wheel wax

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davet
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wheel wax

Post by davet »

We're sponsoring a derby race at our church in Ocober and building the cars onsite. I know of Liquid Glass and other vendor-specific wheel bore polishes but I'm wondering if there's a cheaper alternative I could buy and supply to the kids. I'm thinking something like McQuire's #26 or similar. We're not aiming at building the ultimate super speedster just getting kids together with adults to build something.

Is carnuba good or bad for wheel bore polish?
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Re: wheel wax

Post by bracketracer »

I never had any luck with it using oil, never tried it with graphite.
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davet
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Re: wheel wax

Post by davet »

bracketracer wrote: Mon Aug 14, 2017 7:34 am I never had any luck with it using oil, never tried it with graphite.
You mean the carnuba waxes?
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Re: wheel wax

Post by Vitamin K »

For graphite, I don't know that a wheel wax is terribly important. If you're using graphite, I would just burnish it into the bores with a polished metal rod and leave it at that.

For oil, you want some kind of oil-phobic coating on the bores (as I'm sure you know), but I've never heard of anybody having any luck with carnuba.

Synthetic waxes work well, but there's two problems: One, they take a long time to cure effectively. Two, they're pretty nasty stuff if you read the warning labels on the bottle.

Pony Express over at PDDR turned me onto an alternative, that is less toxic and actually works great. The "secret" is Max-Pro Heavy Duty Silicone.. You can use this stuff on the axles in place of Jig-a-Loo (and it is far less noxious than Jig-a-Loo), but you can ALSO use it on the bores.

Max Pro won't eat bores the way that Jig will, but there IS a small amount of propellant in the can that could be hazardous to the polystyrene wheels. So, what you want to do is this: Put some fluffy pipe cleaners (or no-scratch applicators) into a paper cup and spray them with the Max-Pro. Wait about 10 minutes for the propellant to evaporate, then use the pipe cleaner to collect the accumulated silicone and use it to coat the inside of the wheel bores. Wait another 15 minutes or so before you insert your oiled axles.

You wouldn't want to snort the stuff, but it's inert enough that you can spray it indoors without getting a fumes headache. And it really does work well.
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davet
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Re: wheel wax

Post by davet »

I've heard of the MaxPro but never looked into it. So you DO NOT polish it with a clean pipe cleaner?

Side note, I acquired a can of Jig prior to our last race. First time ever using it. I noticed when I sprayed it on that it appeared cloudy as if it had millions of tiny bubbles in it or something else. It also seemed pretty thick. The 3M Dry-Type Silicone I've been using for a few yrs goes on crystal clear and is very thin. I was leary about the Jig and took it off in favor of the 3M. I know that Jig is the recommended coating but I was a little gun shy with it's appearance.
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Re: wheel wax

Post by Vitamin K »

davet wrote: Mon Aug 14, 2017 8:29 am I've heard of the MaxPro but never looked into it. So you DO NOT polish it with a clean pipe cleaner?
You still want to do all proper bore polishing before you use the Max-Pro. I usually polish with Novus #2, using either a pipe cleaner or a tamiya swab (or both). Then I clean it with Blue Dawn and blow it out with canned air to make sure it's dry and lint-free before I add the Max-Pro (or wax, if I'm using wax).
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Re: wheel wax

Post by Vitamin K »

Vitamin K wrote: Mon Aug 14, 2017 8:42 am
davet wrote: Mon Aug 14, 2017 8:29 am I've heard of the MaxPro but never looked into it. So you DO NOT polish it with a clean pipe cleaner?
You still want to do all proper bore polishing before you use the Max-Pro. I usually polish with Novus #2, using either a pipe cleaner or a tamiya swab (or both). Then I clean it with Blue Dawn and blow it out with canned air to make sure it's dry and lint-free before I add the Max-Pro (or wax, if I'm using wax).
Re-reading this, I wonder if you meant the post-haze buff you need to do with wax? This is not needed with the max-pro.
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Re: wheel wax

Post by Speedster »

For what you are planning for the participants I wouldn't do anything to the wheels other then putting graphite in the bores or a drop of oil on the axles. Your vast knowledge of building a fast car is going to work against you. To borrow a phrase from Larry the Cable Guy, "Git Er Done". Children have a very short attention span especially when it comes to doing boring stuff. Children love to paint their cars and decorate them. If you are able you might like to show the racers the movie, Easy Pinewood Derby Car Wins using science. It's about 15 minutes long and Mark Rober has the personality to make it interesting. Keep it FUN, FUN, FUN.
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wheel wax

Post by whodathunkit »

For going cheep for a bore prep with a graphite lube! Polish the bores with Crest or Colgate whiting tooth paste.

The kids will have fun with this one.

For oil lubes try out the black fire polishes
Wet diamond at Walmart or Autogeek on the web.

Good luck with your work shop davet!



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What type of automobile can be spelled the same forwards & backwards?
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Re: wheel wax

Post by Hyperfocus »

Vitamin K wrote: Mon Aug 14, 2017 8:05 am For graphite, I don't know that a wheel wax is terribly important. If you're using graphite, I would just burnish it into the bores with a polished metal rod and leave it at that.

For oil, you want some kind of oil-phobic coating on the bores (as I'm sure you know), but I've never heard of anybody having any luck with carnuba.

Synthetic waxes work well, but there's two problems: One, they take a long time to cure effectively. Two, they're pretty nasty stuff if you read the warning labels on the bottle.

Pony Express over at PDDR turned me onto an alternative, that is less toxic and actually works great. The "secret" is Max-Pro Heavy Duty Silicone.. You can use this stuff on the axles in place of Jig-a-Loo (and it is far less noxious than Jig-a-Loo), but you can ALSO use it on the bores.

Max Pro won't eat bores the way that Jig will, but there IS a small amount of propellant in the can that could be hazardous to the polystyrene wheels. So, what you want to do is this: Put some fluffy pipe cleaners (or no-scratch applicators) into a paper cup and spray them with the Max-Pro. Wait about 10 minutes for the propellant to evaporate, then use the pipe cleaner to collect the accumulated silicone and use it to coat the inside of the wheel bores. Wait another 15 minutes or so before you insert your oiled axles.

You wouldn't want to snort the stuff, but it's inert enough that you can spray it indoors without getting a fumes headache. And it really does work well.
Hello all,

Sorry to resurrect an old thread; I've been lurking in the shadows, reading all of the conversations you've had over the years, gleaning knowledge about all things pro PDW prep and design before I start asking questions that have been answered in the past.

My son has a race on Saturday (Awana), and I'm currently working on the wheels. I have tamiya swabs, Novus 2 (and 1), and Jigaloo. Race rules are NO graphite, so oil only. Using the Krytox 100 mix from Maximum Velocity.

First quick little question is, any harm or benefit in using the Novus 1 after Novus 2?

If I read your comment correct Vitamin K, I shouldn't coat the wheel bore with Jigaloo. I was intending to do a double coating (letting dry for a few hours between coats) of both the bore and the polished axles. I don't have access to the Max Pro lubricant in time for Saturday, what would you all recommended I do for best outcome using Max V's Krytox? I did a test of the Jigaloo on a prepped wheel I'm not using for the race, and the bore didn't seem to be affected negatively with the Jigaloo treatment.

Would love any input ya'll can provide!

I'll be posting one or two other questions in their own thread, in the coming days.

Cheers from Canada. :D
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Re: wheel wax

Post by davet »

I’m not sure what Vitamin K will recommend but he is a smarter builder than I.
I believe the Novis is to simply polish the bore.
After polishing the bores, and front and rear hub faces, I cleaned them out with 91% alcohol and let them dry.
Then I polished them with Red Rocket twice. My understanding is that the Red Rocket or whatever final wax you use is designed to shed the oil.
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Re: wheel wax

Post by Vitamin K »

Hyperfocus wrote: Sun Mar 03, 2024 1:29 pm
Vitamin K wrote: Mon Aug 14, 2017 8:05 am For graphite, I don't know that a wheel wax is terribly important. If you're using graphite, I would just burnish it into the bores with a polished metal rod and leave it at that.

For oil, you want some kind of oil-phobic coating on the bores (as I'm sure you know), but I've never heard of anybody having any luck with carnuba.

Synthetic waxes work well, but there's two problems: One, they take a long time to cure effectively. Two, they're pretty nasty stuff if you read the warning labels on the bottle.

Pony Express over at PDDR turned me onto an alternative, that is less toxic and actually works great. The "secret" is Max-Pro Heavy Duty Silicone.. You can use this stuff on the axles in place of Jig-a-Loo (and it is far less noxious than Jig-a-Loo), but you can ALSO use it on the bores.

Max Pro won't eat bores the way that Jig will, but there IS a small amount of propellant in the can that could be hazardous to the polystyrene wheels. So, what you want to do is this: Put some fluffy pipe cleaners (or no-scratch applicators) into a paper cup and spray them with the Max-Pro. Wait about 10 minutes for the propellant to evaporate, then use the pipe cleaner to collect the accumulated silicone and use it to coat the inside of the wheel bores. Wait another 15 minutes or so before you insert your oiled axles.

You wouldn't want to snort the stuff, but it's inert enough that you can spray it indoors without getting a fumes headache. And it really does work well.
Hello all,

Sorry to resurrect an old thread; I've been lurking in the shadows, reading all of the conversations you've had over the years, gleaning knowledge about all things pro PDW prep and design before I start asking questions that have been answered in the past.
No apologies needed, as far as I am concerned!
Hyperfocus wrote: My son has a race on Saturday (Awana), and I'm currently working on the wheels. I have tamiya swabs, Novus 2 (and 1), and Jigaloo. Race rules are NO graphite, so oil only. Using the Krytox 100 mix from Maximum Velocity.

First quick little question is, any harm or benefit in using the Novus 1 after Novus 2?
I don't think it would harm the bores, but if I'm planning to coat the bore in something oil-repellent, I think I would pass on the Novus 1, because I want whatever I'm putting on the bores (be it silicone or auto wax or whatever) to adhere, and I don't know of the Novus 1 would interfere with that.
Hyperfocus wrote: Sun Mar 03, 2024 1:29 pm If I read your comment correct Vitamin K, I shouldn't coat the wheel bore with Jigaloo. I was intending to do a double coating (letting dry for a few hours between coats) of both the bore and the polished axles. I don't have access to the Max Pro lubricant in time for Saturday, what would you all recommended I do for best outcome using Max V's Krytox? I did a test of the Jigaloo on a prepped wheel I'm not using for the race, and the bore didn't seem to be affected negatively with the Jigaloo treatment.
I've never personally used Jig-a-Loo myself, seeing as it how it's only sold in Canada, but the conventional wisdom has been that it's not safe for bores. Maybe that's overblown, as long as you let the propellant evaporate? I couldn't really say.

I think, though, were I in your shoes, I would stick to using the Jig on the axles and find a different product for the bores.

I'm not sure what you have near you, but Meguiar's Ultimate Liquid Wax is a synthetic auto wax that's usually easy to find on local shelves and would do the trick for your bores.
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Re: wheel wax

Post by Vitamin K »

davet wrote: Sun Mar 03, 2024 3:00 pm I’m not sure what Vitamin K will recommend but he is a smarter builder than I.
Don't believe these lies. :D
davet wrote: Sun Mar 03, 2024 3:00 pm I believe the Novis is to simply polish the bore.
After polishing the bores, and front and rear hub faces, I cleaned them out with 91% alcohol and let them dry.
Then I polished them with Red Rocket twice. My understanding is that the Red Rocket or whatever final wax you use is designed to shed the oil.
Agree with this. Red Rocket, btw, is rumored just to be colored Rejex.
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Re: wheel wax

Post by davet »

If you’re looking for something in place of Jig I like 3M Dry-Type Silicone. It goes on very thinly and is crystal clear.
I buy it from NAPA. We had fast cars with it.
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Re: wheel wax

Post by whodathunkit »

Hi davet,
Is it 08897 3m dry type silicone?
What type of automobile can be spelled the same forwards & backwards?
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