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Post by redbug2 on Jan 4, 2012 10:23:09 GMT -5
Hello,
I'm moving along with my 75 RE5 restoration. Wheels need some work. The varnish is wearing off of the rims so I found that steel wool 0000 seems to take it off nicely.
My spokes don't shine and some of them are rusty near the hub. I'm getting a quote for stainless spokes and nipples.
Once I do get the spokes off what's the best procedure for polishing the inner hub ridges? Should I keep using steel wool? Should I varnish the hub once I polish it?
Thanks.
redbug2
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Post by mike500 on Jan 4, 2012 13:10:28 GMT -5
i find using my dremel with tiny wire wheel then the polishing mops works well in akward places
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Post by wayne on Jan 5, 2012 2:30:12 GMT -5
I can't advise on polishing methods, I leave that to those more capable than me. But I'd like to advise you not to varnish the hubs or rim. I have polished rims and hubs that were done 10 years ago and have retained their shine with minimal care. In other cases I have coated polished aluminium and eventually they will suffer a stone chip and you can see the corrosion growing under the varnish from the impact point.
Unless you're doing one for museum display, don't bother with the varnish or other clear coats.
Wayne
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Post by Crusader on Jan 10, 2012 4:41:35 GMT -5
go to a metal polisher and get them polished professionally it looks awesome and lasts forever and shouldnt be too much if you prep everything and take the spokes out. Maybe while your at it get the wheels respoked with stainless steel spokes so you never ever have to touch them again
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Post by redbug2 on Jan 10, 2012 13:03:48 GMT -5
What a shame, the front spokes are fine, no oxidation, just dirt. Unfortunately the rim is corroded badly. I see there are spokes on ebay, complete set for $75 front and rear. One has chrome nipples and the other a brass type nipple finish... I could also cad plate my rear spokes but boy that would be a lot of work. I'm not having great success with my cad plating system. Sometimes pieces turn out great, other times they don't. Also, after I cad plate them the parts seem to oxidize quickly. I need to make a decision soon. Would love to just buy the stainless and go, but a little tight on $$$ now.
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Post by Mortimer on Jan 30, 2012 0:51:39 GMT -5
redbug2, I looked at the $75 spokes on ebay also. I ended up buying new OEM Suzuki spoke sets- one set from an ebay seller called "retro-motorcycles" and the other set from MotoSport.com (fair selection of Nos parts).
I chose original equipment spokes because the quality of the $75 ebay set is unknown, and I don't want to deal with potential spoke failure.
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Post by HGH 770N on Jan 30, 2012 11:12:39 GMT -5
I had my rear wheel stainless spoked a few years back, Due to rust and 2 broken ones I noticed there was no shoulders on the hub end of the spokes compared to the Std Suzuki steel spokes.
Touch wood I have never had a loose or broken spoke yet, but my thoughts were I should have stopped with the Suzuki ones.
But.
I had simmilar problems with NOS spokes on my VN15 and had my rim turned round and spoked the other way, due to wear on the holes , they were Oblioding and these spokes had shoulders on but kept comming loose.
Could the theads be locktite'd ?
Rog
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Post by redbug2 on Jan 30, 2012 11:14:29 GMT -5
Yes, NOS is always good.
I really want to go stainless... I'm doing the "College Tuition" restoration. While my daughters in college I can't afford the super stuff. Buchanan spokes wants about $113 per wheel for stainless.
Having better results with my caswell cad plater. Sometimes my results look better than the NOS bolts I've been buying. So, I'm thinking about trying to cad my rear spokes. I need to make a jig to hold just the the last bit of the threaded ends into the plating solution. Then another jig to hold the nipples. Maybe I can do 3 batches of 12? Plating is great but the method I'm doing only does about 10 pieces at a time. Spokes will be another challenge. It certainly be easier to just buy new.....
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