TheSamba.com :: View topic - Fuchs refinishing (polishing and restoration)

Sat May 26, 2007 4:53 pm

I've heard a lot of opinions on this subject, lets hear some more. Who have you had the best results with?

Sat May 26, 2007 6:57 pm

I just did my spare rim nad I found a couple of time savers. First use Aircraft stripper on the painted parts. A couple of coats should do it. Next lightly sand with 800-1000 grit sand paper with WD40 as a lubricant. Clean and use "diamondbrite polish", available at Lowes next to the truck toolboxes, to polish. I find a regular grinder type buffer works well. I finish with a "powerball" and touch up by hand. Will shine like chrome.

This is the stuff, I have tried them all. get you some......

http://www.dawsbetterbuilt.com/bbt/polish.html

Thu May 31, 2007 3:41 pm

Pretty sure he was looking for names. Al Reed and Alex Magro are both on here and come pretty highly recommended. Magro did the wheels on my bus and they look good. AL Reed I think is higher end, more detail more money....

Thu May 31, 2007 4:04 pm

Mag Masters in CA polished mine.

Fri Jun 01, 2007 6:40 am

maybe some folks who did there own could chime in with some techniques, of what worked good for them.

Don't they have a clear powdercoating, that in time leaves that white milky haze?

also what is an average dollar amount (per wheel) to have alex or al polish?

Fri Jun 01, 2007 12:28 pm

roberto wrote: maybe some folks who did there own could chime in with some techniques, of what worked good for them.

Don't they have a clear powdercoating, that in time leaves that white milky haze?

also what is an average dollar amount (per wheel) to have alex or al polish?

Paint stripper takes the black paint off. Easy Off oven cleaner takes the clear annodizing off (the stuff that goes hazy) After you do both of those you have raw aluminum. Sand paper, polish, elbow grease.....

Fri Jun 01, 2007 9:43 pm

scottvw wrote: Mag Masters in CA polished mine. Thier website is gone. Does anybody have a number for them?

Fri Jun 08, 2007 11:09 am

POLISHING A FACTORY FUCH RIM-STRIP RIM BY SAND BLASTING RIM USING GLASS BEAD. SECOND STEP-USE A VARIABLE SPEED FLEX SHAFT DREMMEL STYLE TOOL TO CLEAN UP AROUND THE SPOKE AREA USING 240 GRIT ON A STRAIGHT BARREL WITH GRINDERS GREASE (REMOVE ALL FACTORY SAND MARKS) . THIRD STEP-SAND RIM USING DRY SANDPAPER USING THE FOLLOWING GRITS IN SEQUENCE 60, 80, 100. FOLLOW UP WITH WET SANDING USING 220, 320, 400, 600, 1000, 1500. FOURTH STEP- POLISHING, I USE A VARIABLE SPEED DIE GRINDER (MAKITA) @5500 RPM. USE A SPIRAL SEWN WHEEL WITH RED ROUGE (TRIPPOLI COMPOUND). FOLLOW UP WITH USING A CANTON FLANNEL WHEEL WITH WHITE ROUGE. REMEMBER TO DRESS THE BUFFING WHEEL WITH COMPOUND AS NEEDED AND TO RAKE THE BUFFING WHEELS TO GET RID OR EXCESS COMPOUND . I LIKE TO USE CALIFORNIA CUSTOM ORIGINAL PURPLE POLISH TO UPKEEP MY RIMS. THESE ARE THE STEPS THAT I HAVE USED ON POLISHING OVER 125 FUCH RIMS.

Fri Jun 08, 2007 12:31 pm

808-56 wrote: POLISHING A FACTORY FUCH RIM-STRIP RIM BY SAND BLASTING RIM USING GLASS BEAD. SECOND STEP-USE A VARIABLE SPEED FLEX SHAFT DREMMEL STYLE TOOL TO CLEAN UP AROUND THE SPOKE AREA USING 240 GRIT ON A STRAIGHT BARREL WITH GRINDERS GREASE (REMOVE ALL FACTORY SAND MARKS) . THIRD STEP-SAND RIM USING DRY SANDPAPER USING THE FOLLOWING GRITS IN SEQUENCE 60, 80, 100. FOLLOW UP WITH WET SANDING USING 220, 320, 400, 600, 1000, 1500. FOURTH STEP- POLISHING, I USE A VARIABLE SPEED DIE GRINDER (MAKITA) @5500 RPM. USE A SPIRAL SEWN WHEEL WITH RED ROUGE (TRIPPOLI COMPOUND). FOLLOW UP WITH USING A CANTON FLANNEL WHEEL WITH WHITE ROUGE. REMEMBER TO DRESS THE BUFFING WHEEL WITH COMPOUND AS NEEDED AND TO RAKE THE BUFFING WHEELS TO GET RID OR EXCESS COMPOUND . I LIKE TO USE CALIFORNIA CUSTOM ORIGINAL PURPLE POLISH TO UPKEEP MY RIMS. THESE ARE THE STEPS THAT I HAVE USED ON POLISHING OVER 125 FUCH RIMS.

Damn................................. :D

Fri Jun 08, 2007 10:26 pm

DOUBLE DAMN.......any pics?

Tue Sep 11, 2007 11:54 am

Does anyone know how bad a rim can be before they can't be repaired, fixed up and polished/painted?
How bad of curb rash, or pitting can be brought back to obtain a great wheel?

I just got a pair of 5.5s and I'm looking for advice.
I don't think mine are too far gone... I'll post pics in a bit.
Do both Al Reed and Alex Magro do repair?

Edit for Pics:

Tue Sep 11, 2007 7:08 pm

get a hold of Al Reed he does repairs

Tue Sep 11, 2007 7:50 pm

Double check with Mag Masters. They do excellent work and probably cheaper than Al or Alex.

More than likely you can sand some of that curbing away and it will blend right in.

Tue Sep 11, 2007 8:12 pm

scottvw wrote: Double check with Mag Masters. They do excellent work and probably cheaper than Al or Alex.

That's true...............and they (Mag Masters) can repair that kind of damage back to perfection.

Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:04 pm

I learned to polish from reading this thread on a bmx site and then used these techniques to do my Cosmics.
http://www.vintagebmx.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=005471#000000

Tue Sep 11, 2007 10:04 pm

Thanks guys.
I'll give Mag Masters a call.

For ppl that come here after the fact:

MAG MASTERS
1419 East Edinger
Santa Ana, CA 92705
(714) 541-9777
Fax (714) 541-9773

Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:41 am

just pulled my deep 6's out and my 4.5 for Alex. he is very fair for the work he does. hope to have them back for bug jam! :twisted:

Wed Sep 12, 2007 11:51 am

ratlookvw wrote: just pulled my deep 6's out and my 4.5 for Alex. he is very fair for the work he does. hope to have them back for bug jam! :twisted:

I don't know what these guys charge, but I put two solid days of work into doing 4 wheels. Not to mention the money spent buying the polish, sandpaper and $40 sander. I just like trying to do stuff myself.

Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:33 pm

Glenn's Wheel Polishing here in Tampa is getting quite the reputation for their work. They started out simply polishing wheels but now they straighten, and can weld up curb damage and throw it in a big lathe to true it back up before polishing. May save you some shipping if the other guys are in Cali.

Wed Sep 12, 2007 2:43 pm

KILLERWATT wrote: ratlookvw wrote: just pulled my deep 6's out and my 4.5 for Alex. he is very fair for the work he does. hope to have them back for bug jam! :twisted:

I don't know what these guys charge, but I put two solid days of work into doing 4 wheels. Not to mention the money spent buying the polish, sandpaper and $40 sander. I just like trying to do stuff myself.

They done yet?