Pipe cleaner lint in bore wax?

[Vitamin K]

Hey guys,

So was working to prep wheels for my kids' Awana cars, and noticed something that I'd never seen before. Wondering anybody else has ever seen it.

So, we had gotten the wheels polished and cleaned out. Nice and shiny. Then applied some wax to the bores and intended to let it sit overnight. Actually sat two nights because of busy schedules (I tell you, having a 9 and 10 year old feels like we're doing stuff every day/evening).

Anyhow, I buff out the waxed bores with a fuzzy pipe cleaner and blow them out with canned air and...there's fuzz in the bores when I inspect them afterwards. Like, a significant amount. When I insert the wheel over an axle, I can feel it binding. I try blowing them out with more air, but the fuzz is there to stay.

So, needless to say, I took those wheels and put them in a bath of water and dawn and cleaned the bores out and blew them dry. This was last night, and the kids' race is this evening, so no time to re-wax. Just going to have to hope that oil and axle treatment is good enough.

What I'm trying to figure out, though, is where the fuzz came from. My thinking is that the pipe cleaner I used to initially apply the wax must have shed some hairs that then got embedded in the wax as it was drying.

Anybody ever have this problem? I'm guessing it isn't an issue with the no-scratch applicators. Maybe it is time to ditch pipe cleaners for wax application.

 

[down4derby]

Sounds like you may have waited too long before buffing the wax. I wait 15-20 min after applying wax to buff it out, then let it sit and cure and or uv light. If you wait too long before initial buffing the wax may become too hard to buff out properly possibly causing fibers to catch on the now hard uneven wax. I would re apply the wax then wait till it hazes over before initial buffing.

 

[Vitamin K]

Sounds like you may have waited too long before buffing the wax. I wait 15-20 min after applying wax to buff it out, then let it sit and cure and or uv light. If you wait too long before initial buffing the wax may become too hard to buff out properly possibly causing fibers to catch on the now hard uneven wax. I would re apply the wax then wait till it hazes over before initial buffing.

Ah, so total dumb newbie mistake of not properly following the directions. Thanks for the clarification. This is what comes of rushing through things.

Have been a graphite-guy up to this point, so this is my first time messing with the oil. No time to re-wax (axles have already been oiled and inserted), but will definitely keep this in mind for the next go-round.

 

[Kinser Racing]

It could have been static which a rinse of water and/or car shampoo would have solved and kept your wax coat intact. To late now. If your using Red Rocket, you can do a quick coat and run them right away. It'll be much faster than nothing. Yes, you can run Red Rocket with no cure time, as long as you let it set up before you buff it out.

 

[Vitamin K]

It could have been static which a rinse of water and/or car shampoo would have solved and kept your wax coat intact. To late now. If your using Red Rocket, you can do a quick coat and run them right away. It'll be much faster than nothing. Yes, you can run Red Rocket with no cure time, as long as you let it set up before you buff it out.

Good info to know for the future, at least!

 

[Kinser Racing]

The future is now! Get it done before the race man!

 

[Vitamin K]

The future is now! Get it done before the race man!

Hah, not happening. I work an hour away from home, so by the time I get there, we gotta grab the cars and get to the races. Check-in's at 6 tonight.

 

[Mister B Racing]

Hey guys,

So was working to prep wheels for my kids' Awana cars, and noticed something that I'd never seen before. Wondering anybody else has ever seen it.

So, we had gotten the wheels polished and cleaned out. Nice and shiny. Then applied some wax to the bores and intended to let it sit overnight. Actually sat two nights because of busy schedules (I tell you, having a 9 and 10 year old feels like we're doing stuff every day/evening).

Anyhow, I buff out the waxed bores with a fuzzy pipe cleaner and blow them out with canned air and...there's fuzz in the bores when I inspect them afterwards. Like, a significant amount. When I insert the wheel over an axle, I can feel it binding. I try blowing them out with more air, but the fuzz is there to stay.

So, needless to say, I took those wheels and put them in a bath of water and dawn and cleaned the bores out and blew them dry. This was last night, and the kids' race is this evening, so no time to re-wax. Just going to have to hope that oil and axle treatment is good enough.

What I'm trying to figure out, though, is where the fuzz came from. My thinking is that the pipe cleaner I used to initially apply the wax must have shed some hairs that then got embedded in the wax as it was drying.

Anybody ever have this problem? I'm guessing it isn't an issue with the no-scratch applicators. Maybe it is time to ditch pipe cleaners for wax application.

Yes ... I've had this problem in the past. I have stopped using anything in my prep process that might leave fuzz, lint or dust behind. While my prep process is still improving, its a lot better than what it use to be.

 

[texastornado]

After buffing and blow out I usually go back with one of those no scratch bore cleaners and give the bore a good going over. Might want to try that next time.

 

[derbychip]

Where you getting your pipe cleaners? The cheap ones don't hold up as well, get some from a Pwd vender(support the forum and use dd4h) or if in a time crunch get some from a tobacco shop

 

[Bullet]

Also try blowing the excess wax out of the bore after waxing, before the drying period.

 

[TRE]

dont use pipe cleaners to apply the wax

 

[Vitamin K]

Well, kids won their races by a healthy margin, so alls well that ends well. Pretty convinced that we'd have squeezed a lot more speed out if I hadn't erfed up the bores and the wax.

Live and learn. We'll do better next time. Onwards and upwards.

 

[GravityX]

Well done and congratulations!

 

[BulldogRacing]

Congrats VK, building memories!

 

[Crash Enburn]

Yeah, congrats VK! /images/boards/smilies/smile.gif

 

[Vitamin K]

Where you getting your pipe cleaners? The cheap ones don't hold up as well, get some from a Pwd vender(support the forum and use dd4h) or if in a time crunch get some from a tobacco shop

Missed this question. These particular pipe cleaners were from Davidus Cigars, which is a smoke shop that's local to me.

 

[Kinser Racing]

Congratulations

 

[derbychip]

Congrats

 

[down4derby]

Congratulations!!!