VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Hub cap skin installation techniques

Anyone have a technique for turning over the edges of the repro hub cap skins when installing them onto the bases?

Roger

It is a nightmare to do since the face of the skin usually gets dimple dents around the circumference when the edge of the skin is bent over the base, and sometimes the chrome peels off too. You are better off buying the complete hub cap assembly with the skins already in place. And, it is a lot less work too!

I have a piece of wood cut out to match the outside of the skin. I have the inside base nickle plated. Lay the skin in my block. Place the inside in the skin and hold it down by pressing a piece of wood against the inside or base of the hubcap. Using a small piece of wood and a hammer I work round and round the skin folding it in. I finish by rolling a ball bearing around the skin. I then polish the skin and take it to the plater. After plating I soak them in a bucket of WD-40 for 24 hours then clean and paint the bow tie and ring. All finished.

See you down the back roads.

the skins I used were chrome plated and I used a soft canvas bag filled with fine sand to lay the skin on and used a small hammer to gently tap them down ,it is very easy and they came out like a new hubcap and with the gennie inner liner they dont fall out going down the road like the repo caps do. Watching a sixty five dollar hubcap bounce down the road is not a good feeling.

Woody brought up a good point about the reproduction hub caps. If you have the Bill Hirsch caps, the diameter of the base is too small and they do fall out of the wheel hub. Not familiar with the fit on the caps that the Filling Station sells. The old McConnville caps fit like a dream and those are the caps that I used on my car.

Is that the same Bill Hirsch that sells that light gray paint for chev engines? I wonder how much other stuff he sells is the same way.

The same Bill Hirsch. In NJ.

Advertises regularly in the G and D.

Bill.

Has anybody had problems with the hubcaps from I&I reproductions? I just bought six for my 31.

It all depends upon where I&I got them from. There are two different manufacturers of the 1930-32 hub caps; Bill Hirsch and Longrie. The Bill Hirsch caps seem to have a problem.

By the way, I have never heard from your buddy concerning the JYD Adventure. Is he still coming up with you? :confused: :confused: