lowlux

how do you remove tubular glue from a rim sitting around for like 10 years?

do i need to remove it?

Brian25

From my experience new glue does generally stick to the glue build up better than to the aluminum rim. Most people do not know it but one of the problems sew up rims commonly have is that the glue does not stick really well to the left over buffing fluid used from when the rim was buffed out. My favorite glue removal method is to dawn safety glasses, take the wheel out in the yard and use a wire wheel attached to an electric drill and watch the dried up old glue fly off.

Brian25

I used sew ups for at least fifteen years and rarely stripped off old glue, because so much of it comes off when you remove the tire, you do not generally get too much build up. So it really depends on how caked up the rim is getting.

lowlux

been setting around for 10 years, do i need to remove it?

DiabloScott

The harder it is to get off, the better it is to leave it on. If it's lumpy and uneven, then remove it. I also like the wire wheel method.

JohnDThompson 

In general, it's not necessary to remove the old glue. If you do need/want to remove it, solvents work but are tiresome to use. I've found a wire wheel mounted in a bench grinder works well; less than a minute per wheel to remove the old glue all the way down to the rim:

Dave Mayer

I use a hand drill equipped with a brass wire wheel. For really old (dried) glue, this strips everything down to the metal in minutes. But for relatively new glue, this doesn't work that well; it gums up the brush and just moves the glue around on the rim.

However, if the new glue on the rim is clean and sticky, I leave it in place, and glue over it.

Caution : I've burned out a hand drill with this approach. And I should repeat: use a rim- friendly brass brush.