datzenmike Posted December 28, 2013 Report Share Posted December 28, 2013 Unless coated with something, aluminum immediately begins to oxidize when exposed to air. They will look shiny for a while and then dull again. Aluminum only rusts several atoms thick and stops but looks dull. Quote Link to comment
Just Joel Posted December 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2013 They will be protected... Don't you worry ;) Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted December 28, 2013 Report Share Posted December 28, 2013 I polished my S110 mags before Canby in '12, by the next year they had to be done all over. Quote Link to comment
Just Joel Posted December 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2013 Once a year... hell that ain't bad! :p Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted December 28, 2013 Report Share Posted December 28, 2013 It's too much work and they look shitty in a few months. I only cleaned then for the Canby trip. Keeping them waxed will help to seal the oxygen out. Or clear coat.. but rocks will chip it and then you have small oxidized spots and you're back where you started. Quote Link to comment
Just Joel Posted December 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2013 lol, gotta work hard for nice things Mike... :) Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted December 28, 2013 Report Share Posted December 28, 2013 Oh absolutely. Quote Link to comment
Just Joel Posted December 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2013 I know there are some protective polishes out there... Need to look into it. Anyone have a favorite brand? Quote Link to comment
Stevexc Posted December 30, 2013 Report Share Posted December 30, 2013 Ive been polishing wheels all morning today as well haha Pretty sure its clear coat, might be wrong but everyyy single SSR wheel (and most others from the same period) I have owed has been the same. It makes polishing them a major pain in the ass as if you miss on tiny section (normally around the bolt holes or near the centre) it will show up like anything. I gave up on hand polishing my wheels and built a wheel polisher haha, might not be worth it if you're just doing one set, but for me owning 15 pairs of wheels atm and have had more then double that that I have sold it has come in handy! Plus I dont think you can ever get them perfect doing it by hand, they really do need the high speed polishing IMO. The polisher only cost me about $80 total to build, and is basically a old bench grinder, and fan belt, a old ke70 axle/hub a pulley and a few little bits and pieces. here it is- Here's how it brings the wheels up though- My JIlbas I done just now- Before- After- Obviously paint stripped them before polishing and still need to paint the centres. And my old Star Formulas- Before- After- As for centre colours its always the hardest choice hey! id probs go with silver too! My Favourite colour on mk3s is the orange/yellowie colour they come in, but on a red car id go silver. Or even a light-medium grey, my other jilbas are currently a medium grey with a hint of silver fleck though it, and I rekon on a red car it could work well. That's if you're planning on having paint mixed and doing them with a gun? or just going the spray can option? 2 Quote Link to comment
Just Joel Posted December 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2013 Powder coat I think... But silver flake is an option :) Thanks for the input... Might build one of those on the next set ;) Quote Link to comment
Stevexc Posted December 30, 2013 Report Share Posted December 30, 2013 Powder coat I think... But silver flake is an option :) Thanks for the input... Might build one of those on the next set ;) yeah makes life sooo much easier haha still takes a few hours per wheel but a lot faster then doing it by hand haha Quote Link to comment
Just Joel Posted January 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 Paint wise... is there a decent alternative to actually mixing custom paint? Not really there yet and looking for a quick fix that will hold up :) Quote Link to comment
Just Joel Posted January 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 Alright, because I don't like threads that never properly conclude, here's the finished product. No special tool, all by hand and a simple drill mounted buffing wheel set from Harbor Freight. Thanks all for the help... Only three more to go :/ 1 Quote Link to comment
Just Joel Posted January 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 Also, I've read that oven cleaner removes anodizing... If this is true, then I tried it and it didn't work sooooooo maybe chrome? Quote Link to comment
B210GX Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 From one of my posts in the 210 section.. polishing New to ,me wheels before and after shot. and my redneck wheel polisher http://s140.photobuc...zps8327c519.mp4 years ago, like 25 or more I would jack up one side of the rear end of my car. put it on a jack stand. block the front tires just in case. and spin one wheel at a time with the car running and in gear to polish the lips of my wheels. This time I did not want the exhaust fumes in my shop. I hooked up an electric motor to the yoke of my extra differential which was sitting on saw horses. Locked up the opposite brake drum ( cant do this with a diff with any kind of posi, locker or what have you). Started with 320 progressively all the way up to 3000 grit paper. Quote Link to comment
tr8er Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 Thats a Beauty. Could be a Chrome powdercoat. I'd be tempted to get a polishing attachment for a Grinder, or air gun. Drills are usually too slow for sanity. Quote Link to comment
Just Joel Posted January 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 From one of my posts in the 210 section.. polishing New to ,me wheels before and after shot. and my redneck wheel polisher years ago, like 25 or more I would jack up one side of the rear end of my car. put it on a jack stand. block the front tires just in case. and spin one wheel at a time with the car running and in gear to polish the lips of my wheels. This time I did not want the exhaust fumes in my shop. I hooked up an electric motor to the yoke of my extra differential which was sitting on saw horses. Locked up the opposite brake drum ( cant do this with a diff with any kind of posi, locker or what have you). Started with 320 progressively all the way up to 3000 grit paper. Thanks for the tip :) the reason I'm doing this "the hard way" is because the wheels are not in the best condition. They require quite a bit of detail sanding to not only remove that nasty finish but to also allow me to focus on some nicks and scratches. Quote Link to comment
Just Joel Posted January 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 Thats a Beauty. Could be a Chrome powdercoat. I'd be tempted to get a polishing attachment for a Grinder, or air gun. Drills are usually too slow for sanity. Thought about powder coat but I used some very nasty "blue goo" stripper specificity designed to remove powder coat with no luck. This is a professional product my powder coater had and suggested I try... beyond that, I know nothing about the product. I initially though that rpms would be my friend but it turns out that the polishing wheels didn't like being spun that fast. When I switched to the drill on high, it cut quite well and was much more stable. A little slow but not bad. Quote Link to comment
'70dime Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 I used oven clean over the weekend and it worked for me. I pre heated the over to 200 F then put a wheel in there for about 10-15 min. then popped it out threw the next one in then ran out side and hit it with the oven cleaner. I re applied about 3 times over the course of about 10 min then rinsed and hit it with 320 grit. then back to the over for the next wheel. Quote Link to comment
Just Joel Posted January 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 Nice! Yeah, absolutely no effect for me even after soaking the wheel over night! Quote Link to comment
jrock4224 Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 prolly a clear funny thing is though tristins didnt have anything on them .. sometimes people used automotive clear to preserve a shine .... u need to send those wheels here i make them pretty ...i want the dr's theres a dope polisher up here that would make the lips shine too ...... taking him my ssr's soon Quote Link to comment
jrock4224 Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 wow nevermind i skipped page two they look awesome......i got a nice huge silver flake we could do to ...........i use it under candy colors like my valve cover and stuff.....flickers in the sun ... but i like colors ... reds a tough one your colors are limited that go with it ... Quote Link to comment
Just Joel Posted January 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Thanks Rock... Yeah, still struggling with color options for the centers but like you pointed out, the red body color really narrows the options :/ Quote Link to comment
Just Joel Posted January 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Talked to Jrock... Looking forward to him making these beautiful ;) Quote Link to comment
Just Joel Posted March 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 Wheels are done (finally!) A lot of work but considering what I started with, I'm happy with the results. 7 Quote Link to comment
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