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How do you tidy up Comstar wheels?

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McCabe-Thiele (Ted):
Sound amazing, probably with a price to match.
As I'm doing my best to keep costs down I think dry ice blasting is off the table.

I do love some of the restoration stuff they do on TV.

Murf:
Ted
The CBX 1000 Z twin shock comstars are definitely anodised, and it is easy to tell they are, that is what I based my reply on, however maybe not all comstars on different models were. So I am sorry if the info I gave you is not relevant to your wheels.

McCabe-Thiele (Ted):

--- Quote from: Murf on January 23, 2025, 10:04:27 AM ---Ted
The CBX 1000 Z twin shock comstars are definitely anodised, and it is easy to tell they are, that is what I based my reply on, however maybe not all comstars on different models were. So I am sorry if the info I gave you is not relevant to your wheels.

--- End quote ---

The Wiki entry and stuff I've read confirm there are variations in construction materials with Comstar  Wheels so you have not misled me.
If I forget  everything I've read my gut instincts are that the rims are alloy with what looks like an Anodised edging.

The spokes look like aluminium as there is no hint of rust anywhere except on the bolts at the hub end fastening. There is something about the spokes that feels more like a type of SS. It sort of feels like kitchen sink stainless in the shaping, the outer finish again looks like a coated  finish.

Up to now I've not found much about the construction on either of the SD sites. A lot has been going on at home in the last couple of weeks so I've not had the time to trawl the internet or even ask Ken.

All good now but I've had a very scary time with Wendy's health just to frame the behind the scenes stuff. I've been all over the shop but getting back to normality now.

Johnny4428:
Not good Ted but I wish you and Wendy well so you can resume your restoration work.

K2-K6:
Hope you've got Wendy's health back on track Ted.

 "The spokes look like aluminium as there is no hint of rust anywhere except on the bolts at the hub end fastening. There is something about the spokes that feels more like a type of SS. It sort of feels like kitchen sink stainless in the shaping, the outer finish again looks like a coated  finish."

I've never seen stainless spokes on these, but shouldn't say never  :) I've a hat, a very nice trilby of my late grandfather, ready to eat if wrong. Think it's safe though  ;D

The spoke have a structural integrity to them from material spec that may make them "sound" like stainless if you tap them with your fingernails.

Loosely, the Aluminium is usually in something like this, something of a "Duralamin" type alloy, that encompasses amongst other elements, copper, manganese etc. This giving it  integrity in stress much above simple plain aluminium.
Further, it's rolled under significant load to final plate thickness, which ultimately refines the grain structure (forging) and giving a skin of particularly refined/compressed nature along with a gradient into core structure that's less so.
Finally, anodising of that outer surface, a controlled environment corrosion and measured in microns of depth/penetration, to avert any environment influenced corrosion from taking hold.

This effectively gives a hard final surface with very little way for corrosion to start. And why abrasive media should be avoided if at all possible.

Additionally, stainless steel is approx three time the weight of aluminium alloy, for given dimension equivalent.  These spoke aren't that thin, which theyd have to be in match of wheel assembly weight dynamics.

It'll be interesting if anyone has definite possession of any stainless example.

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