Author Topic: Cleaning skyway white wheels tips please (Read 15558 times)

h2ggv · « **on:** April 28, 2012, 08:45 PM »

Going to use these wheels on a team aero pro I'm doing the wheels are in good shape and quite clean any tips on how to get them as white as me mates false front tooth

BENDYCAT ELEVENTEEN · « **Reply #1 on:** April 28, 2012, 09:49 PM »

If you don't like hard work, get them aqua blasted

or try bleaching - but comes with troubles

stu27 · « **Reply #2 on:** April 28, 2012, 09:55 PM »

ive done them in the past with wet and dry sand paper at different grades
bloody hard work,but,i thought the result was well worth it

kalex · « **Reply #3 on:** April 28, 2012, 10:53 PM »

i just wet and dried my yellow z rims, i was going to get them vapour blasted, but as i got them cheap i wanted to try a few things out that i wouldn't have dared do on a more pricey set. i soaked in wd40 for 12 hours then scrubbed with wd40, didn't do much. i then used cif with a green scubber and didn't do anything, put them in a hot dish washer cycle, came out clean but still stained. even tried BBQ cleaner on a small section then ran under the tap to dilute it, and still nothing. so got the wet and dry out and their nearly as good as new. just got a bit to do to finish them off.

BENDYCAT ELEVENTEEN · « **Reply #4 on:** April 28, 2012, 11:20 PM »

Aqua can cost but should work well

bleaching - can mostly work - but some times over cooking them can turn the more yellowy - you will need to sort out the hubs and no matter what they say "put clear grease on to protect alloy hubs" will still need to polish up a bit to take of the dulling that bleach does to them

you can use a razor if you are good with your hands - sanding as well - all this takes time

so money or hard work ? up to you

rush it and you might as well get a five year old to have a go

hard work shows, the fakes from the pro's

h2ggv · « **Reply #5 on:** April 29, 2012, 12:40 PM »

Thanks guys I will go for the blasting I think if I can find someone local to do it.. I'm in northeast if anyone knows a place.

Also would like to get the bars I have chromed and a few other bits

Who is the best for this

Orange777 · « **Reply #6 on:** April 29, 2012, 08:34 PM »

Just hopping on the bandwagon here as I am going to be in same boat....

Never heard of Aqua blasting until the post........... companies I have seen (one in Sheff) http://www.aquablastcenter.co.uk/ seem to only mention metals....

Does Aqua Blasting work for old plastics as well?

Seen other posts on here about the dying process too....

cheers!

BENDYCAT ELEVENTEEN · « **Reply #7 on:** April 29, 2012, 09:33 PM »

Ask Discostu about the tech side of things here

Discostu · « **Reply #8 on:** April 29, 2012, 09:48 PM »

Aqua blasting is water mixed with a very fine glass powder. Much finer than sand or shot that are used for other blasting. It is done in a sealed tank that has two sleeves. So you can hold the gun and and the piece to be blasted.

The dust is so fine it will only eat into the surface area a small amount. We are talking microns.
If the plastic is good under the surface the colour should come back as original. I only had it done on white tuffs do I'm unsure about any other colours. But the results speak for themselves. Mind you this was two hours work.

A clean up with Cif. And then bleach. Starting to look ok but still yellow'ey

After two hours of aqua blasting. Minty white!

Be warned though the glass dust gets everywhere so remove the freewheel, axle & bearings from the wheels.

Orange777 · « **Reply #9 on:** April 29, 2012, 10:06 PM »

That result is amazing Discostu!! I might get my teeth done!! Anyone on here do Aqua Blasting?

Orange777 · « **Reply #10 on:** April 29, 2012, 10:10 PM »

PS - Approx how much are you looking at for the job??

BENDYCAT ELEVENTEEN · « **Reply #11 on:** April 29, 2012, 10:16 PM »

That's the nasty part

Orange777 · « **Reply #12 on:** May 01, 2012, 12:03 PM »

Apologies to "h2gvv" for monopolising this..............

Just spoken to a company that do aqua blasting and apparently its a version of bead blasting but designed to not remove any surface? The guy I spoke to said the job for both rims (white skyway) would be between £40 and £100. He has offered to do a test section, but he is not convinced that this will work.

Anyone you can recommend?

rollin72 · « **Reply #13 on:** May 01, 2012, 05:40 PM »

Snav used a brillo pad on a set of tuffs and they came out mint

sweetbeats · « **Reply #14 on:** May 01, 2012, 05:51 PM »

Blended Artex-You will stop on a sixpence!

Spen69 · « **Reply #15 on:** May 01, 2012, 05:58 PM »

Use the search function for Sid1972's aquablasting Tuffs thread mate.

Metal magic in Barnley charged him £15 per wheel from memory and are not far off the M1 if you find yourself a bit further south? Open on sat mornings too as that's how I drop stuff off to them.

Orange777 · « **Reply #16 on:** May 01, 2012, 06:21 PM »

Quote from: Spen69 on May 01, 2012, 05:58 PM

Use the search function for Sid1972's aquablasting Tuffs thread mate.

Metal magic in Barnley charged him £15 per wheel from memory and are not far off the M1 if you find yourself a bit further south? Open on sat mornings too as that's how I drop stuff off to them.

T H A N K Y O U

That took some finding!! Never thought that Aqua and blasting was two words!! OOPS

So this is the thread..............

http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php'topic=130061.25

and............. even better Barnsley is on the door step! Metal Magic!

http://www.metalmagicwheelrefurb.co.uk/

Going to be heading there this week!!! Feels like cheating a bit............. however I am not sure even Cillit Bang will restore these back to normal!

Orange777 · « **Reply #17 on:** May 16, 2012, 10:16 PM »

Guys..........

Well I picked up from Metal Magic in Barnsley. Lovely team over there. Charged me £40 down a tenner from £50 as it was not what they wanted to get it. Now am in a real quandary.

HELP NEEDED

So..................

The wheels are off the original '85 GT Pro I bought from the US. Thus they are 27 years old. I am not expecting miracles, so may need to admit defeat. Aqua blasting has got them 90% better than they are, but against a brilliant white bike they will look $hit.

Seen a thread about White T- Cut - can try that, but could do with a plastics expert. Can these ever be white again? Oh................and they have cracks running through the hubs........

Advice please!!

Before

After

Spen69 · « **Reply #18 on:** May 16, 2012, 10:38 PM »

They look ace as they are - how clean do you want them

Yep, the lads and lasses at Metal Magic are cool

Orange777 · « **Reply #19 on:** May 16, 2012, 10:45 PM »

Quote from: Spen69 on May 16, 2012, 10:38 PM

They look ace as they are - how clean do you want them

Yep, the lads and lasses at Metal Magic are cool

Totally agree they are fantastic..... But I reckon I can get them blanco again... Surely!!

Metal Magic team are really cool! Good prices, and will be doing a box of rusty gold aqua blasting!!

Author Topic: Cleaning skyway white wheels tips please (Read 15558 times)

h2ggv

h2ggv

sweetbeats