Sunday, November 2, 2014

BSA Wheels

 Saturday I had planned to inspect the BSA wheel bearings, polish the rims and mount the new Dunlop K70 tires. I ran into a snag.


 The rust on the wheels was more than just surface rust. In spots it was pitted deep. Being on a budget I decided to just paint the wheels. I prepped the chrome and applied an adhesion promoter, then gloss black. I later added a crooked gold pinstripe and clearcoat. No, the pinstripe wasn't supposed to be crooked, it just worked out that way. I left 1/2" or so of chrome at the edge of the rim to allow mounting the tires without screwing up the paint.

 One extra thing to screw up my day are these bead locks. I thought about eliminating them and I still might as I have not tried installing the tire yet.  At this point all I have done is the rear wheel. The front wheel is still holding the frame up on the lift table.

 I needed some masking tape for this project. I had a roll here in the shop but I think my daughter used it for removing lint from her clothes. No biggy, I'll hop on the bike and get another roll. It was a chilly 36 degrees but this is a small town so I wouldn't be out long enough to get cold.
 There are some advantages to living in a small town but at the moment I can't think of any. How much does your town suck when you can't buy a roll of masking tape? It's not that everyone was out. Nobody offers it. Beer, liquor, smokes, cheese, antiques and lottery tickets...no problem. Masking tape requires a ride to the big city. I ended up using pinstriping tape and electrical tape for my masking.



 I think I'm ok with the way they turned out. I'll leave this one near my desk in the workshop and stare at it for a while. If I come up with something better I have no problem changing it. I guess I'm just not in a hurry.

UPDATE: I wrote the above crap on saturday. Before the day was over I decided I hated the rear wheel. I'll sand it down and remove the crooked gold pinstripe. The stripe may go back on but it will be straight. I removed the front wheel and started painting it. All black, no chrome.  I'll finish it today.

2 comments:

  1. Scott--If you keep this up, eventually the BSA will be on the road again. LOL. Bill Wood

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  2. Little bits at a time. I need to get there. I really want to ride this bike again!

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