Hamish
Member
Registered: 4th Apr 05
Location: Ashtead, Surrey Drives: 100bhp Mint with Hole
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Can someone please explain how this is achieved on alloy wheels?
Rough cost per wheel?
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ed
Member
Registered: 10th Sep 03
User status: Offline
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Wheel is placed on a lathe. The wheel is spun on the lathe and a diamond tipped cutting tool is passed acorss the face of the alloy wheel following any contour of the wheel so it only cuts a few microns of metal off and the paint surface.
You can leave the face bare, or it can be powder coated over.
Rough price was around £40-£50 per wheel when I looked.
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Robin
Premium Member
Registered: 7th Jan 04
Location: Northants Drives: Clio 182 Cup
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What ed said.
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John G
Member
Registered: 18th Jul 05
Location: Wirral, Merseyside
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thats cheap! considerin people sellin normal alloys that have been diamond cut usually wack the price right up
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ed
Member
Registered: 10th Sep 03
User status: Offline
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£200 for a set of wheels isn't that cheap to be honest.
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Hamish
Member
Registered: 4th Apr 05
Location: Ashtead, Surrey Drives: 100bhp Mint with Hole
User status: Offline
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so is it only possible to diamond cut a flat surfaced alloy (if that makes sence) or can contours be followed?
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ed
Member
Registered: 10th Sep 03
User status: Offline
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It's only possibly to do flat faced wheels really. You could theoreticly do contoured faced wheels on a CNC mill, though the effect would be slightly different and the cost would be massive.
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Kurt
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Registered: 23rd Oct 05
Location: Hi
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my old bk wheels had the spokes diamond cut, some kid rode into my car with stunt pegs and scuffed and chipped one, wheel refurber at work didnt even know where to start and couldnt do them
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RobHayes
Member
Registered: 6th Sep 03
Location: Lincolnshire
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contours can be done, as mine are....but would probably have to be done on a cnc lathe rather than manual, to keep the curve or whatever smoother
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Hamish
Member
Registered: 4th Apr 05
Location: Ashtead, Surrey Drives: 100bhp Mint with Hole
User status: Offline
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i remember ages ago. i think it was nismo posting up some pictures of some S2000 wheels that weren't flat that had been diamond cut.
I take it that just a cast of very deep pockets?
[Edited on 06-11-2007 by Hamish]
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Robin
Premium Member
Registered: 7th Jan 04
Location: Northants Drives: Clio 182 Cup
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by RobHayes
contours can be done, as mine are....but would probably have to be done on a cnc lathe rather than manual, to keep the curve or whatever smoother
only the flat bit on the front of the spokes is done on yours is it not?
like my old Ronals?
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ed
Member
Registered: 10th Sep 03
User status: Offline
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It depends on what you are classing as a contourd face. The wheels on RobHayes's VXR are flat faced from a lathes point of view because they only curve inwards and in the direction that a lathe can cut, so the machineist can trace that pattern with the machine. If the wheels spokes are curved like a set of TSW Alpines for example you could diamond cut it, but the effect would be somewhat wierd because you don't have a flat surface to work to with defined edges, if you get what I mean.
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Hamish
Member
Registered: 4th Apr 05
Location: Ashtead, Surrey Drives: 100bhp Mint with Hole
User status: Offline
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ok that makes sence
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RobHayes
Member
Registered: 6th Sep 03
Location: Lincolnshire
User status: Offline
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yes, sorry, i mis-interpreted contour. although contours could be done wth ashaped tol, but i'd imagine this wouldn't be too easy, and the tooling would most likely have to be one-off
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Robin
Premium Member
Registered: 7th Jan 04
Location: Northants Drives: Clio 182 Cup
User status: Offline
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you could do it on a 5 axis mill, it'd be dort of like cutting a billet wheel, but with a little less cutting.
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Hamish
Member
Registered: 4th Apr 05
Location: Ashtead, Surrey Drives: 100bhp Mint with Hole
User status: Offline
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ok nice one, Ive found a company that does it and there prices seem reasonable and there work looks good
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Graeme
Premium Member
Registered: 26th Jul 04
Location: Northampton
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where and how much?
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ed
Member
Registered: 10th Sep 03
User status: Offline
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Wicked wheels do it in Wycombe. Though I'm sure that there was another place aout Ayelsbury way who were able to do it, but it was a long time ago since I was looking.
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Hamish
Member
Registered: 4th Apr 05
Location: Ashtead, Surrey Drives: 100bhp Mint with Hole
User status: Offline
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http://www.wheelrefurbishing.com/index.htm
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willhouse
Member
Registered: 11th Jul 06
Location: Sheffield
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you can get wheels polished quite easily, and any shape surface can be polished. speak to 'the polisher' on edition38 for good prices on it. or also speak to roccojocco on edition38 if you want wheels diamond cut
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Dan295
Member
Registered: 9th Oct 06
Location: London
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Hamish
http://www.wheelrefurbishing.com/index.htm
ive looked at them before, website looks abit wierd though, ive heard so many good things about wicked wheels tho, good luck finding it, Flaunden is like a maze 
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Hamish
Member
Registered: 4th Apr 05
Location: Ashtead, Surrey Drives: 100bhp Mint with Hole
User status: Offline
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how does there website look wierd  it goves you information, description and pictures of the services they offer.
i thought it was a well layed out site
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