Topic: How to refinish dog dish BOSS hubcaps?

[DougDyar]

I'm trying to assemble a set of matching stainless dog dish hubcaps by buying individual hubcaps. My problem is that the brushed finishes vary considerably, from almost smooth chrome to a very rough, brushed finish.

Has anyone perfected a process to apply the brushed finish to these, so I can make them all match?

I'm thinking some sort of lazy susan type spinner and very fine sandpaper?

What are your solutions? I can't be the first to attempt this...

[OldGuy]

You can turn your car into a make-shift lathe by jacking up the rear and placing the axle housing on jack stands. Mount a wheel on one of the axles, snap a hub cap on the wheel, start the car, select low gear (or reverse), and shazam, you've got a lathe. What you use for an abrasive media is up to you.

If you do this, make sure that you take all safety precautions so that your car won't come off of the stands while it is in gear. IF you use a wheel that has a tire on it, BEWARE of the valve stem. It can snag a finger or hand very easily. A bare wheel would be my choice if you have one.

Frank

[DougDyar]

Great idea for the "lazy susan".

What to use for abrasive?

[Anghelrestorations]

The original 1970 Boss hubcaps look like the picture I am posting here.  These were brushed steel hubcaps.  The later service versions are the aluminum style that are a D5 part number.  Those have deeper brush marks but not what you want.  You need to make sure you have the right hubcaps first because there is a subtle difference and you can tell when you know what your looking at.
This picture is the correct cap and finish....I would think for that you need a Scotchbrite pad, not sandpaper. 

20230508_113205 by Marcus Anghel, on Flickr

[HDAshmore]

Doug,

Good morning.

You can also use a drill or angle grinder in a vice.

Simply cut a wooden or plastic (may use a frisbee), piece to secure hubcap on a bit in the drill or angle grinder.

Lock drill or grinder into vice and set on a low speed and use the finest scotch bright you can get and then work towards the desired effect as necessary.

Just a thought.

Dan

[DougDyar]

Gentlemen

Thanks for the replies.

Looks like I need to pick up some scotchbrite pads and get to work!

I'm having second thoughts about jacking up the rear end and spinning the drivetrain. I can just see my BOSS launching itself across the shop...

Now to figure out how to mount one on an electric drill held by my vice...

Once I get the desired finish on the hubcaps, they probably won't match the trim rings, so the rings will need to be mounted on something to spin them. Maybe I'm back to the idea of a spare wheel, mounted on a spinning drivetrain...

[OldGuy]

Once I get the desired finish on the hubcaps, they probably won't match the trim rings, so the rings will need to be mounted on something to spin them. Maybe I'm back to the idea of a spare wheel, mounted on a spinning drivetrain...

I came up with the spinning wheel method oh-so-many years ago when I had a set of REAL magnesium American 5-spoke wheels on my car. Being magnesium, they needed frequent attention to remain shiny on the lower (outer) part of the wheel. Using the "car lathe" in conjunction with steel wool followed by Brasso metal polish quickly did the job. "Launching" was averted because I only had one rear wheel on the car when I did the process and the car was very stable on the jack stands. The slower you can turn the wheel the better, however. Just watch you fingers if you do this process.

Frank

[DougDyar]

So I started looking for a scotchbrite pad to use for this experiment. Apparently there are various grits available, from 60 to 1200:

7445 - White pad, called Light Duty Cleansing - (1000) 1200-1500 grit
7448 - Light Grey, called Ultra Fine Hand - (600-800) 800 grit.
6448 - Green (?), called Light Duty Hand Pad - (600) 600 grit
7447 - Maroon pad, called General Purpose Hand - (320-400) 320 grit
6444 - Brown pad, called Extra Duty Hand - (280-320) 240 grit
7446 - Dark Grey pad, called Blending Pad (180-220) 150 grit
7440 - Tan pad, called Heavy Duty Hand Pad - (120-150) 60(?)

What grit should I choose?

[67gta289]

Because the amount of pressure applied is another variable, your grit question might not be an exact science.  I would get set up so that you can practice on the back side if you don't have any extras.  The other trick of course is to sneak up on it, it being the final result.

[DougDyar]

A quick Internet search showed my local Home Depot had several of the various grits of Scotchbrite pads in stock, so off I went.
I picked up 1200, 600 and 320 grit.
Will report back...

[KevinK]

I refinished the aluminum air cleaner lid on my 85 using a drill/vise since it had a hole in the center.  White scotch brite is more for plastics. I would start with green and see what you get.  Red would be worst case. Stainless steel is a lot tougher than aluminum.  Best of luck.

[HDAshmore]

Doug,

Build something similar to a bike wire wheel spoke out of hangars and put it on a drill.  Pad the circumference of the spoke and insert it inside the cap and viola.  Or cut up a Frisbee and do the same.  Mold and cut circumference to fit inside or oversize it and tape cap to it.  The drill or grinder shouldn't spin so fast that it slings your cap off.  Adjust speed as necessary.

Just some thoughts.

Dan

[carlite65]

sure would be neat to see the factory tooling for this purpose.

[DougDyar]

To bring my portion of this thread to an end, here's what I did.
 My process may or may not work in your case. The center caps and trim rings I started with were in excellent condition, with only the most minor scuff marks. The grits chosen worked for me. Your experience may vary, especially if you have deep scratches or dents.

I used an 18" lazy susan I have around the shop for painting small items. On top I placed a 15" steel Boss wheel. I mounted each successive cap and then rings, spinning them with one hand and holding the scotch brite pad in the other.
I used the 600 grit to establish a circular pattern and take out the blemishes and small scratches that were present from 50+ years.
Then I went over it again with the 1200 grit, until the finish matched the finish on the NOS caps and rings I used for my goal.
It took several hours to do all eight pieces, but I am pleased with how they turned out.

[Anghelrestorations]

You need to post a photo of the final results....I think we would all be interested to see the actual hubcaps and what they look like.