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        General >> Off Topic Subjects >> Refurbishing alloys
        
(Message started by: jonnycab on Mar 19^th, 2008, 2:21am)

Title: Refurbishing alloys
Post by jonnycab on Mar 19^th, 2008, 2:21am

Recently bought a set of five alloys to go on my MK1 Granny....great looking in pattern, but unfortunately corroded....got 'em cheap ;)

Does anyone know what is the best chemical to use when trying to remove corrosion from alloys to take them back to their original bare shiney state ?

I'm not asking for alloy wheel cleaning products here, but acids that will dissolve the corrosion on the alloy wheel without harming the aluminium :)

Title: Re: Refurbishing alloys
Post by peteHull on Mar 19^th, 2008, 7:48am

Hi JC

Alluminium is an alcaline metal and it is acid that causes the corrosion, what is needed is to remove the residue (alluminium rust, white powdery stuff) with a wire brush or similar until you get to bright metal, then wash is off to stabalise it and dry it off. Now apply a filler product such as cataloy past although I think there is a proprietory product available now for this. Allow it to set and then sand it down to the required shape before applying a primer and top coat.
I would go to a bodyshop and pick their brains as to what is vogie in the trade.
Let me know how you get on....
Hth
Pete

Further to this.... When they build planes and they want to paint ally, they have to paint it with an Etching Primer, used to be light green smelly stuf cos it contains an acid. this is carefully balanced so as to adhere to the ally and allow the paint to key. If there is a commercial supply of this it would be an ideal base for the repair....
Whip down to the back door of the nearest aircraft factory ;D

Title: Re: Refurbishing alloys
Post by jonnycab on Mar 19^th, 2008, 12:12pm

Thanks for that Pete, but I was hoping to do it without the use of wire brushes etc as the wheels aren't painted, they're just laquered aluminium.

I don't want to scratch them up & end up having to paint them. I would like to keep that lovely shine of the bare aluminium & just re-laquer them :)

Title: Re: Refurbishing alloys
Post by Simmo on Mar 19^th, 2008, 12:31pm

JC. Have a look at THIS site (http://www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk/?adw&gclid=CLyd7YuWmZICFRlP1AodzQ1f-Q). It was the first one up on a 'Google' search for 'restore alloy wheels'. Mike.

Title: Re: Refurbishing alloys
Post by peteHull on Mar 19^th, 2008, 10:00pm

on 03/19/08 at 12:12:06, jonnycab wrote:

the wheels aren't painted, they're just laquered aluminium.

Don't know the answer then Jon, ??? the corrosion isn't something that can be easily repaired, :-/ the laquer is applied originally to stop this problem and if it has been chipped in the past, that is where the rot sets in.
Hope you get it sorted.

Pete

Title: Re: Refurbishing alloys
Post by TiberiuS on Mar 19^th, 2008, 11:38pm

If it's anything like the ones I've seen, the metal is 'diamond cut' (basically machined smooth with nice clean edges) and coated with lacquer, the lacquer lifts and you get the yellow looking corrosion under the surface. I've seen one set restored by a guy who chemical stripped the lacquer, sanded them back then put them on the hub and had them turning while final sanding to get some kind of machined finish back, then coated them with regular lacquer.

The end result looked quite good but no idea how it'd last with road salt etc :-/