Sand Blasted Wheels.

[steven]

Hi,
I have been collecting the bits and pieces for another set of 4L0 wheels, thanks to those that have helped.
One of the wheels has been sandblasted.
Can a sandblasted wheel be brought back to standard condition ? or is the slight pitting caused by the sandblaster too deep to polish out ?
Thanks in advance.
Steven.

[Tobyjugs]

Hi Steven I just did something simular but the rim was skimmed in a lathe.

[mick858]

I asked for my wheels to be stripped, NOT blasted.

[stusco]

The same happened to me I just wanted them dipped but they blasted them anyway it took a lot of effort to bring them back

[steven]

Nov 21, 2019 16:07:28 GMT 1 stusco said:

The same happened to me I just wanted them dipped but they blasted them anyway it took a lot of effort to bring them back

Hi, thanks for the info.
So it can be done then.
Cheers,
Steven.

[donkeychomp]

Sand blasting is illegal now. Amazed that happened. I'd be angry as hell at them.

Alex

[Tobyjugs]

Nov 22, 2019 0:09:10 GMT 1 donkeychomp said:

Sand blasting is illegal now. Amazed that happened. I'd be angry as hell at them.

Alex

I got that wheel off a fisherman and past it on to Steven.

Sorry Steven I did not even give the fact it was sand blasted a second thought.

[steven]

Hi,
Since when did sand blasting become illegal ?
Whats the thinking behind that ?
Steven.

[steven]

I have just had a quick google.
From what I read, sandblasting is illegal in the UK if you use a media with silica sand, other types of media are available.
A copy and paste....... "If a substance contains 1% or more of free silica, it is subject to the prohibition."

I dont see any problem with a sand blasted wheel, apart from the fact it will be hard to polish back to looking standard.
Im sure the wheel could still be used, it would just mean it would need painted or coated or something.
Every day is indeed a school day !
Steven.
www.kuegroup.com/why-sandblasting-is-illegal-in-the-uk/

www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/ocs/200-299/273_18/#

[JonW]

The problem isnt really the polishing, its the fact the diamond cut spokes are all ruined :/

People say 'sand blasting' to mean any blasting. No one uses sand anymore, its all different tyres of media. Glass, Walnut etc etc

[Deleted]

I would suspect they have used garnet on your wheels which is really a coarse media

I tend to use Staurolite, glass beads (Inda), or soda at home on my parts that aren't so delicate

I use Methylene chloride based paint stripper on the other "fragile" bits including wheels then use a high pressure cleaner to remove the paint, not 100 % comes off on the first go so I just use the stripper again and then and only then do I use the blaster on the tiny bits of stubborn paint that just won't come off, just finished a set the other day, they are now masked up for painting

I then use a scotch brite wheel on a drill to go over the larger parts or foam backed wet and dry pads for the rest

When you are finished use nitrile gloves to wash the rim with hot soapy water rinse off, dry then use methylated spirits to finish it off before starting the painting process, the meths will soak up any remaining water and evaporate to leave a dry oil free surface

The wheels will certainly take a lot of work to do but i reckon you'll get there, as Jon says the only bits you won't resurrect are the milled surfaces on the spokes, lathe skimming will get you a real shiny finish on the lips and spoke surfaces, i guess you could ask for a coarse grind on the spokes, the purple scotch brite wheel on the spindle in a drill will probably get 95% of the damage cured, the tighter spots you will need to do by hand i'm afraid

Thinking out aloud, I wonder if vapour blasting might assist in removing the damage done by the sand blaster

HTH

[beardy]

So I wasn’t the only one to google illegal sandblasting:)

[pdxjim]

I would wet blast to knock down the sharp edges and get back to a useable finish.

I’ve grown quite fond of the vapored finish and might be tempted to leave them raw if it fit my build

[Deleted]

Interesting you should say that jim, i was thinking the same

I've just finished removing the paint off a set of wheels and thought they would look pretty neat with a vapour blast finish

I've got another couple of sets to play with so might give it a go

[pdxjim]

Nov 22, 2019 16:58:56 GMT 1 @hblair said:

Interesting you should say that jim, i was thinking the same

I've just finished removing the paint off a set of wheels and thought they would look pretty neat with a vapour blast finish

I've got another couple of sets to play with so might give it a go

Yeah, I’m going with a VB finish on much of the raw/machined aluminum on my 4U0regon bike. Fork lowers, caliper adapters, footrest hangers, etc.

VB and a bit of automotive wax and call it good. Only time will tell how it holds up.

[Tobyjugs]

I always clean my aluminium parts with scotchbrite. For the dull look.

[doohanno1]

I got a spare set of wheels with the 31k i purchased recently..After stripping off the layers of old paint i found that somebody had sandblasted them..
After wearing a couple of fingers down to the knuckles trying to get rid of the "poc marks " i gave up..I couldn't find anyone close to me to" diamond cut" the rim/ spokes...I spoke to the local powdercoater who said he'd have a go..Here's the result..Silver and black is powdercoat ..At least they are useable now...

[stusco]

You always get them diamond cut

[donkeychomp]

Apologies Tobyjugs. Didn't occur to me that Steven might have got the wheel from someone here and that that someone had got it from someone else! But good to see they can be bought back to life again. Those gold wheels above are amazing!

Alex

[buck1963]

Nov 22, 2019 12:59:25 GMT 1 @hblair said:

I would suspect they have used garnet on your wheels which is really a coarse media

I tend to use Staurolite, glass beads (Inda), or soda at home on my parts that aren't so delicate

I use Methylene chloride based paint stripper on the other "fragile" bits including wheels then use a high pressure cleaner to remove the paint, not 100 % comes off on the first go so I just use the stripper again and then and only then do I use the blaster on the tiny bits of stubborn paint that just won't come off, just finished a set the other day, they are now masked up for painting

I then use a scotch brite wheel on a drill to go over the larger parts or foam backed wet and dry pads for the rest

When you are finished use nitrile gloves to wash the rim with hot soapy water rinse off, dry then use methylated spirits to finish it off before starting the painting process, the meths will soak up any remaining water and evaporate to leave a dry oil free surface

The wheels will certainly take a lot of work to do but i reckon you'll get there, as Jon says the only bits you won't resurrect are the milled surfaces on the spokes, lathe skimming will get you a real shiny finish on the lips and spoke surfaces, i guess you could ask for a coarse grind on the spokes, the purple scotch brite wheel on the spindle in a drill will probably get 95% of the damage cured, the tighter spots you will need to do by hand i'm afraid

Thinking out aloud, I wonder if vapour blasting might assist in removing the damage done by the sand blaster

HTH

[buck1963]

thats a realy usefull tip about using the metholated spirits to get rid of any water,stored for the future !

[shandyboy]

I've got a bead blast cabinet and use glass bead in it to remove paint, I also have a vapour mate 1 blast cabinet for vapour blasting.

I will try an old wheel in the glass bead first then put in in the vapour cabinet to see if it gets it back to a usable finish if that helps ??

Alan