Here's my question to Paul (4shorts) within Hobbies ¦ Interests ¦ Passions:
Paul, I've watched with interest your C200 resto timeline and, in particular, your wheel-building. Once you've polished the hubs do you lacquer them? If so, what have you found to be the best product? I'm soon to start my CB77 wheels and I want to do it right (well, then I only have to do it the once!).
and his reply:
Paul has polished many parts in the process of restoring his numerous bikes to a fabulously high standard http://www.honda305.com/forums/viewtopi ... sc&start=0 . And wordman5's resto of his late CB77 is just stunning http://www.honda305.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2476 ; pull a closeup of the hubs and look at the quality. Now that's my aim but I'm concerned about the longevity of such a finish, particularly after applying lacquer. (Relevant digression: I bought my second 'zook GT380 new in '74, an 'L' model, and the lacquered engine casings were knackered and peeling within a year or so, despite garaging and not riding in the wet weather.)Hi Steve. Happy to know you've enjoyed looking at my thread on the C200. As for my wheels or any of the pollished aluminum parts I've done I've used automotive clear coat but I've found that they need to be cleaned in acetone very well first and make sure when you handle them you don't get finger prints on them at all before clearing them. I've also used a shaker can of clear and found that to be pretty good as well and do look good on the aluminum. As for the longevity of it all I'm not sure.
What concerns me is that, after lacquering and lacing, the spokes will be placing a lot of pressure upon very small, concave surfaces within the hubs' drillings and this will become an entry point for moisture to undermine the coating. Although my CB never gets (intentionally) wet, we do have high humidity here in the Mediterranean, although probably no worse than many US coastal locales, so many of you guys will be able to throw in your knowledge here.