Wheel hub info

[modelman]

I have the new stainless rims/spokes & the old units are fully stripped, the hubs were, shall we say a bit 'furry', but cleaned up really well, HOWEVER, the the middle, ribbed section has the rough-cast finish & would be difficult (for me anyway) to get highly polished, also, the thin, raised lip by the brake-plate on the rear hub had a couple of 'chunks' missing, I've managed to build them up with lumiweld & ground them back to original contour, much better but there are a couple of little 'voids' where I haven't done such a good job, & if I try to heat/fill it again, I'm sure to melt it out & make it worse!!
So, finally the question, I can get away with etching, priming, filling & painting the hubs silver & just keep the brake-plate parts polished?
I'm not capable of making a show bike, or aiming at absolute perfection, & have no idea as to how the hubs should be, but do you think will silver work ????

[Geoff Hastings]

Personally I'd have another go with the Lumiweld, perhaps make some sort of support so that is does not just all run off. Failing that, I think I would try and track down a replacement hub, I can't see you being happy with a painted hub no matter how well it is done, particularly as you've gone to the trouble of getting stainless spokes and rims. An alternative might be to get a good welder to build up the flange and then machine it back to size.

[modelman]

Yeh, you're right & it makes sense, so I take it they were originally unpainted??

[Geoff Hastings]

My ones certainly had no paint on them just the white crust all old aluminium has, I put my hubs in a lathe, took off the corrosion with progressively fine emery cloth, then polished them with standard metal polish.