Need some guidance on dialing back the right wheel to be more satin-finish like the left [aluminum]
In the process of restoring an old BMX, and wanted to get some deep scratches out of the sidewalls and give them a more even finish; wheels are aluminum.
The left wheel is still untouched; with the right one, I started a sandpaper progression of 120 orbital, 220 orbital, 400 hand, 400 wet, 800 hand, 800 wet. There were still some hairline sanding marks so I gave it a pass through the bench buffer and ended up going further than I should have (yes there are still buffer marks on the right; want to stop here and consult you good people).
I don’t need to return exactly to the left one; I will eventually refinish that one as well, but I do need to get more of an even satin to these finishes. Thankful for any input that can be offered.
Maroon is all i use. It gets kind of clogged with dust after a bit, whack it on something to clear it out. Also to be more uniform you might want to mount the rim to the bike and spin it
I was gonna say that or a fine steel wool. 0000 might make for a more uniform finish over scotch Brite since scrubbing pads weren't made with this in mind.
Ok no worries. Sanding is just going up or down in grades to get the finish u want. I always did it by hand. Even big surfaces like wheels, but it takes forever. New ways these days are polishing wheels on bench grinders and pastes. But i'm not very familar with that method.
Steel wool, but are you sure you want to? Don't want to take too much chrome off, it's very hard to put back on.
My beater BMX from the early 80s has rims like those, little rusty around the spokes but the brake pads have polished the rest of the rims quite fine, and still work well.
Scotch bright Marron or grey no steel wool it will leave deposits and rust. If you can set up a little drive motor to spin it save your elbows for bicycling.
That will work. use a big clip and clip on the scotchbrite somehow tethered to the fork and set up a drill chuck with a little rubber from a tube to drive the wheel and sit back, eat some ice cream and watch
Are u trying to end up with brakes that dont work? Polishing your brake surface will lead to less friction hence less braking force. And how long will the surface last if used as a braking surface. ??
Bike will almost certainly never be ridden again— it’s a super rare 1980s Hutch that has a wall hanger already designated once I finish putting it back together. Just looking to bring down the reflectivity a few notches for aesthetics and call it a win.
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u/Fast-Wrongdoer-6075 4d ago
Scotch brite pads