Acetone on Rims?

[slowandsteady]

I am trying to remove the decals from my Shimano 7850 Scandium wheels. Will using acetone hurt the rims in any way? it takes a few minutes "soaking" with a wet rag and then some scrubbing to get the paint off but i'm gonna like the end result. Just want to make sure I do not damage the rim or compromise the integrity using such a nasty chemical.

ps - gotta do this outside or with a ventilator and of course rubber gloves. I tried a few mins in the garage and no ventilator and had a headache and felt nauseous within a few minutes!

[echelon_john]

can you peel the decal off then use Goo-Gone for the residue? that works in almost every situation for me, and is a lot less nasty than acetone.

[keevon]

Acetone will be fine with the aluminum. If you're really worried about it, non-acetone nail polish remover should work too.

[slowandsteady]

can you peel the decal off then use Goo-Gone for the residue? that works in almost every situation for me, and is a lot less nasty than acetone.

Painted on - not decals.

[Dan Le foot]

I am trying to remove the decals from my Shimano 7850 Scandium wheels. Will using acetone hurt the rims in any way? it takes a few minutes "soaking" with a wet rag and then some scrubbing to get the paint off but i'm gonna like the end result. Just want to make sure I do not damage the rim or compromise the integrity using such a nasty chemical.

ps - gotta do this outside or with a ventilator and of course rubber gloves. I tried a few mins in the garage and no ventilator and had a headache and felt nauseous within a few minutes!
Acetone is a great solvent for jobs like that. May melt the gloves though
Being a little paraniod I typically wash the area with soap and water after using.
Good luck.
Dan

[victoryfactory]

Acetone is a great solvent for jobs like that. May melt the gloves though
Being a little paraniod I typically wash the area with soap and water after using.
Good luck.
Dan

That's not paranoid, It's imperative when working with strong solvents.

[benb]

You might take the tires off.. you probably don't want too much solvent getting on the tires.

I sometimes use brake cleaner on my rims.. but I make sure to get the stuff that is safe for rubber & plastic. (Don't some rims have plastic nipples too?)

And don't put anything on carbon without knowing if it's safe!

edit:I can also chime in on acetone.. I used that to remove the decals from my Serotta before replacing them. I did have a "shadow" left afterwards. Serotta recommended that I use Acetone. I seem to recall they even included written instructions to use Acetone. The shadow is subtle but it is noticeable in the right light at the right angle. I didn't get the new decalls on in exactly the same place which kind of detracts from the look, but overall it came out great.

[blantonator]

I'm interested in doing this do. let us know if it works.

[slowandsteady]

...non-acetone nail polish remover should work too.

Does not work - just tried it.

[slowandsteady]

Acetone works great but takes some rubbing and grunt work.

Anyone ever try PVC Cleaner, specifically Oatey Clear Cleaner? I was doing some work with PVC pipes today and I thought this stuff would be awesome to strip the paint...

I tried it on one small section and it just about melted the paint right off the SCANDIUM rim. Less than a minute to turn the paint to mush...

I cleaned up and washed both the rim and myself thoroughly with warm water and soap afterwards. Spec sheet says nothing about harming any type of metal only rubber and plastic...

Spec Sheet:
http://www.oatey.com/apps/catalog/instance_assets/assets/MSDS_Sheet/1400E_tmpl_us_e3_OUT.pdf

Product:
http://www.oatey.com/Channel/Shared/ProductGroupDetail/802/Clear+Cleaner.html

[regularguy412]

As an FYI -- here's some info I received from Easton regarding the best way to remove the mold release from the gluing surface of their carbon wheels.

Hi Mike,


Glad to hear you have received the wheel.

It is best to use acetone or naptha to prep the surface, along with a Brillo pad. This should clear up any residue.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks for supporting Easton!


Sincerely,


Benjamin Clemens

Easton-Bell Sports

Customer Service Representative

735 Pacesetter Drive

Rantoul, IL 61866

(800) 494-4543

[Johnny P]

acetone is very good at dissolving many plastics so be real careful if you do use it to not get it on anything else. It will not affect the aluminum rims.
JP

[Ken Robb]

FWIW acetone is commonly used to remove marks on the gelcoat of fiberglass boats.

[kinofaucet]

I don't know if this is recommended or not but I've used denatured alcohol on my HED scandium rims without any trouble so far.

[Frankwurst]

Ride'em off. It's alot more fun and less stressful. :beer: