9:02pm
cycle tramp wrote: 1 Oct 2022, 8:30pm A quick Google search does show that there are long term health effects for those who polished aluminium on a long term regular basis...
Unless they wear masks of course and it rather depends what you polish it with, solvo and a rag youl be ok
Yeah, but if you're a company like shimano paying people to work 40 or 50 hours a week for something like 20 years of their lives just polishing stuff then, then that's a bit of an issue....
It's no use us riding 'round on bikes thinking that by doing so we've made the world a better place... when across the other side of the world two children are mourning early death of their mother because she got employed polishing brakes just to make our bikes look shiny, and then got poisoned or cancer or whatever by the polishing fumes...
I'm quite sure cycling can make the world a better place for the rider, I'm far from convinced it makes the world a better place for everyone unless you use a very specific metric that ignores quite a lot of things. Like the point you make above
Last edited by jois on 2 Oct 2022, 9:54am, edited 1 time in total.
jois
Posts: 334
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Re: Bike upgrade - a really important aspect: Colour

Post by jois »

francovendee wrote: 2 Oct 2022, 8:42am
cycle tramp wrote: 1 Oct 2022, 9:26pm
jois wrote: 1 Oct 2022, 9:02pm

Unless they wear masks of course and it rather depends what you polish it with, solvo and a rag youl be ok
Yeah, but if you're a company like shimano paying people to work 40 or 50 hours a week for something like 20 years of their lives just polishing stuff then, then that's a bit of an issue....
It's no use us riding 'round on bikes thinking that by doing so we've made the world a better place... when across the other side of the world two children are mourning early death of their mother because she got employed polishing brakes just to make our bikes look shiny, and then got poisoned or cancer or whatever by the polishing fumes...
Working in polishing areas in the UK is something I've had some experience of.
Depending on the nature of the material being polished, the type of polishing compounds used and most importantly the attitude of the employer. The work can be safe or extremely dangerous to the person doing it.
I've set up one polishing shop from scratch and as it was for a multinational company in health care, I had no difficulty in getting the money to get the very best extraction system. This was tested weekly and to back it up we had a device the chaps wore to see what levels of dust was in the surrounding area. Being so efficient it meant the wearing of masks was not needed. We did supply them though as some older chaps had always worked in places where dust was everywhere so they did wear them.

I'd guess companies who manufacture in the far east don't bother with safety as much but concentrate on the cost.
The health and safety/ environment controls in some far east factories are second to non, the far East is a big place. It's rather up to the brand how they want to place the contracts and what considerations they think important. If they have a quality management system that will included checking contractors health,safety and environmental standards, what those standard are is a bit variable
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Mick F
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Re: Bike upgrade - a really important aspect: Colour

Post by Mick F »

I had a black Campag Mirage Triple some years ago (2004) and I stripped the black off the chainrings with caustic soda - as recommended on here.

I polished up the 'rings and they looked quite nice. Cranks were still black though.
Mick F. Cornwall
francovendee
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Joined: 5 May 2009, 6:32am

Re: Bike upgrade - a really important aspect: Colour

Post by francovendee »

jois wrote: 2 Oct 2022, 9:53am
francovendee wrote: 2 Oct 2022, 8:42am
cycle tramp wrote: 1 Oct 2022, 9:26pm

Yeah, but if you're a company like shimano paying people to work 40 or 50 hours a week for something like 20 years of their lives just polishing stuff then, then that's a bit of an issue....
It's no use us riding 'round on bikes thinking that by doing so we've made the world a better place... when across the other side of the world two children are mourning early death of their mother because she got employed polishing brakes just to make our bikes look shiny, and then got poisoned or cancer or whatever by the polishing fumes...
Working in polishing areas in the UK is something I've had some experience of.
Depending on the nature of the material being polished, the type of polishing compounds used and most importantly the attitude of the employer. The work can be safe or extremely dangerous to the person doing it.
I've set up one polishing shop from scratch and as it was for a multinational company in health care, I had no difficulty in getting the money to get the very best extraction system. This was tested weekly and to back it up we had a device the chaps wore to see what levels of dust was in the surrounding area. Being so efficient it meant the wearing of masks was not needed. We did supply them though as some older chaps had always worked in places where dust was everywhere so they did wear them.

The health and safety/ environment controls in some far east factories are second to non, the far East is a big place. It's rather up to the brand how they want to place the contracts and what considerations they think important. If they have a quality management system that will included checking contractors health,safety and environmental standards, what those standard are is a bit variable
I'd guess companies who manufacture in the far east don't bother with safety as much but concentrate on the cost.
The point I tried to make was that polishing metal doesn't have to be a hazard to the operators health. It will be down to the company. Although it's often criticised, Health and Safety has been a very good thing. A working lifetime spent in engineering has shown how injuries can be reduced.
In my early days I saw a chap catch his shop coat in the lead screw of a centre lathe. The coat finally gave way but not before he'd sustained some nasty injuries. In those days it was down to you to keep yourself safe and not the responsibility of the employer.
I took it very seriously and after two written warnings sacked a chap because he kept removing a guard to make the job easier for him.
jois
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Re: Bike upgrade - a really important aspect: Colour

Post by jois »

francovendee wrote: 3 Oct 2022, 11:06am
jois wrote: 2 Oct 2022, 9:53am
francovendee wrote: 2 Oct 2022, 8:42am
Working in polishing areas in the UK is something I've had some experience of.
Depending on the nature of the material being polished, the type of polishing compounds used and most importantly the attitude of the employer. The work can be safe or extremely dangerous to the person doing it.
I've set up one polishing shop from scratch and as it was for a multinational company in health care, I had no difficulty in getting the money to get the very best extraction system. This was tested weekly and to back it up we had a device the chaps wore to see what levels of dust was in the surrounding area. Being so efficient it meant the wearing of masks was not needed. We did supply them though as some older chaps had always worked in places where dust was everywhere so they did wear them.

The health and safety/ environment controls in some far east factories are second to non, the far East is a big place. It's rather up to the brand how they want to place the contracts and what considerations they think important. If they have a quality management system that will included checking contractors health,safety and environmental standards, what those standard are is a bit variable
I'd guess companies who manufacture in the far east don't bother with safety as much but concentrate on the cost.
The point I tried to make was that polishing metal doesn't have to be a hazard to the operators health. It will be down to the company. Although it's often criticised, Health and Safety has been a very good thing. A working lifetime spent in engineering has shown how injuries can be reduced.
In my early days I saw a chap catch his shop coat in the lead screw of a centre lathe. The coat finally gave way but not before he'd sustained some nasty injuries. In those days it was down to you to keep yourself safe and not the responsibility of the employer.
I took it very seriously and after two written warnings sacked a chap because he kept removing a guard to make the job easier for him.
Whilst doing your quotes, you have ended up quoting me for someone else's remarks.

Yes I entirely agree with you, well almost entirely, you have to be really quite old to have been working before the factories act 1961 was in force, so unguarded machines were always the employers responsibility, they just didn't to the most part do anything much about it. And the fines weren't very scary,
francovendee
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Re: Bike upgrade - a really important aspect: Colour

Post by francovendee »

jois wrote: 3 Oct 2022, 11:14am
francovendee wrote: 3 Oct 2022, 11:06am
jois wrote: 2 Oct 2022, 9:53am I'd guess companies who manufacture in the far east don't bother with safety as much but concentrate on the cost.
The point I tried to make was that polishing metal doesn't have to be a hazard to the operators health. It will be down to the company. Although it's often criticised, Health and Safety has been a very good thing. A working lifetime spent in engineering has shown how injuries can be reduced.
In my early days I saw a chap catch his shop coat in the lead screw of a centre lathe. The coat finally gave way but not before he'd sustained some nasty injuries. In those days it was down to you to keep yourself safe and not the responsibility of the employer.
I took it very seriously and after two written warnings sacked a chap because he kept removing a guard to make the job easier for him.
Whilst doing your quotes, you have ended up quoting me for someone else's remarks.

Yes I entirely agree with you, well almost entirely, you have to be really quite old to have been working before the factories act 1961 was in force, so unguarded machines were always the employers responsibility, they just didn't to the most part do anything much about it.
I started work in 1960, so yes, I'm really old!
The extent of safety was a notice about the act posted up somewhere in the factory. I believe there were factory inspectors but I never saw one. Maybe they only visited after a fatality.
I'm a cynic but unless there is some enforcement many employers never gave safety much of a priority.
jois
Posts: 334
Joined: 22 Sep 2022, 12:29pm

Re: Bike upgrade - a really important aspect: Colour

Post by jois »

francovendee wrote: 3 Oct 2022, 11:22am
jois wrote: 3 Oct 2022, 11:14am
francovendee wrote: 3 Oct 2022, 11:06am
The point I tried to make was that polishing metal doesn't have to be a hazard to the operators health. It will be down to the company. Although it's often criticised, Health and Safety has been a very good thing. A working lifetime spent in engineering has shown how injuries can be reduced.
In my early days I saw a chap catch his shop coat in the lead screw of a centre lathe. The coat finally gave way but not before he'd sustained some nasty injuries. In those days it was down to you to keep yourself safe and not the responsibility of the employer.
I took it very seriously and after two written warnings sacked a chap because he kept removing a guard to make the job easier for him.
Whilst doing your quotes, you have ended up quoting me for someone else's remarks.

Yes I entirely agree with you, well almost entirely, you have to be really quite old to have been working before the factories act 1961 was in force, so unguarded machines were always the employers responsibility, they just didn't to the most part do anything much about it.
I started work in 1960, so yes, I'm really old!
The extent of safety was a notice about the act posted up somewhere in the factory. I believe there were factory inspectors but I never saw one. Maybe they only visited after a fatality.
I'm a cynic but unless there is some enforcement many employers never gave safety much of a priority.
It was still exactly the same in the 1980s and 90s, but now they had a health and safety at work act poster up as well. It still the same now in smaller places

Saying that the far East is worse isn't really accurate

I did do some audits in the middle East, they were just frightening, I was arguing with the chief engineer of a gas rig about if a chemical was dangerous, which it was, he picked up a glass, filled it with the chemical and drank it,

See, I'm not dead he said, I had no answer to that
francovendee
Posts: 3148
Joined: 5 May 2009, 6:32am

Re: Bike upgrade - a really important aspect: Colour

Post by francovendee »

jois wrote: 3 Oct 2022, 11:26am
francovendee wrote: 3 Oct 2022, 11:22am
jois wrote: 3 Oct 2022, 11:14am

Whilst doing your quotes, you have ended up quoting me for someone else's remarks.

Yes I entirely agree with you, well almost entirely, you have to be really quite old to have been working before the factories act 1961 was in force, so unguarded machines were always the employers responsibility, they just didn't to the most part do anything much about it.
I started work in 1960, so yes, I'm really old!
The extent of safety was a notice about the act posted up somewhere in the factory. I believe there were factory inspectors but I never saw one. Maybe they only visited after a fatality.
I'm a cynic but unless there is some enforcement many employers never gave safety much of a priority.
It was still exactly the same in the 1980s and 90s, but now they had a health and safety at work act poster up as well. It still the same now in smaller places

Saying that the far East is worse isn't really accurate

I did do some audits in the middle East, they were just frightening, I was arguing with the c
hief engineer of a gas rig about if a chemical was dangerous, which it was, he picked up a glass, filled it with the chemical and drank it,

See, I'm not dead he said, I had no answer to that
:lol:
The last company I worked for set up a plant in China (cheaper labour costs) but they insisted on applying the UK safety standards. A whiff of an accident would attract much publicity if the blame lay with them. Something they'd spend a lot of money to avoid.

In our village the Mayorie had a service to remove moles from the gardens. I had to let the guy in as it's a second home and the owners were in the UK. An old chap arrived with a spray device that he poked into the mole holes. He had no protective gloves nor a mask. I asked was the poison dangerous to humans? He shrugged his shoulders and said it hadn't killed him yet!
GideonReade
Posts: 410
Joined: 4 Jul 2010, 10:46pm

Re: Bike upgrade - a really important aspect: Colour

Post by GideonReade »

(this must be the most off-topic ramble I've ever seen :D . Never mind, carry on, I suppose it makes up for my trivial original subject....)
francovendee
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Joined: 5 May 2009, 6:32am

Re: Bike upgrade - a really important aspect: Colour

Post by francovendee »

GideonReade wrote: 3 Oct 2022, 12:22pm (this must be the most off-topic ramble I've ever seen :D . Never mind, carry on, I suppose it makes up for my trivial original subject....)
Thanks for the permission :)
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