Polishing Rims....advice please!

bikermike1411 · Post by **bikermike1411** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 7:16 pm

I've done a bit of research and it seems fairly straightforward...

However.... an essential part is the nitromors or similar. I've used it before, but I have two questions....

1. Does anyone know/can anyone guarantee from experience that the parts masked off on the inner rim will be safe from the nitromors? I kinda get the feeling it'll soak right through!

2. I'm CERTAIN I read on the hornet website years ago that the nitromors doesn't affect the tyres if you leave them on the rim when you do the job - it just makes it a little more difficult. Trouble is, I can't find the damn article now. Does anyone know if this is true?

I'm away from Monday until Thursday, but my Dave Silver bits should have arrived in the meantime which means I should have a complete bike at some point this weekend!

chuxsta · Post by **chuxsta** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 7:43 pm

you will notice the inner part is rough,, the paint is heavy caked on in that area..
when i did mine on previous bikes i just put some heavy duty tape and didnt go right up to the line where i wanted to strip.. i removed those parts with wire wool with a little nitromorse and polishing mop on drill with a very coarse wheel on..

chuxsta · Post by **chuxsta** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 7:46 pm

you also find the paint off the outer rim where its smooth will come off very easy, i wouldnt worry to much about it,, just take your time.

Beamish · Post by **Beamish** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 8:23 pm

A subject close to my heart (see other thread). I used Blackfriers which is the same as Nitromors and it seeped under the tape and stripped the paint further in towards the hub . I have now stripped the whole wheel

. Glad it happened though as it has revealed some corrosion that was hidden, will do a proper job now on front and back wheel.

bikermike1411 · Post by **bikermike1411** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 8:53 pm

Cheers chaps! Seems i'm on the right tack then!

Can you post a link to your other thread Beamish?

Anyone got a yellow storm with polished rims to compare mine to?

Beamish · Post by **Beamish** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 9:11 pm

http://www.vtr1000.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=11985

Not much help though mate just a whinge really. Just started this afternoon.

Beast · Post by **Beast** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 9:34 pm

Mike i had the same problem on my old polished rear wheel.
Just used 1200 and 1500 wet & dry paper with a bucket of soapy water and plenty of elbow grease to polish up again.

bikermike1411 · Post by **bikermike1411** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 10:48 pm

Beast - was that from scratch (i.e. painted)? Do I need to bother with the nitromors? I've a whole tub of elbow grease in the garage!

If using coarse/medium/fine wet + dry followed by a tube full of solvol will work, i can give it a go! I know nitromors would save an aweful lot of time, but I don't want to make a mess of it!

This'll be my last post till Thursday (got a 14 hour coach journey with a horde of screaming kids to deal with tomorrow. Joyous! )

If you blokes can keep it up (

) I'll look forward to your pearls of wisdom when I get back!

chuxsta · Post by **chuxsta** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 10:51 am

it all came back to me the last time i did it..
i didnt apply the paint stripper to the wheel, i dipped wire wool in the fluid and used elbow grease that way i only got the gunk where it needed to be..

then a polishing mop and the abrasive polish block that came with it, lots of roll ups, even more cups of tea and lashings of kerrang radio..
when you get used to the polishing mops n polish that comes with them you will fly through it.. just takes getting used to what mop what polish ....

only prolbem was i got addicted to it... i started polising every thing....

Beamish · Post by **Beamish** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 2:49 pm

I would definately suggest using nitromors mate, without you will need fingers of titanium. I have just put the first coat of primer on both wheels will add the pearl Black paint then laquer this week. Then polishing mop time to complete rims. All in all it will take about 50 hrs to complete depending on how bad your rims are, mine looked like it had some kind of metal worm (alu oxidization looks like that), so lots of effort required prior to paint and polish.

Stratman · Post by **Stratman** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 2:38 pm

If you need rims polishing then maybe Michael Barrymore could help?

chuxsta · Post by **chuxsta** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 2:45 pm

Stratman wrote:If you need rims polishing then maybe Michael Barrymore could help?

AHHAHAHHAHAHAH

adfski · Post by **adfski** » Sun Jul 20, 2008 1:05 am

Stratman wrote:If you need rims polishing then maybe Michael Barrymore could help?

cashy · Post by **cashy** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 9:02 pm

I couln't be arsed with the elbow grease side of things so when a mate who's an engineer offered to polish them he didn't have to ask twice and they came back like this.

The guy who also did all my spray work said for about Â£200 he would take my old painted wheels with tyres on, remove tyres, sandblast, paint any colour then grey rim edge and refit tyres.

bikermike1411 · Post by **bikermike1411** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 10:06 pm

Spent over 20 hours on them this weekend.... they don't look bad! Pics to follow. Biggest sh@*ter is the fact that the paint was so bad it's actually come off in the centre when I took the masking tape off!

This is officially the last time I take on a project bike which has had two winters use and never even seen a bucket of water!