Re: '38 Senior wheel color

Posted by HH56 On 2019/6/12 10:35:08

Quote:

Doubt it. The accessory brochure photo above says the 37 (and maybe 38) wheel is made of chrome plated steel wires. No idea how resilient the rim material might be but seriously doubt you could plate the wheel and still have the rim perfectly intact after it had gone thru the preliminary stripping, smoothing and then the plating chemicals. Possibly it would come thru well enough to be touched up with epoxy and paint though.

That probably being a hard rubber wheel, there are several sites that have DIY restoration instructions where you can make a silicone mold while the rim is in good condition and then recast the rim in epoxy or plastic materials after it was plated. That might be an option that you could do for less than the arm and two leg prices wheel restoration places are charging these days. If you are not into detail work then the hassle and learning experience (translation: material cost when you redo mistakes) could be steep and the restoration prices start looking good.https://www.alumilite.com/PDFs/Printables/How%20to%20make%20molds/How-To-Mold-Antique-Car-Steering-Wheel.pdf

Possibly using something like naval jelly and steel wool would remove the worst of the rust and at least get shiny pits that could be covered with clear to make it look a bit better until you bite the bullet and have it done. There is another process that might get shiny chromed areas but it is a stopgap and not meant for large areas. No idea how durable it might be along with existing and getting the steel smooth enough to not stand out and clean enough in the confined area for it to work might be the kicker.https://www.caswellplating.com/plug-n-plate-copy-chrome-kit.html# I have used the kit on some small brass bezels I turned on the lathe and the chrome seems to hold up well. When the instructions say the piece must be absolutely clean and not to touch the surface after cleaning, boy do they mean just that.