Probably stainless steel bumper. You might try Behlen's Rock Hard but anything like that is going to wear off sooner or later. I am assuming that there is no way to adjust the mechanics such that the wheel does not rub against the wood. happy new year, jo4hn
My first thought is also probably wrong. I'm a big fan of laquer finishes. It absorbs well, layers nicely, polishes to a high luster. But over pine? Wouldn't this fact negate the hardness of any finish? Pine makes me think of epoxy finishes. They harden the surface they're applied to and work very well to water-proof the hulls of wooden watercraft. Very high bonding strength.
Tom in KY, fighting friction of all sorts every day.
You sly devil. We had good luck with 3-4 coats of Krylon Klear Kote, or however you spell it. Can't say just how hard it is, but it didn't show any signs of wear after many many trips down the track. Makes the car look good too and keeps the decals on. Used it on three first place winners.
DonkeyHody "Even an old blind hog finds an acorn every now and then."
Epoxy, I would think. But now there are a dizzying quantity of epoxies on the market. I would think one of the metal types (think JB Weld) would buff out smoothest w/ a Dremel. You might call 3M and ask.
How about this: you can't add parts apparently, such as a simple tiny (yet highly polished) washer, correct? Is the axle still a nail, as it was when I was a boy? How about modifying the nail? You could pound it out where a washer would be to form a washer of sorts, just something to keep it from contacting the wheel.
The finish can not be such that it would be destroyed or softened by
hey slick,
Laquer also can be bought in a spray can and Eagle One has an automotive wax with Teflon. Pretty da** slick. Without any real load bearing, laquer and teflon should be a killer combo on a small, tiny, lightweight vehicle. Good luck!
Tom in KY, just say your son wanted it to shine like the sun!
-------------------- Steve Jensen Abbotsford B.C. snipped-for-privacy@canada.mortise.com chopping out the mortise. BBS'ing since 1982 at 300 bps. Surfing along at 19200 bps since 95. WW'ing since 1985 LV Cust #4114
Nothing catchy to say, well maybe..... WAKE UP - There are no GODs you fools!
Supposing all the responses are correct in what the 'project' is . . . it is presumed to be an 'indoor' {NOT exposed to UV} item. With that in mind *my* recommendation would be the following schedule - 1} Sand up to 220 grit 1a}If color is desired, use WB DYE at this point 1b}When completely dry, sand away 'fuzz' 2} 'Tack' and vacuum clean 3} Apply a thin, well pushed coat of HARD {5:1 formulation}epoxy {RAKA is the brand I use - glad to give you some} 4} Within 24-hours, apply another coat 5} Apply a third coat as above. 6} After 24-hours, examine with a glancing light and apply a 4th coat as necessary. 6a}Allow to 'cure' for at least 7 days. 7} WASH with warm water {add a drop or two of a mild liquid dish detergent} 8} Dry & sand {with block}using secceedingly finer grits . . . to 340. 9} Apply 3 {or more} thin coats of a clear WB Poly. Sanding between coats to at least 600 Wet. 10} Apply at least two coats of paste wax . . . WELL BUFFED OUT.
Obviously this will take quite a bit of time. What you WILL have is a solid, very hard and very flat base. This will be covered by a very hard intermediate layer {that can be re-need}, to which the 'slick' layer can be repeatedly re-applied. It is also almost totally impervious - and thus allowing experiments with various 'just before use' treatments. Note that 'as is' it is dry and NOT a 'dust collector'.
Regarding the comment about the axle . . . I would fine sand/burnish then polish, wax, & buff well as needed.
Alright - my curiosity is peaked. How about building two while you're at it and finishing one with just a couple coats of poly that you knock down with some 1500 and maybe hit with a little rubbing compound. I'm going to get daring here, but I'm going to bet it performs just as well as this and previous suggestions. Not to dismiss the value of this and other suggestions, but how much is enough for the given application? Frankly, I don't know - that's why my bet is daring, but I'm willing to put my collection of fruit fly wings up as collateral for my bet.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.