Invented a new way to polish rims (warning! lots of pictures)

[Firehawk068]

So I have been working on my FZR1000 wheel swap for a while now, and thought I would post up some pictures of the contraption I built for polishing the edges of the rims. It was very cheap to build, and works quite well. I'll add some notes for anyone wishing to end up with the same result. Some tips, and some of my mistakes.
1st off, I took the wheels, and sprocket drive to get powder coated. It's a good thing that I took them when I did, cause shortly after i picked them up, the shop closed down. I talked to the owner, and he said he just couldn't afford to keep it open.
http://videos.streetfire.net/photo/CIMG3815JPG_1898515.htm"][/url]/nCIMG3815.JPG

OK, so I have my newly coated wheels, and decided I wanted to polish the lips, so I thought up the easiest way to do this myself, and started out collecting supplies.
http://videos.streetfire.net/photo/CIMG3825JPG_1898521.htm"][/url]/nCIMG3825.JPG
http://videos.streetfire.net/photo/CIMG3821JPG_1898517.htm"][/url]/nCIMG3821.JPG

Altogether, I have about $45 in various supplies, and another $35 for the bench grinder at Harbor Freight.
I got some 1/2 by 20 threaded rod, and some jam nuts and washers at Ace Hardware. The lug nuts for centering the wheel bearings, and the sandpaper at my work, as well as a free alternator pulley off an old core, and a free belt given to me by one of my good accounts. The polishing kit, and paint stripper wheel came from Harbor freight as well.
I built the stand, and "forks" out of some old wood from a waterbed frame, and a 2x4.
http://videos.streetfire.net/photo/CIMG3820JPG_1898516.htm"][/url]/nCIMG3820.JPG
http://videos.streetfire.net/photo/CIMG3822JPG_1898518.htm"][/url]/nCIMG3822.JPG
http://videos.streetfire.net/photo/CIMG3824JPG_1898520.htm"][/url]/nCIMG3824.JPG
http://videos.streetfire.net/photo/CIMG3823JPG_1898519.htm"][/url]/nCIMG3823.JPG

A couple things to note here:
*The paint stripper wheel was useless. It is not aggressive enough to cut through the clear coat, and powder coat layers. Do not waste your time if anyone is going to attempt this in the future.
*I ended up getting some 60 grit, and some 120 grit dry sandpaper.
*This is the point where I realized my biggest mistake. Had I initially told the shop that I planned on polishing the lips, they could have taped them off, and NOT coated them. The powder coating is really hard to cut through, and very durable. The later stages of actually smoothing the metal went much easier. Anyone wishing to do this, save yourself alot of time and tell them to tape off the lips before coating, as well as the bearing races, and rotor mounting surfaces.( luckily I remembered to tell them this step)

So I went ahead and started with the 60 grit. I had to use very light pressure, as too much would overcome the torque of the bench grinder, and slow the wheel down. This first step of removing the clear/color coats took about an hour and a half per side. 3 hours of time could have been avoided, but at this point I am stuck with what I have.
This is also the point where I made another mistake. At one point my hand slipped, and i went too far in towards the spokes, and ended up making some scratches on part of the wheel that I intended to leave coated. It is only noticeable if one were to get down on hands and knees, and stick their nose to the wheel, so I'm not too worried about it.
So I ended up with a nice brushed aluminum finish.
http://videos.streetfire.net/photo/CIMG3826JPG_1898522.htm"][/url]/nCIMG3826.JPG
http://videos.streetfire.net/photo/CIMG3827JPG_1898523.htm"][/url]/nCIMG3827.JPG

I then used the 120 grit sandpaper. This only took about 10 minutes per side. This is also when I realized that the rest of the process was going to go much faster.
http://videos.streetfire.net/photo/CIMG3841JPG_1898524.htm"][/url]/nCIMG3841.JPG
http://videos.streetfire.net/photo/CIMG3842JPG_1898525.htm"][/url]/nCIMG3842.JPG

Next, I cut up the sheets of Wet/dry sandpaper and soaked them in a bucket of warm water with a little bit of dawn dishwashing liquid mixed in. I used 220 grit, then 400 grit, then 800, then 1000. Each step of finer grit took about 10 minutes per side. I was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. This provided a very, very smooth satin aluminum finish. I could already see reflection in it.
http://videos.streetfire.net/photo/CIMG3845JPG_1898526.htm"][/url]/nCIMG3845.JPG
http://videos.streetfire.net/photo/CIMG3847JPG_1898527.htm"][/url]/nCIMG3847.JPG
http://videos.streetfire.net/photo/CIMG3848JPG_1898528.htm"][/url]/nCIMG3848.JPG

The next step was using the polishing compound. I started with the white aluminum oxide compound, and one of the smaller polishing wheels. Then went to the larger wheel, and the red rouge compound.
This took about 15 minutes per compound, per side.
I'd have to say I am very happy with the results here. Although some of the time spent could have been avoided, it was all well worth it. this stage made me smile!
http://videos.streetfire.net/photo/CIMG3851JPG_1898529.htm"][/url]/nCIMG3851.JPG
http://videos.streetfire.net/photo/CIMG3852JPG_1898530.htm"][/url]/nCIMG3852.JPG

The only thing left to do was wash all the compound, and dust off the wheel with some car wash soap and warm water. Dry it off with some compressed air, and finish it all off with some Meguiar's Mag and Aluminum polish.
http://videos.streetfire.net/photo/CIMG3858JPG_1898531.htm"][/url]/nCIMG3858.JPG
http://videos.streetfire.net/photo/CIMG3860JPG_1898532.htm"][/url]/ncimg3860.jpg

Not bad for a little bit of Garage engineering, and a whole lot of elbow grease.
Now I can start all over on the back wheel  

One last parting note:
* If I was to do this project all over again, I probably would try and find a used motor from a washing machine or something with a little more torque. And maybe some sort of speed controller for varying the speed of the wheel while sanding/polishing.
hope you all enjoy  
Alan H.
Mesa, AZ

[roverfj1200]

Very nice Mine need a touch up and that looks the go...

[Harvy]

Alan..... one word!

BRILLIANT

I dips me lid!


Harvy

[Harvy]

I dips me lid!


Harvy

Sorry Seppos...... translation...... 'You da man'...... or literally "I take my hat off to you"

Harvy

[racerman_27410]

Nice poilishing rig...... the one thing i have found that most FJ owners have in common is we have brains and aint afraid to use them! 


KOokaloo!

Frank

hint.... next time you need to cut thru that clear coat get some aircraft paint stripper..... it will melt that factory clear coat off like butter.

[Mark Olson]

Alan,

way to go.

I might even try it myself now.

thanks for the inspiration.

[zero26tb4u]

Dammit, now I have another project.

[pdxfj]

I wouldn't think the paint stripper you recommend would eat through power coating.  Could be wrong though.

Nice work on the polishing.  Excellent idea on having the motor do most of the work for you.  Wonder if Pat is gathering the necessary parts to build one for himself. 

hint.... next time you need to cut thru that clear coat get some aircraft paint stripper..... it will melt that factory clear coat off like butter.

[racerrad8]

Now that they are polished. You need to go to another powder coater and have them coated clear again. Then you will never have to polish them again.

Randy - RPM

[the fan]

I wouldn't think the paint stripper you recommend would eat through power coating.  Could be wrong though.

Nice work on the polishing.  Excellent idea on having the motor do most of the work for you.  Wonder if Pat is gathering the necessary parts to build one for himself. 

hint.... next time you need to cut thru that clear coat get some aircraft paint stripper..... it will melt that factory clear coat off like butter.

Are you sure that those wheels are powder coated? I stripped my YZF stock wheels and a few GSXR rears with tal-strip and the coating came off with little or no effort. Based on that I would be very surprised that it was anything other than baked on paint.

[SlowOldGuy]

Paint stripper will definitely remove powder coating.  The coating doesn't just fall off, but it will come off if you use enough stripper.

DavidR.

[Pat Conlon]

Good job Alan, sure is alot easier polishing when the wheel spins huh?   Pat

[LA Mike]

Nice job Alan looks like they came out real nice... since your a pro at now I'll be in Phoenix, AZ at my brothers this weekend you wanted to do mine    

Just kidding

LA Mike

[FeralJuggernaut]

thread jack....   Mike, you coming into town to finally fix up those carbs?!?   or just a big football game?   

[waricle]

Good one Alan,
He has the technology and is not afraid to use it!!!