Mag. Wheel clean up

[Richard Hybels]

I got an AJ Foyt Indy car wheel for $25 and I'd like to get it cleaned up and the face polished up for a coffee table or something.
It looks like it layed outside for 20 years. Any ideas?

[Rick Kirchner]

I usually start with red rubbing compound and a felt wheel on a die grinder, just to get the loose junk off. follow with red rouge buffing compound, Then white rubbing compound, then mothers mag polish, then the blue stuff, followed by carnuba wax. Pilot and Loves have big bars of buffing compound for cheap.


For 13" wheels that have oxidized over the winter, It takes over an hour each. I bet yours will take six.

then you'll need to put felt or a wooden plate under it, because it's going to turn everything it touches black. I guess on the backside you could just paint it.

[DanW]

Richard,

If the corrosion is really bad, you can have the wheel abrasive blasted with walnut shells or plastic media. That will remove most of the corrosion. Then use Rick's method to polish.

I used the walnut shells on my mag wheels to removed 20+ years of corrosion. I didn't polish, but used alodine on them to preserve them.

[JamesJ]

Take a look at Gibbs brand http://www.roadsters.com/gibbs/

[La Scuderia Raggi]

Just take it to Britex in Sacramento. He'll take care of it for you.

[Richard Hybels]

Thanks everybody. BTW, as a kid I watched AJ run at a lot of midget/sprint car races in the Midwest. Gordy Johncock was he local hotshoe in the Super Mods back then.
Ive been into racing over 55 years at this point.