Glass beading? Fuch Alloys, Pros and Cons? Options

[computers4kids]

What would a set of fuch alloys look like if you glass bead 100% of them? Pros/Cons?

I know this is an odd question, but I'm looking at 4 fuch alloys and two of them are fully polished and two have the original anodizing on the inserts with polished pedals and lips.

The goal to get the four wheels to look a matched set. I may or may not decide to accent the recesses black satin.

Looking for options...
Thanx

[Gint]

BTDT. It's a little tedious to get a consistent finish across the entire wheel.

[boxstr]

Same here. I would just send them in for a polish.
CCL

[rhodyguy]

for personal use or to sell them? for sale, seems like a lot of work for what will result in a non stock appearance that may be hard to undo. if fs let the new owner figure it out.

[Gint]

I only did it as a precursor to polishing.

BTW - It would be a royal bitch to keep them clean.

[computers4kids]

for personal use or to sell them?

They would be for personal use...then of course, everything is for sale eventually.

I was looking for a darn near perfect set of 2ltr alloys for my project car and I came across these wheels that looked perfect on first look. The wheels had the inserts painted to match the owner's car and he stripped the paint off and discovered that two of the wheels were polished under the paint and two had the stock anodize. The owner and I are deciding where to go from here...the deal hasn't been made yet.

The owner is seeking options, but no matter which direction you go it sounds costly to the owner other than the glass beading.

That's why I (we) need some advice...
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

[McMark]

I'd say, either cancel the deal and move on, or adjust th price accordingly and you can get the finish work done. I wouldn't run bare beadblasted wheels because of the dirt issue. Now bead blast then paint with clear coat.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif) that might work.

[boxstr]

Soda blast will leave a cleaner smoother finish. I tried it on a Fuchs 5 lug wheel.
The media blasting leaves a much more porous finish, and it definetly will be hard to keep clean, left that way.
CCL

[Eric_Shea]

Do not glass bead blast Fuchs. They will pit.

I did that exact thing with a fairly ugly one that I used for a spare. It polished up but, the bead blasting was too agressive for a decent finish. It left visable pits all over the wheel.

I've restored a tremendous amount of Fuchs wheels on my own. Best bet is either plastic media or walnut. Another option is acid dipping. If you know someone at a chrome or anodizing shop who is competent this can be done easily (dip until yellow bubbles start to appear then pull and rinse.)

Once they are cleaned they can be polished. Have them polished to a very high shine. Then have them reanodized to protect the finish another 30 years.

We have to remember; the Fuchs we are looking at today are over 30 years old. That's tremendous. No chromed wheel would ever stand up that long.

Here's a dipping tank:


Out of the tank:


Here's all the wheels I did in that batch:


Here's some various finishes that came from this batch. 16x7" High Polish:


Here's a step through of a classic polished paddle on a set of 14" comforts:





Here's the one's I did for my RS clone:

[lotus_65]

I was going to trade my fuches with mark, but i found (after stripping the paint off the inset part) that I have 2 that are anodized, and 2 that are fully polished. there's clear on all.

The object is to get them all uniform without a great deal of expense.

They're currently with a buddy and i was going to get the plastic-media-blasted. i don't know if that'll remove the anodization, but the next step would be to chemically, or if possible glass-bead-blast them to pull the anodized finish.

That's the backstory, any advice, recommendations welcome.

[Eric_Shea]

Any anodizing shop can de-anodize them. Again, I would not bead blast. Plastic and/or walnut "can" get the anodizing layer off. It should be obvious to the person doig the blasting as the patina changes as you go through that layer.

[lotus_65]

yea eric, that's what my guy thought.

if that fails, could they be de-anodized with the rubber still on? i'm thinking no way.

[Gint]

Do not glass bead blast Fuchs. They will pit.

I did that exact thing with a fairly ugly one that I used for a spare. It polished up but, the bead blasting was too agressive for a decent finish. It left visable pits all over the wheel.

Basically that's true, but I can't completely agree. If you work your ass off polishing them afterwards you can "de-pit" them successfully. But I don't recommend it. It's a *lot* of work.

Hey Eric, what black paint did you use?

Proof:

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads/post-2-1052793969.jpg)

[Eric_Shea]

Hey Eric, what black paint did you use?

Beats me. Troy squirted them for me. With the "ferrywinkles" I believe it was a Silkens. For the black, Wurth Semi-Gloss is best.

[sixgt]

You can remove the anodization with over cleaner. The lye in it will break down the hard anodization on the wheel. You need to be careful though not to leave it on too long as it can pit the wheel. You can repolish it afterwards.

[robby750]

Just put the two matching wheels on the same side of the car. Nobody will know they are different if they can't see them all at the same time. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[scotty b]

I was going to trade my fuches with mark, but i found (after stripping the paint off the inset part) that I have 2 that are anodized, and 2 that are fully polished. there's clear on all.

The object is to get them all uniform without a great deal of expense.

They're currently with a buddy and i was going to get the plastic-media-blasted. i don't know if that'll remove the anodization, but the next step would be to chemically, or if possible glass-bead-blast them to pull the anodized finish.

That's the backstory, any advice, recommendations welcome.

Remove the anodizing with Eazy Off oven cleaner. Old trick, been around for years. Then have them soda blasted. Not a Fuch but I glass beaded my C2's this is what glass bead comes out like.Powder coated when I got them, stripped that with aircraft remover ( ha ha ) than beaded.

Also note the pitting IS NOT from the glass bead but is the original casting. I regularly glass bead aluminum ans steel parts at werk and have NEVER had glass bead "pit" anything. Aluminum oxide YES that will pit.

[Eric_Shea]

Mine pitted big time and... I'm not lying.

[scotty b]

Mine pitted big time and... I'm not lying.

Perhaps our versions of pitting are different. I certainly didn't think you were lying, but to me the finish left by glass bead is not a pitting as much as a texturing. Yes it leaves a "textured" surface. In my opinion "pitting" is morte along the lines of rust pitting on an inner rocker. Deep inclusions etc.

[914werke]

You mean like this?