# How to Finish Hand Wheels



## Kroll (Nov 18, 2013)

Afternoon guys,well I'm trying to plan ahead alittle to come up with a game plan on how to finish hand wheels on a SB but I guess it applys to all lathes.Myself I like the look of shiny steel but I hate the maintance that has to go with it to keep from rusting here in the south.What I would like to do is paint the spokes black then buff the heck out of the rim to where it looks shiny.Is there something that can be apply to the bear steel to help keep it from rusting,maybe clear lacquer like for cars?How has other members handle this when a hand wheel is not chrome???Thanks---kroll


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## stevecmo (Nov 18, 2013)

Kroll,

I agree with your basic plan of painting the spokes and hub, and polishing the outer rim.  My philosophy is to leave all of the areas that you routinely touch with your hands bare, polished metal; things you don't touch get paint.  My experience is that these unpainted surfaces don't need anything for protection - they get enough oil from you hands as you use the machine.

Steve


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## xalky (Nov 18, 2013)

I tend to agree with Steve. If your hell bent on making them real pretty, you could buff them out with a buffing wheel and some black emery compound. Followed by a clear powder coat or epoxy clear.OR just the rim raw and just oil them.


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## Kroll (Nov 19, 2013)

Thanks guys I will buff it alittle,but I like just the plain old hand oil ideal that works for me---Tks kroll


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## GK1918 (Nov 19, 2013)

tip for Kroll.   Usually on Sundays every one or two weeks (this is after you get your mirror shine)  get one of them ball thingys put on a 
hand drill use some mothers or chrome polish. Just go round and round  And it just gets better and better.  We have a lot of machinery so I have to spend a Sunday
with this kind of maintenance.  If I dont nobody else will.  ( my hatchlings absoulutly will not clean anything) they dont know what a
broom is. lol    but theres nothing like nice chrome hand wheels so I just keep em that way.  I use those "yellow" wheels whatever they are
called and they cut with the black or dk gray compound then the red then the white compound.

Oh I always paint after buffing usually with an artist brush


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## Pacer (Nov 19, 2013)

I do just what you said - buff/polish the outer rim, carefully tape it off and then paint the rough cast iron part. I dont have a problem with them rusting, probably because I use my machines often. I suspect that if they went unused for a length of time unpainted they would rust regardless of what you did... Ive bought a lot of machines that have been sitting and they are always rusted at a place like the handwheels.


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## RandyM (Nov 19, 2013)

When I do get around to restoring my lathe, I am going to clear powder coat the unpainted portions of the handwheels. You can try the lacquer as that is probably your next best option aside from sending them to a plating company and having them chromed. HHHmmmmmm.


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## george wilson (Nov 24, 2013)

That hand wheel is pretty pitted,and needs a lot of sanding,starting with coarser wet or dry paper. I suggest mounting it on a shaft in the lathe. Cover the ways with PAPER(NOT cloth),and sand away while it is rotating. That's how I polished my HLVh carriage wheel. Keep the bright parts oiled if you must. Lacquer has the problem of starting to wear or flake off,leaving darker patches of steel against the polished ones,and looks bad. I just bought some German wood chisels that are lacquered. They will look awful with a little use. I need to remove the blasted lacquer and let there whole blade age gracefully.

What I hate is sometimes nicking my carriage wheel with the tool post wrench as I reach for it!! One of these days I'll have to polish it again.


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## RHayden2k (Jan 6, 2015)

I will just use a metal polish or an auto wax on all the unpainted parts of the hand wheels on my lathe when I get them cleaned .


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## 18w (Jan 6, 2015)

I would just wax the rim. The down side to putting on any clear finish is eventually it will wear off if you use the machine much. For those of you contemplating powder coating remember you may want to powder coat  before painting as the powder coat needs to be baked so the painted spoke area may be subject to wrinkling if done first depending on the type of paint used. Also powder coat is typically applied over a blasted finish so I do not know what the appearance would look like.Once powder coating is worn or damaged it requires some effort to remove. I am not a fan of using it for your wheels. Another possibility is  nickel plating, cheaper than chrome.

Regards
Darrell


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## Dan_S (Jan 6, 2015)

You might like this option that some people use on woodworking bench hand wheels.

http://benchcrafted.blogspot.com/2011/09/omega-3-fatty-acid-for-your-cast-iron.html


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## Ebel440 (Jan 7, 2015)

I just rub a little patrician wax on mine when its warm


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## gi_984 (Jan 8, 2015)

George, why cover the ways with paper instead of cloth?


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## Micke S (Jan 8, 2015)

Paper seals better than cloth.


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## Dan_S (Jan 8, 2015)

Micke S said:


> Paper seals better than cloth.




And it's a lot safer if something goes wrong.


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