In preparation for installing tubulars for the first time, I've been reading, watching videos, and posting to learn how best to do this. In the past I simply had the bike shop do this, but with my 3rd set of tubular wheels coming, I decided to put on my big boy pants, stop being afraid, and learn to do this myself.
I went to store to buy acetone, mineral spirits, acid brushes, and sand paper to get ready. One of the components to tubulars that looks dreadful is the removal of old crappy glue, thus the mineral spirits that I purchased. I noticed that tires on my TT bike were getting pretty worn, and I foolishly have let them sit deflated. The bond has become very poor along the edges, so I took the tires off. Once off, I noticed that chunks of glue came off, and the surface was very irregular. I decided to I'll attempt to remove ALL of the glue, and start over as if the rims were new. After watching and reading how difficult and time consuming this might be, I figured if I couldn't get ALL of the glue off I could at least get the rims smooth.
Before jumping into the rags and mineral spirits, I thought I might trying heating the surface with a hair dryer. I started at the valve hole, held the hair dryer there for a bit, and then tried to loosen it with my finger. To end this long winded post, I was able to get the glue started, gently pull on the glue while heating the glue as I pulled. It literally came off in 1 long piece all the way around the rim. I went slow, it took about 20 min, but it literally took off 99.9% of the glue.
I'm sure I didn't discover anything new here, but it really surprised me how easy this was. I must add that this was the first set of tires, but they were reglued, so maybe 4 layers of glue were on the rims. I would almost guess that more glue would be easier than less glue, with this method providing the glue was heated sufficiently.
Anyone use or try this method?
Glue removal method that worked pretty well
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New to me - thanks for sharing! Ta.
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Your glue probably came off that way because there was some slight film of something on the rim when you initially glued it up. Otherwise, the glue will soften and you can push most of it off with a spoon or whatever, but it will still have adhesion to the rim. I don't think you said which rim -- if carbon, they are particularly prone to teflon or teflon-like residues that have to be sanded off to be removed (solvents simply don't remove them), but alloy rims also get pernicious lubricants during the extrusion and sometimes after anodizing as part of evening out any variations in color.
A hair dryer definitely helps soften rim cement so various other methods become more effective. Note that a hair dryer plus acetone is a dangerous way to lose your hair, or worse. And note that even a strong hair dryer can overheat a carbon rim (or decals and stickers on an alloy rim) with negative consequences.
A hair dryer definitely helps soften rim cement so various other methods become more effective. Note that a hair dryer plus acetone is a dangerous way to lose your hair, or worse. And note that even a strong hair dryer can overheat a carbon rim (or decals and stickers on an alloy rim) with negative consequences.
11.4 wrote:Your glue probably came off that way because there was some slight film of something on the rim when you initially glued it up. Otherwise, the glue will soften and you can push most of it off with a spoon or whatever, but it will still have adhesion to the rim. I don't think you said which rim -- if carbon, they are particularly prone to teflon or teflon-like residues that have to be sanded off to be removed (solvents simply don't remove them), but alloy rims also get pernicious lubricants during the extrusion and sometimes after anodizing as part of evening out any variations in color.
A hair dryer definitely helps soften rim cement so various other methods become more effective. Note that a hair dryer plus acetone is a dangerous way to lose your hair, or worse. And note that even a strong hair dryer can overheat a carbon rim (or decals and stickers on an alloy rim) with negative consequences.
They are carbon rims. Specifically an 808 and Super 9 for my TT bike. I did not do the initial tire install, so I'm not sure if they were sanded. I purchased the acetone as a cleaner before the first layer. I did just do a very light sanding with 150 grit, and then cleaned with acetone. I guess I'll find out in the future if this method works the next time I try to remove all glue.
In watching the video on Zipps site for gluing up tires, they do not mention sanding the rims first. I have 6.7s coming and I see that Enve does recommend doing that.
Hearing some new (to me) glue removal methods in this thread which is interesting. I'm about to delve into several fresh glue jobs and some removals and reglue myself in prep for the upcoming season. I need to get a heat gun today (for another project), but maybe I'll just experiment a little bit with this to see if it makes removal of mastic one any easier. And the boiling water is a new one to me. What harm could that do? 
Typically, I strip the rim completely before each reglue. Can't stand a bunch of build up and putting fresh glue over old. So each fresh glue job gets two fresh thin layers of mastic one on the rim, and one layer on the tire base tape. I've found an adhesive stripper I use and it takes me about an hour and half to get a Bora rim completely stripped and looking like new. Without a chemical stripper, I totally get why people are loathe to completely strip a rim clean as it's just too much work by hand with no chemical aid. You do have to be careful to only work on the rim bed and not let it get on the sides of the rim which can quickly peel away the decals you may have or fancy logos painted on your rims.
And yes, 11.4... acetone and flames etc., are really a bad combination although I am due for a haircut today.
@sd5500: I have exactly the same wheels as you on my TT bike. Super 9 and 808. No sanding of the rims. Just a good wipe down with Acetone to clean them before gluing. A super light sanding probably wouldn't hurt anything, and provide a slightly better bonding surface, but only once and when the rims are brand new. Certainly not every time. If ENVE recommends it, I'd go with their recommendations. Never hurts to follow the manufacturers recommendations on those matters. Helps to understand the whys behind any recommendations so you can make your own call on things in the future, rather than just blindly following what others do because they "said that's how to do it".
Typically, I strip the rim completely before each reglue. Can't stand a bunch of build up and putting fresh glue over old. So each fresh glue job gets two fresh thin layers of mastic one on the rim, and one layer on the tire base tape. I've found an adhesive stripper I use and it takes me about an hour and half to get a Bora rim completely stripped and looking like new. Without a chemical stripper, I totally get why people are loathe to completely strip a rim clean as it's just too much work by hand with no chemical aid. You do have to be careful to only work on the rim bed and not let it get on the sides of the rim which can quickly peel away the decals you may have or fancy logos painted on your rims.
And yes, 11.4... acetone and flames etc., are really a bad combination although I am due for a haircut today.
@sd5500: I have exactly the same wheels as you on my TT bike. Super 9 and 808. No sanding of the rims. Just a good wipe down with Acetone to clean them before gluing. A super light sanding probably wouldn't hurt anything, and provide a slightly better bonding surface, but only once and when the rims are brand new. Certainly not every time. If ENVE recommends it, I'd go with their recommendations. Never hurts to follow the manufacturers recommendations on those matters. Helps to understand the whys behind any recommendations so you can make your own call on things in the future, rather than just blindly following what others do because they "said that's how to do it".
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Thanks! I was getting nervous about switching road tires onto my FarSports 'cross wheels for the summer, this makes that process seem a lot less worse.
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RichTheRoadie
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As long as you don't have 3 or 4 old tyres' worth of glue on the rim, why bother?!
BikeTart wrote:As long as you don't have 3 or 4 old tyres' worth of glue on the rim, why bother?!
See the tubular gluing sticky.
If your glue is contaminated by water, cyclocross mud, etc. you should remove and replace it. If you are changing adhesive, probably better to remove and replace it. If you have had your wheels in very adverse conditions (i.e., extreme heat, like in the trunk of a car in Arizona for a week), you might remove and replace it. If the glue job is simply defective and isn't adhering properly (cracking loose, peeling off the tire or rim, etc.), definitely remove and replace it. Plenty of reasons to do it but no particular reason to do so otherwise.
One thing I always do is trim any glue left at the edges of the tire bed -- just run a box cutter or linoleum knife around it to slice off any goobers or accumulated glue there. Then you get a neater glue job next time.
I have a drill press in the garage with a wire wheel on it. Works wonders for getting glue off rims without destroying anything because after the first little bit, you're rotating glue against the glue that builds up in the wires of the wheel. I brace the rim against the upright of the drill press and using light pressure, work the rim around till the glue's gone.
You can do the same 'hold the base tape of the tire to the wire wheel' thing like you do with the rims, but you need to be more careful of the sidewalls.
No chemicals that may interfere with re-gluing later.
M
You can do the same 'hold the base tape of the tire to the wire wheel' thing like you do with the rims, but you need to be more careful of the sidewalls.
No chemicals that may interfere with re-gluing later.
M
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