Cleaning rusty wheels, decal removal!

[Stephen13]

Hi guys,

Now is there an easy cheap way to do this or is it a pointless job and would i be better getting them shot blasted and rebuilt?

And any tips on removing old decals?

many thanks

Stephen

 

[snorri]

Shot blasting sounds a bit dramatic for bicycle wheels.
Are you restoring a vintage bicycle or just getting a neglected bike up to scratch for general use?

 

[amaferanga]

Steel rims?

 

[tyred]

I'd be very wary of shot blasting rims. If someone doesn't know what they are doing, they will be destroyed and anyway, they will probably need to be re-chromed afterwards.

If it's just surface rust, Brasso or Duraglitz will do the trick, otherwise try a kitchen scouring pad or fine wire wool soaked in 3 in 1 oil, then brasso. Don't use anything too abrasive or you will ruin whatever chrome you have left.

If this is for an everyday bike, strongly consider an alloy wheel, at least for the front. It's safer in the rain.

 

[Chris S]

Decals come off with heat. Try using a hair-dryer or a hot water bottle.

 

[2Loose]

If they are (were) chrome, then cola ans silver foil works very well
http://lifehacker.com/5383384/polish-chrome-with-aluminum-foil-and-cola

 

[Stephen13]

Cheers for the tips, I had forgot about the cola trick! used to do that on my old VW camper, DOH!

Will give all the advice a go and see what works best.

many thanks peeps

 

[smokeysmoo]

Sticky residue from decals can be shifted with WD40, but I use aerosol brake and clutch cleaner, it cuts right through the sticky and also evaporates leaving no residue

The best stuff I've found is by Wurth, we use shed loads at work, and it's fantastic for cleaning chains and cassettes with too

 

[MikeK]

You can remove old decals using the Wonder Wheel. It remove large decals that have been baked for years within minutes. It helps you remove stickers, decals, and vinyl signs easily from cars, bikes and trucks.

For materials that are delicate, you can use the Wonder Blade. For more information regarding the Wonder products, check their website: http://decalstickerremover.com/

 

[HovR]

In the past when I've removed decals, I've started by peeling them off, then cleaned off the worst of the sticky residue with isopropanol alcohol (or ethanol - can't quite remember), finishing with a polish of GT85 to give the metal its shine back and remove the rest of the residue.

 

[biggs682]

just remember once removed they cant always be easily replaced