Classic & Vintage - Rusty Eyelets! Unusable rims?

I have several sets of alloy rims that could be used to lace up new wheels. Problem is they all have rusty eyelets. Some on both sides and some just on the top. I've used steel wool 000 and some fine grit sandpaper 180 to clean them up, but can they really be used and will the eyelets hold over time? Several have polished up really nice and I would hate to toss them out. What's your take?

They sound like absolute crap. Bring 'em up here and I'll dispose of them for you.

I'll take any over flow. :)

They sound like absolute crap. Bring 'em up here and I'll dispose of them for you.


I figured as much I wouldn't get the right answer from the Bay Area Vultures. :D Can't wait for Bossman to reply. Somehow I know his response will be the same. :o

I figured as much I wouldn't get the right answer from the Bay Area Vultures. :D Can't wait for Bossman to reply. Somehow I know his response will be the same. :o

Naw - I don't lace wheels.... yet. :p Unless you have a spare 700c Mavic MA2 - I have one, and want to make a pair.

You might try mixing a weak solution of Oxalic acid and soaking the rust off. It works amazingly well.

I would think that if the rust is mainly of the surface variety, easily scratched off with fingernail, then the eyelet should still be good. If parts of the eyelet start coming off when you are scratching or picking at it, then bad.

surface rust should clean of with a little never dull wadding.

http://www.nevrdull.com/images/TheCan.gif

the resulting eyelet should look shiny even if it's a bit pitted, but if it's pitted it will rust up again fairly easily.

Linseed oil.

I have a couple of reasonably nice generic 700c rims that came off a junker Peugeot. The eyelets were rusty. I used polishing compound and a buffing wheel on a bench grinder and they cleaned up nicely. I have not yet built up the wheels, but likely will shortly.

Rusty, as in all brown?
Rusty, as in pitted?
Rusty, as in tarnished?

-Kurt

Rusty, as in all brown?
Rusty, as in pitted?
Rusty, as in tarnished?

-Kurt


Rusty as in all brown. :mad:

Those look about like mine.

Yeah, just surface rust. We set a poor girl up with a nice new rear wheel at the co op today, the eyelets started out like that. fine, and a hell of an upgrade to her world traveller ;)