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Coating/restoring Halibrand wheels; history of magnesium wheels

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Q. I have a set of real magnesium wheels produced by a company called Halibrand. When they are polished they look better than chrome/aluminum.

The problem I am experiencing is that "you just have to look at them" and they start to fade and oxidize. At first it was fun using metal polish to return them to their lustrous state but that soon wore off. I subsequently got into a business selling buffs and compounds as I found these worked faster albeit the wheels had to be removed from the car.

My question: Is there some kind of clearcoating process that will withstand the elements but not "dull the shine" of the wheels? Lacquer does not stand up. I have a friend who has a powder coating company so if heat was involved I have access to that technology. The clears he normally uses he is afraid of applying as they tend to dull aluminum and would be hard to remove if a successful shine were not achieved.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. - Bert

Bert B [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]

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A. Real magnesium wheels are no longer produced in great numbers for the reason stated. Most mag wheels still in existence are on early street rods or nostalgia race cars seeing limited use. They have always been a high maintenance item with most early race teams letting the wheels return to their natural dark grey state after giving up on the tedious polishing. A two-component urethane coating would likely hold up fairly well with a reasonably good appearance; however, I have leaned toward the use of a good quality lacquer for several reasons. While this coating will not hold up as long, it will look much better at thin films, can be easily waxed with auto wax, and ultimately can be easily stripped off with lacquer thinner [linked by editor to product info at Amazon] when the time comes for the inevitable re restoration several years later. A final thought is to be very careful when power buffing magnesium. Very few shops are set up properly to avoid the potential fire hazards when magnesium dust is present. Good luck! Bob Anderson Corporate Marketing Manager - Indiana

Engineer to Win

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Q. I would like to know which is the best system for corrosive protection of magnesium die - cast wheels and for the final coating of them. I know the impregnation system with thermosetting methacrylate.

I was browsing to search for information related to: Surface treatment for magnesium (I remember an old publication of W.P. Innes, and I got this address.

Thanking in advance

Leonardo Z [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]

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A. Hello, Bert, Leonardo. Please see our on-line articles: Finishing of Magnesium and An Update on Magnesium Treatments. An additional interesting thread about polishing magnesium is letter 2068. If possible, try to find a copy of Dow's "Magnesium Finishing" booklet => You may also want to see our Chrome Plating Tutorial if chrome plating is one of the options you want to consider. Good luck. Ted Mooney, P.E. finishing.com Brick, New Jersey

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+ -- this entry appended to this thread by editor in lieu of spawning a duplicative thread

Q. I have some old Halibrand auto. wheels I would like to restore the original Dow 7 finish on. They are cast from AZ 91 alloy. They are in excellent condition with minor corrosion. Please HELP !

P.S. They are for a Cobra car project.

Eddie Wilbanks
- Eads, Tennessee

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++++++ RFQ: I also have a pair of Halibrand magnesium 12-spoke spindle-mount wheels in need of corrosion protection. Is there a company that will, at some reasonable cost, apply a protective coating for the individual consumer such as myself for such a low-volume application? Coating should maintain the color close to the natural color. Thanks - Lonnie Lonnie C [last name deleted for privacy by Editor] - Great Falls, South Carolina   ^- Sorry! This RFQ is outdated -^ ++++++ -- this entry appended to this thread by editor in lieu of spawning a duplicative thread Q. I am looking for the specifics of restoring various race car parts. I need to know the cleaning process for the magnesium, as well as the dichromating sealer to go on the cleaned magnesium. Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks, Vaughn Bright plating shop - Virden, Illinois, USA + Q. Do you know where I can get student info on the history of magnesium wheels? Kellie Argy - LA, California

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Kellie,

A. A very interesting question! Perhaps pick up a copy of a magazine for performance cars, i.e. , Hot Rod Magazine [link is to product info at Amazon]. Many ads for magnesium wheels. Many manufacturers of this type. Contact them all.

Another thing would be to search the web with "magnesium wheels", see what turns up. Good luck!

Bill Hemp
tech svc. w/ chemical supplier - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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A. I found this question in my ongoing search for a good way to protect my 16 x 13 Halibrand magnesium wheels. I've written some small articles that deal with the history of Halibrand Engineering and American Racing Equipment magnesium racing wheels. While far from being the definitive text on the subject, it's a start, http://roadsters.com/wheels/#Halibrand

Dave Mann
- Portland, Oregon

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January 26, 2012

Thanks for the link, Dave -- excellent article!

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E. finishing.com Brick, New Jersey