Topic: Polishing the wheel hubs- what to do with the centers?

[Gorms]

Got them almost done today after stripping the clear coat off them.  The outside lips where the spoke holes are look pretty good.  What have people done about the inside lips and the fins and grooves in the center of the hub?  They are covered is small casting marks and pocks and would be extremely difficult to sand down and get polished.  I might try to polish in inside of the lips because you will see those from the opposite side of the wheel through the spokes.  Thought about painting the center part silver?  Whats the best way to handle the center section?  Can you show me some pictures?  Thanks

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

I glass bead blasted mine. Polished some areas but left the centers with the silver blasted look. No need to paint. I will lightly polish the top edges of the ribs in the center. I attempted to clear coat the hubs with Eastwood Diamond Brite Gloss as I'd heard good things about how well it applies to wheels, etc. I prepped it with acetone. 3 light coats as directed 15 minutes apart with the usual low humidity and 70's temperature. It dulled down my polished (not chrome quality) areas and looked somewhat mottled. Got messing with it with 0000 steel wool and it peeled off thank goodness. The center that was not polished even peeled. I can't get you a picture now.

[754]

Stocker or Chopper?
 Some folks on customs, take the fins right off, I did one onm the lathe a while back. others painted the fins (color of bike), then polish the  tips of fins and the flanges.

 If you can find someone that does ball burnishing, that would probably shine it up nicely with minimal effort.. or just polish and clearcoat it.

[Really?]

Silver painting the center of the hub may look trashy and cheap.  I tried it with silver and did not like it.  When that dried, I did a gloss black.  Liked that much better.

Jerry has a good idea.  Sounds like that would look good and look silver.

[bucky katt]

if you have access to a lathe, there is enough material on the center of the hub that you can machine the fins off the center, then polish it

[FunJimmy]

I turned mine down on the lathe too, but kept the fins.

[Gamma]

Excellent Hub FJ, I shall do the same 

[Gorms]

I ended up bringing my hubs to a small metal plating shop here in town.  The guy there was suggested we try his blast cabinet sith some very fine media for the centers of the hubs.  Not very shiny but very consistent in color and texture, looks really good.  He also gave me a couple polishing compounds that he uses.  Now my outer rims are like mirrors. Best of all, he didt charge me anything!  He was such a nice guy and really helped me out.

[fang]

I somewhat recently built up a front (dual-leading shoe drum brake) wheel for an old Yamaha RD350 project of mine.  I sand blasted the center ribs the hub, and then polished the rest.  If you care to see more pics, I posted them in a different forum, and they can be seen HERE







peace and grease,
-fang