Article: Narrow 1/8th Scale Aluminium Rims

[hot ford coupe]

PING!! That's the kind of thing that's always welcome on the site. There's no such thing as too many images when it comes to great building tips like this one. Those rims will look like turned aluminum and will grace anything you put them on.

[whodaky]

Thankyou for all the kind comments.
Yeah I hear you grinning Don. You sir are bad influence. Sometimes I do need a prompt to show some of my other stuff.
As far as the image posting goes, I just feel that when I post so much stuff;that some people may think I am showing off and that is the furtherest thing from my mind. As was said by Rick and HFC any images should be seen as and are inspirational. Ideas are generated by what we see and do. That exchange of ideas is greatly enhanced by the use of images. I often am amazed that those very same ideas can be conveyed almost instantaneously across the world to people I don't really know as such and may never infact meet. This technology is a great thing for making one feel they are not alone in their achievements, be it modeling or whatever.
Whoops better stop there, some of my philosophies and thoughts dribbling out. I tend to think to deeply at times.
Rick I am really looking forward to recieving all that big scale plastic. Nothing like getting a bunch of old stuff, especially not exactly knowing what is going to be in that stuff. I bought a bunch of old stuff on the west coast here last year site unseen. I only recieved it a month or so ago. A lot of neat stuff to add to my stash!
HFC, yeah the aluminium rims that I am doing amaze me every time I look at them. I love chrome plated plastic, but there is something about a bare metal surface or a highly polished piece of metal. I think it is just that added realism. It is very exciting when such simple ideas, that require relatively simple techniques can reward one with such stunning results. My work bench is covered in cut up aluminium cans, think I need to call it the 'Whodaky Wheel Works'

[whodaky]

I mentioned above that I had started to stick together the wide aluminium rims. Well today I have a rostered day off, so I am back out here in the garage messing with them. First bunch of shots show them with the brushed finish done with 1200 wet and dry then steel wool and then Scotch Brite scourer. Then a few shots with different centres in the rims.





The next series of shots are with the rims polished. Unfortunately these images really don't do justice to the shine on these rims.





Geoff aka whodaky

[whodaky]

The site said I had to many images on the last post (now there's a surprise! ), so I had to put these on a different post.
A few obligatory inspirational shots using one of the the shop test mules!!!
Geoff aka whodaky

[Deuces-wild]

SWEEEEEEEEEET!!!!!

[xken]

And great pictures! Also a day off and having fun too; does life get any better.
Keep up the great work on these wheels. Ken

[Don Garrett]

Chaulk up another one for the WHODAKY!

[hot ford coupe]

That's incredible. Those are some of the best wheels I've ever seen and for the price of a couple of burpsie cans. You can't beat that with a stick. That's the kind of direction we need to go. It goes to show you that if you're creative and you don't mind experimenting, there's a lot of great parts we can get from the "dumpster". Tear apart that old microwave or the broken radios and CD players. I've got an old camera that doesn't work anymore. I'm sure I'll find some gears and little fiddly parts that will go great somewhere..

[Deuces-wild]

I've got an old VCR in my truck that I found in a dumpster that I need to go through.. There's all kinds of stuff in one of those things. Wire, mounting hardware, etc.

[hot ford coupe]

If you can check out a broken printer. They may even have small chains in there for large scale bikes.

[Rick]

This is great stuff guys. One safety tip.....PLEEEEZZZZZZZ be carefull when cutting into an aerosal can. I've seen the results of someone pokeing a hole in a can that was still charged and it ain't pretty.

[slingshot]

Great wheels and a great tip, I can't wait to try it out when I get to my Chaparral wheels.

When JB is applied and dries, does it filed down relatively easily and does it blend in fairly well when the wheel is brushed or polished?

[whodaky]

JB weld will blend and feather in OK, the only problem is the color is darker than aluminium!
Yes you are right Rick, care should be taken with the cutting into the aerosol can, ensure that it is completely empty.
Also when cutting and handling the aluminium drinks cans, one needs to handle the cut pieces with care; because this stuff is so thin it is extremely sharp.
Geoff aka whodaky

[whodaky]

Goodness HFC I just reread what you wrote. Thanks for such a compliment.
I really love the experimentation and coming up with stuff from no where really.
Actually every time I sit down at my work bench with the wheels and pieces before me I see another application.
I am playing with some Jag wire as we speak.
I am glad that everyone can see the potential in what I am showing. Have a go at them, you will be truly amazed!
Geoff aka whodaky

[whodaky]

Slingshot, for ease and strength I flared the inner rim section of the wheel to over lap at the back the outer rim sections. Because of this I end up with a step in the rim. See red arrows in image below.

This step could be filled with JB weld and blended in, but as I said above the color of JB weld isn't the same as the aluminium it is a grey color. The color can vary depending on the ratio of the 2 part mix. But it is never exactly like the aluminium.
From what you are saying, I think you are after what looks like a one piece rim?
How I would go about this is. When you flare the inner part of the rim, only flare it to the same diameter where it will join up with the outer rim parts. Essentially you'll end up with a square butt joint. But because the aluminium is so thin, you don't have much of a surface area for the adhesive ( JB weld ). What I would do is make a sleeve to go over the joint at the back ( well 2 sleeves, one for each joint ),that is the area that will be inside the tyre. Just when you are preparing the butt joint, you want to get the fit almost perfect, so that when the joint is glued and dry you will only have a hair line where the joints is; a joint that would be virtually invisible.
I hope all that made sense.
Geoff aka whodaky