Black and Decker Mouse sander/polisher.

I got a set of 14 inch Tech wheels from 2m4dale last week and decided to try my Mouse on them.

And it's the perfect tool for this job. Small enough to reach every crevice on the wheels.

I used a sheet of 120 grit to remove the clear and the oxidation from the wheels then used a sheet of 240 to get a nice smooth matte finish on them. Then I used the steel wool pad to bring out the shine and then clear-coated them.

They look like new. And the best part is that it took about 20-30 minutes per wheel (including clear-coating them).

The Mouse is about $40 and the packs of sandpaper are about $5. I used four sheets of 120 grit and one sheet of 240 grit and two steel wool pads which amounted to about $10 plus the two and a half hours of time.

And the Mouse is great for polishing and waxing the car as well as prepping panels for paint.

Believe me...this damn thing is the best $40 I've ever spent.

------------------

And I forgot...I did these wheels with no tires on them, but this would easily work with the tires on.

did you only do the surface of the wheels or in between the openings too. I just got an 85 SE and the stock alum wheels are oxidized, so I am looking at the same task (they look like the wheels in your signature photo).

I havent dug into it yet, but my first impression was dremil tool with wire wheel, and maybe sander drums bits would be the way to go. But if you only need to do the flat outside surface, maybe you are on to something.

BTW, you dont really polish your car with that, do you?

I just did the surface areas. I didn't want to use stripper since that would have taken off the paint where I didn't want to remove it.

No, I don't polish the whole car, but it works wonders on small areas like the taillights, mirrors, and trim that a big polisher won't touch.

Mouse? nevcer heard of it... Tell me more

I got my Mouse at a home center store. Any hardware store or a home center like Home Depot or Lowes should carry it.

It's basically a small random action sander that uses sandpaper or polishing pads with Velcro on the back. It also has an attachment that lets you sand into small areas which really is handy for something like an aluminum wheel.

I wish I had taken some before/after shots...you'd be impressed. And this method was probably a lot less messy than chemical stripper to remove the clear coat.

You mean like a Dremel, I always thought one of those might work good for sanding wheels?

------------------
'86 SE - My car is actually a MacLaren F1 with a Fiero body kit; or not.

Nope, its nothing like a dremel.

Its more of a palm sander which has a triagle base (instead of round or square). Its not a perfect triagle, but the point allows you to get into a lot of tight areas.

Yup, if you walk into a hardware store that carries Black and Decker (which is pretty much all of them) and ask for a Mouse, they'll know what you're talking about. Like they said, it's got a basically triangular head that vibrates all around on a flat plane.

They're litterally tools of a million uses. You can sand furnature with them and get every single crevice... you name it. I've been meaning to get one but now I think I might actually go out and do it. My stock wheels need the once over as well.

------------------
85 GT (to be modified...)
--Um, no the paint isn't oxidized, that's the ultra-rare Whirlpool White textured finish... yeah.
89 Lincoln Town Car (has Fiero Envy)
--Hey! Can I have an anti-sway bar too?

I was just sanding my wheels last weekend by hand and after about 3 hours I gave up. I think I will try this Mouse sander out.

Thanks, I needed than information.

------------------

Just bought a mouse sander kit on Ebay for $13.50. I got to try this.

quote Originally posted by deceler8: I got my Mouse at a home center store. Any hardware store or a home center like Home Depot or Lowes should carry it. .

Thanks I'll be looking for it!

Man I wish Network marketing were this easy.

------------------

goto:
http://www.blackanddecker.com

and search on

mouse

It looks neat, shaped kinda like a small clothes iron.

Hey all,

DON'T use a dremmel tool unless you like gouging your aluminum wheels!!! I have a set of Factory GT style wheels (Honeycomb style) and I tried using my Dremmel tool to get into all the crevices(sp?). what a Pain in the A**!! Unless there's a better attachment fot the dremmel (I used fine sanding drums, wire brush was toast after a minute!!), I would not recommend a dremmel for this work... Just my 2cents..

PKFieroGT