Stripping off old paint

[svxcess]

On an unrelated note, since the "L" was removed from my left wheels, I have a foolproof way of making sure my wheels are always installed correctly.

I put a small dot of red paint into the center cap recess of the wheel and a matching red dot on the left side bearing cap. In nautical terms, Red is associated with the PORT (or LEFT) side


Green is associated with the STARBOARD (or RIGHT) side, so the colors are in the same place, but a different color. All any installer has to do is match the dots on the hub and wheel to get it right.

Also helps them remember which side the rims go on when putting on directional tires.







Too much idle time on my hands, I know...

[benebob]

Originally Posted by svxcess

You can probably get a single stage powdercoating for that price. The problem with metallics is that the metallic particles melt and settle during the baking process. On silver wheels, the sparkle seems to disappear and the wheels come out more of a gray.

This happened to the refinished RX-8 wheels on Mike 621's claret. They were powder coated gold, but in the baking the metallic disappeared and he was left with a shiny "peanut butter" look (affectionately known as the "Peter Pan Edition")





On my wheels, I had the factory color duplicated in lacquer and sprayed. Everything was sealed under a thick clear powdercoat, to give the shine and preserve the sparkle.





.

No since he is already removing the old and doing much of the prep he should be just fine getting it metallic for that price if that's what he's looking for. He just needs to shop around a bit.

[Huskymaniac]

I already have some paint from an old car that I sold before I painted the bumpers. I figured I would give it a shot.

[Hocrest]

Since it was mentioned earlier in the thread.

If you try to paint the wheels with the tires mounted. Instead of using short pieces of masking tape to make a circle, instead use a strip of poster-board and roll it up to create a ring that will set on the outside edge of the rim.

[92snowmachine]

easiest way i've painted wheels with the tires on is to spread vasoline around the edges of the tires, put it on anything you don't want to paint (like the valve stem and bead area). paint the tires as if they were masked off, when the paint is dry you will be able to wipe the vasoline with paint on it off with a rag because it won't dry. takes considerably less time than taping and gives better results than using a stencil made of cardboard.

[SVX_MY_BABY]

I've masked around the edge with tape then cut a circle out of the side of a garbage bag. and taped it to the first tapeline. Works well.

+1 for self etching primer if you are down to bare metal.

Only problem I had once was the paint getting a crackle of lines under the clear coat. Not sure if it was heat from the wheels or because I applied the clear coat the next day.

Soda Blasting is good way to strip the wheels if there is a shop locally. Here stripping and clear coating a set of 16 in wheels is about $375.00 plus tax.

[SVX_MY_BABY]

Originally Posted by LastSVXintheChi

What would I use to sand them with regular sand paper?

Paint and the alloy are pretty soft stuff. I've used an 80 grit to rough up the bad areas the quickly switched to a coarse grit wet paper after the oxidation was gone and then a medium wet paper. Used the wet papers without wetting them.

[LastSVXintheChi]

this thread has become very helpful

thanks for posting it Tony!!

[kwren]

Originally Posted by Gamesy

for some reason you cant buy the stuff in canada.

It is because the fumes emitted from this stuff are extremely toxic and a environmental disaster. If you get those toxic synthetic chemical disruptor that are in "that stuff" in your body by breathing them or absorbing them through your skin, and you will if you use "that stuff", they will still be in your body at some level the day you die. They can even change your DNA. Canada is far ahead of the USA on the subject of hazardous chemicals.

Keith

[Sean486]

If you follow the directions on the package I feel that it can be used safely for a set of rims. I wore gloves and a respirator and only used it while outdoors. I would not want to work with anything like that on a regular basis, however I most certainly do not want big government to step in and prevent me from using it.

[benebob]

Originally Posted by Sean486

If you follow the directions on the package I feel that it can be used safely for a set of rims. I wore gloves and a respirator and only used it while outdoors. I would not want to work with anything like that on a regular basis, however I most certainly do not want big government to step in and prevent me from using it.

It isn't the use of it that most countries are cracking down on, it is the VOCs that are given off by these kind of products into the atmosphere. Auto body shops are taking it on the chin big time these days.

[Huskymaniac]

I attacked another rim today. This time I decided to NOT strip it down to the base metal. I only went to the base metal in areas where the paint was bubbling or peeling. On the rest of the rim I decided to just strip off the top surface of the paint/powder coat and sand it smooth. There was a layer of standard paint from Rob's old paint job and then it seemed like there was a thin layer of the metallic powder coat. Beneath that seems to be a gray base of powder coat. Is this correct? If so, do I still need a primer to go between the powder coat base and the new paint?

[Huskymaniac]

OK, this turned out to be more time consuming than I had hoped and I ran out of time. So I am having them stripped and powdercoated. I am going for something a little wild for me and doing them in gold. The price sucks but, if they look good when done, I'm sure I could get most of my money back when I sell them. They are charging me $105 a rim. But they are acid stripping them, sandblasting the surface, applying a base coat, applying the powdercoat and applying the top (clear) coat. Hopefully they will come out nice and hopefully my wife will not have my head. Anyone want to buy my AT Italia Rims? I will measure the offset tonight but I think it was a little too low for the larger diameter snow tires I had on them. I really liked the 5 spoke star though.

[zaueugen]

in that pic w the claret what rims are on the silver svx on the left?

[icingdeath88]

Originally Posted by zaueugen

in that pic w the claret what rims are on the silver svx on the left?

99% sure those are murano rims.