Eggbert
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Posts: 331
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
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 Posted: Fri May 14, 2010 9:50 am Post subject: Tire Rim Seperation |
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If you're like me, you'll go through a set of rubber tires in no time, especially on asphalt. I now generally use foams, such as Jaco NitroShoes, but before I used to build up my own wheels. Rims are cheap, but I like to re-use stuff if I can. I found a little stub-axle tool I made in my junk-bin the other day and it reminded me of how I used to clean rubber from rims. Thought I'd share it with you,
My first attempt was to try the boiling trick. Even at a simmer, in a little over 5 minutes, I got this:
Apparently, this type of plastic melts at low temps, so the oven trick wasn't going to work either. I think Buggy and MT rims are nylon, and can take the heat.
I didn't feel like buying a pint of acetone only to find it melts the plastic rim too, plus it's messy and stinky.
So I decided to cut the tires off the rims. This left a mess of rubber firmly attached to the rim with the CA. I did try a small bottle of CA remover (basically acetone) and it didn't make a dent in the cured glue.
Next I made a stub axle from a bolt. The hex end fits into the rim, and I drilled and tapped the bolt head for a small machine screw to hold the rim on the axle. I also used my lathe to remove the bolt threads, but that's not necessaary. Filing 3 flat spots at 120 degrees apart will also work.
The next step is to chuck the stub axle with the rim attached, in a lathe, or even a drill-press can work. Using a steady rest (tool rest), use a small flat bladed screwdriver to scrape the rubber off the rim as the rim spins. A little sandpaper can finish the job.
Below is a pic of two rims that used this method. The one on the left still needs work. The one on the right could use some, but I'm satisified with the result.
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