I've seen quite a few bikes here that have the hoops of the wheels either painted or powder coated, and the hubs/spokes not. What's the best way to do this? I like that look better than doing the whole wheel, hoop, spokes, hub and all.
Wheel painting/powder coating question
- Thread starter ChadB
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I had mine powdercoated, but that means unlacing them completely so I can just take the bare hoops to the powdercoater. First couple I did... I relaced myself but had the LBS true them up. the last two wheels I had coated, I laced and trued them myself.
Hey if I can do it, anybody can!
The cost for powdercoating just two rims... $40-60 depending on where.
Hey if I can do it, anybody can!
The cost for powdercoating just two rims... $40-60 depending on where.
Ratfink1962 said:
I can get a whole wheel done for about $20 or so (I know a guy who does powder coating), so cost isn't the issue, I've just never laced up a wheel, and I doubt I have the patience to learn how. Guess I'll call the LBS and see what they charge for un-lacing or lacing, or maybe just have the whole wheels coated just to make it simple.
Take the wheel apart. If you are painting, you could mask the spokes and hubs and paint the hoops. To mask the spokes, you can take some drinking straws and cut a slit along the length and place it over the spoke, then use a bit of tape around each nipple. If you are powder coating you will have to disassemble the wheel anyways.
Well Mitch, You beat me to it.
Well Mitch, You beat me to it.
CCR
Mouth-Breather
i would expect the powder coating to fail at the spokes/nipples/hub if you powder coated the whole wheel. you still have to surface prep other wise the coating will flake off like a $89 push mower deck from wal-mart does. I would at least mask it, but if you did that you might as well pay to have a shop relace the wheel for the same cost. just my opinion though
or you can just spray bomb the whole thing and get the same result
or you can just spray bomb the whole thing and get the same result
:idea: Or you could spray the whole deal without worrying about getting paint on the spokes and nipples, and then replace them one at a time, working your way around the rim randomly until you've replaced each spoke and nipple with a new one.
Ah but you would still have to true them. If you ask about wheel laceing and trueing most shops tell you $40 a wheel . It is like riding a bicycle ...once you get it you wonder why it was that hard. The best way to learn is to take a wheel apart where at least you know the spokes that your useing are the right length. Then read the posts and watch the youtube video. Its not that hard and once you get the hang of it ....you will do like me and take them apart to clean the rims....its alot easier without all those pesky spokes in the way.Pudge said:
:lol:
Pudge said:
No offense, but that sounds like a huge waste of time. All that work, just to have a spray bomb job that will flake off the first time a pebble hits the wheel, no thanks.
I'll just try my hand at un-lacing my wheels, get the hoops coated, then have the LBS lace and true them. That, I think, is the least time and financially costly option.
Without a doubt the best way to do it is disassembling the wheel and powdercoating the rims, but if you're on a budget or just don't want to mess with unlacing and relacing rims then here's how I do it. First I true the wheel if it needs it, then I scotchbrite the rim and wipe it down with Prepsol or acetone. I tape up the nipples with 3/4" or 1" blue tape. I set the wheels in my "painting jig", which is just an old Huffy flipped upside down and sitting on a couple of pallets. Spin the wheel slowly and spray paint it. It's that easy.
After the paint dries I peel off the tape, and the little bit of overspray that gets on the spokes comes right off with steel wool. Obviously this isn't going to be the preffered method for a really nice show bike, but it works great for 95% of my builds.
After the paint dries I peel off the tape, and the little bit of overspray that gets on the spokes comes right off with steel wool. Obviously this isn't going to be the preffered method for a really nice show bike, but it works great for 95% of my builds.
For what they will charge you to lace and true them you can buy new ones. I can lace one in 12 minutes and true it in 30....learn it ...you will need to do it lots ,if your going to stay playing with bikes. There is a satisfaction in doing your own right when you need them ...not next week when the lbs gets time.
Uncle Stretch said:
I'm looking at a tutorial site now about lacing up wheels, and it looks pretty easy, just have to pay attention to what you're doing. I'll learn by doing, and just pay for the powder coating, which for me is pretty cheap.
As far as "stay playing with bikes" I had no intention of doing more than one bike, then my wife wanted one, then I decided I went overkill on my first bike, so I needed another. I still would like to have one original bike, that is an actual make and model, with the correct paint and accessories.
CCR
Mouth-Breather
i know if i go to the college town 30 minutes away and ask them to relace a wheel they would laugh at me and tell me how much a new wheel is, or charge me about $40 to do it. the mom and pop style bike shop i go to the next town over would relace a wheel for $10-$15 (with new spokes on hand), but if he has to order spokes then it gets as pricey as the other shops just without the laughing.
as uncle stretch says though, its worth it to learn how if its something your going to do lots of.
as uncle stretch says though, its worth it to learn how if its something your going to do lots of.
The LBS here charges $16 to true up a wheel, which isnt too bad.
You can unlace them yourself, no problem, also makes it much easier to steel wool the spokes to clean em up while they are out.
You can also lace them back up no problem, use Sheldon Brown's tutorial here... http://sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html
Lacing them yourself will save you some money, plus it will give you a great start if you want to learn how to true them up.
Personally I wanted something "tough" so that it would look good for a long time. So far so good! that powdercoating is some tough stuff.
You can unlace them yourself, no problem, also makes it much easier to steel wool the spokes to clean em up while they are out.
You can also lace them back up no problem, use Sheldon Brown's tutorial here... http://sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html
Lacing them yourself will save you some money, plus it will give you a great start if you want to learn how to true them up.
Personally I wanted something "tough" so that it would look good for a long time. So far so good! that powdercoating is some tough stuff.
[quote="ChadB]As far as "stay playing with bikes" I had no intention of doing more than one bike, then my wife wanted one, then I decided I went overkill on my first bike, so I needed another. I still would like to have one original bike, that is an actual make and model, with the correct paint and accessories.[/quote]
That's how it started for me, I did one bike for my son and then got one for me and then the wife, etc...now I've got around 20 or so. I had the same problem when I was into cars, I like too many of them and couldn't just settle on one, so I had to have five or so projects. Bikes are a lot easier and the build time a lot shorter and the enjoyment factor is greater plus I get to be a kid again (for a while)!
That's how it started for me, I did one bike for my son and then got one for me and then the wife, etc...now I've got around 20 or so. I had the same problem when I was into cars, I like too many of them and couldn't just settle on one, so I had to have five or so projects. Bikes are a lot easier and the build time a lot shorter and the enjoyment factor is greater plus I get to be a kid again (for a while)!
LOL, when I ride the red bike, I imagine what it must have been like to ride a pretty red bike, chrome all shiney, horn in the tank, just cruise along, way back in the early 50's. There's an oldef guy in my neighborhood, I'd guess his age at mid 70's at least, and he always notices the bike, always looks at it, never said anything about it, but I can imagine what he must be thinking.
Really, that's what I get the biggest kick out of..Taking something old, and putting it back into use. I'm a history nut anyway, so that figures.
Really, that's what I get the biggest kick out of..Taking something old, and putting it back into use. I'm a history nut anyway, so that figures.
No offense taken. It was just another idea. Not the way I plan on doing it but another way of doing it. Personally, it's time I figure it out on my own and learn how to lace 'em up myself. I recently took a really warped wheel to my LBS for them to true and they turned me down! Said it was too bent and they wouldn't take the chance on it. I had nothing to lose. I loosened up the spokes, took a rubber mallet to the edge of the rim, pounded on it a bunch, and then after watching a few youtube clips on how to true a rim, tightened up the spokes and got it back to "almost true"! If I can do that, I think I can lace up my own wheel. And now I'm heading a few blocks further east to a different LBS!ChadB said:
I used painter's tape, the blue kind, on these wheels with cheap black lacquer spray paint. They came out better than I thought they would. I cut 36 strips about 3 inches long and put them all along the edge of the workbench. The most time consuming thing is taking the tape off after painting. I'm going to do a set in red soon for my Roadmaster the same way.
