Half polished rims?
- marksmiffy
- Posts: 94
- Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2011 10:28 am
- Location: loughborough
Half polished rims?
Had some advice e.g nitromors and paint brush...the solvol autosol...Now this might sound stupid but i gonna ask anyway...Just wondered about the weights on my rear wheel???...will the nitromors have any effect on the lead weights??.....
- benny hedges
- Posts: 6110
- Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2009 5:09 pm
- Location: Warrington
Re: Half polished rims?
probs best to take them off mate then get them rebalanced after youve done.
just a point on the polishing.... there is a slight step between the rim and the inner bit and you can go all round it with a new stanley blade and get a perfect edge.... the nitromors will probably peel it back.
you will find the oem finish is about .25mm thick and will peel off like a decal once you get under it.
mine was anyway.
was a bitch to get it all off lol!
if i was you id have a go with the blade before using paint stripper
just a point on the polishing.... there is a slight step between the rim and the inner bit and you can go all round it with a new stanley blade and get a perfect edge.... the nitromors will probably peel it back.
you will find the oem finish is about .25mm thick and will peel off like a decal once you get under it.
mine was anyway.
was a bitch to get it all off lol!
if i was you id have a go with the blade before using paint stripper
You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when posting something which you later rely on in quote. Anything you do say may be ripped to sh*t.
- marksmiffy
- Posts: 94
- Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2011 10:28 am
- Location: loughborough
Re: Half polished rims?
Thx bennie i try the blade first coz i want a near perfect edge between the paint and polished bit 

Re: Half polished rims?
Not Half polished rims, but I know someone with a half polished frame, he wasn't aware of this until I pointed it out to him!
No names no pack drill, eh Phill/Grant.

No names no pack drill, eh Phill/Grant.


Making up since 2007, sometimes it's true...Honest...
- marksmiffy
- Posts: 94
- Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2011 10:28 am
- Location: loughborough
Re: Half polished rims?
Just doing back wheel...half polish.....before i put nitromors on i've scraped the paint near the ridge centre of wheel to give a nice straight edge.....Nw question is.....does Nitromors do owt to ya tyre???...Like melt it or summatt
Cheers in advance


Cheers in advance

Re: Half polished rims?
When I did mine, I did not use any paint stripper, just course emery cloth to get through the paint. Then progressively finer grades to get it to a stage for polishing.
Incidentely the step in the rim is a good stop for folded emery cloth to butt up against. That stops the rest of the paint from being removed or scratched.
It took me two evenings of graft per wheel to get them like you see them in the photograph.
I really would recommend you remove the tyres.

Incidentely the step in the rim is a good stop for folded emery cloth to butt up against. That stops the rest of the paint from being removed or scratched.
It took me two evenings of graft per wheel to get them like you see them in the photograph.
I really would recommend you remove the tyres.

- marksmiffy
- Posts: 94
- Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2011 10:28 am
- Location: loughborough
Re: Half polished rims?
So after following various advice on here
firstly i scraped a stanley blade over the ridge as per pic to give a straight edge finish

Then scraped the blistered paint off and followed with Nitromors which instantly peeled the paint off....Unfortunately where the paint was blistered the ally was deeply stained ( if thats the right word )
I think if it hadnt have been for the blisters i could have had a nice finish straight after the paint stripper.

Then wet and dry p180 to remove most of the stains followed by p400,p1200,p1500 then good old solvol autosol and although it doesnt look as shiny as the previous pic thats because the finished pic was taken in the house at night.

All in all it took me about 4 hours....so a good day and ya have both wheels done.
Plus ....bonus....if ya get caught thieving ya'll get away with it coz ya have no fingerprints left after
I know most of you either know this or have done it already but like me there are peeps who don't
p.s haven't done front yet as waiting to see what the more experienced among us say about the scuffing on it


Then scraped the blistered paint off and followed with Nitromors which instantly peeled the paint off....Unfortunately where the paint was blistered the ally was deeply stained ( if thats the right word )
I think if it hadnt have been for the blisters i could have had a nice finish straight after the paint stripper.

Then wet and dry p180 to remove most of the stains followed by p400,p1200,p1500 then good old solvol autosol and although it doesnt look as shiny as the previous pic thats because the finished pic was taken in the house at night.

All in all it took me about 4 hours....so a good day and ya have both wheels done.

Plus ....bonus....if ya get caught thieving ya'll get away with it coz ya have no fingerprints left after

I know most of you either know this or have done it already but like me there are peeps who don't

p.s haven't done front yet as waiting to see what the more experienced among us say about the scuffing on it

Re: Half polished rims?
Fine job their, sir! Ive been thinking about doing this, but was gonna wait till I had to get my tyres replaced...Looks like I can do it with them on 
Actually, I will have to wait, Cant see how you can give them a coat of laquer with the tyres on. And wheel cleaner will eat that bare metal

Actually, I will have to wait, Cant see how you can give them a coat of laquer with the tyres on. And wheel cleaner will eat that bare metal


Re: Half polished rims?
you dont the tyre off really mate, just deflate break the bead then apply masking tape on the rear of the rim, or just carefully mask up with the tyre pumped up,Eclectic wrote:Fine job their, sir! Ive been thinking about doing this, but was gonna wait till I had to get my tyres replaced...Looks like I can do it with them on
Actually, I will have to wait, Cant see how you can give them a coat of laquer with the tyres on. And wheel cleaner will eat that bare metal
98% of all Harleys ever sold are still on the road. The other 2% made it home 

- marksmiffy
- Posts: 94
- Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2011 10:28 am
- Location: loughborough
Re: Half polished rims?
Hmmmm
I take it i need to laquer now then
does that maintain the shine? 



Re: Half polished rims?
Aluminium oxidises just like iron or steel, except that the oxidised layer on the surface will not allow oxygen molecules through. This means that only the surface layer of molecules can oxidise, unlike iron or steel where it's porous to oxygen and just goes gradually deeper and deeper until it's all the way through.
Lacquer prevents oxygen reaching even the surface layer of aluminium molecules, so keeps the shine.
If you've broken the bead and pushed the tyre into the well of the rim you should be able to mask off and spray lacquer without any issues.
But not indoors!
Ideally you don't want lacquer on the inside of the rim edge, where the tyre grips the rim, just the parts that are visible with the tyre in place and inflated.
Lacquer prevents oxygen reaching even the surface layer of aluminium molecules, so keeps the shine.
If you've broken the bead and pushed the tyre into the well of the rim you should be able to mask off and spray lacquer without any issues.
But not indoors!
Ideally you don't want lacquer on the inside of the rim edge, where the tyre grips the rim, just the parts that are visible with the tyre in place and inflated.
It's not falling off, it's an upgrade opportunity.
Re: Half polished rims?
autosol has a built in wax which will react with laquer mate, so a good clean with a thinners first to remove it, personally i wouldn't laquer just keep up the autosol every wash day.marksmiffy wrote:HmmmmI take it i need to laquer now then
does that maintain the shine?
98% of all Harleys ever sold are still on the road. The other 2% made it home 

Re: Half polished rims?
also bare in mind some laquers can change the colouring slightly if sprayed to heavy.alec wrote:autosol has a built in wax which will react with laquer mate, so a good clean with a thinners first to remove it, personally i wouldn't laquer just keep up the autosol every wash day.marksmiffy wrote:HmmmmI take it i need to laquer now then
does that maintain the shine?
98% of all Harleys ever sold are still on the road. The other 2% made it home 

Re: Half polished rims?
Mine are not lacquered, just polished every now and then.
When you do wash your bike and decide not to polish the rims, just make sure you remove all traces of water off of the rims before slinging you bike away. If you dont it will leave a nice watermark once it has dried, this is a real bugger to polish out.
For what its worth I have been using Autoglym metal polish which leaves a good polished finish.
When you do wash your bike and decide not to polish the rims, just make sure you remove all traces of water off of the rims before slinging you bike away. If you dont it will leave a nice watermark once it has dried, this is a real bugger to polish out.
For what its worth I have been using Autoglym metal polish which leaves a good polished finish.
- lloydie
- Posts: 20928
- Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2011 11:16 pm
- Location: In the garage somewhere in Coventry
Half polished rims?
I used Belgium alu as it protects better it can be found on eBay
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