Steps for painting steel wheels?

I did these with a quick coat of prime and then Rustoleum outdoor paint from Home De Pot. Of course, I wire brushed them clean first........ was too cheap to spend the money to blast them. That taught me a good lesson about time management. It took me the better part of two weeks to wire brush what the blaster does in thirty minutes; and he only charges me twenty buck-a-roors per rim.

 

if you're using the gun it might be irrelevant but, krylon has farm and implement paint in a can that is high gloss and durable. never used it and it only comes in 10 different colors but, might be worth a look.

 

And he lived to tell about it!

 

Powder coat. Around here about $25 a wheel gets it done and they do a nice job. I haven't shot wheels for a number of years. Normal paint doesn't hold up anything like powder!

 

i have spray bombed wheels before. To mount with out scratching i mount the tire by hand with the painted part facing down on a towel.

 

Here's a step-by-step wheel restoration that I did on one of my truck wheels. It's more detailed than you want to do but maybe you'll find a few things that will be helpful to you. Nuttin' wrong with Rustoleum. Ya just have to do it more often. That's all.

http://www.laroke.com/larryk4674/2005/bbpartshp4.htm

 

I used that Duplicolor Engine paint from Advanced Auto... that stuff lays like a ******!! You don't even see any crossover points in the paint, it all blends together really nice!!

You might try it on one wheel! I loved it!







Here's the paint I used...

 

This post reminds me of a visit to a semi-local high end restoration shop. They made a special fixture for painting wheels. It had an electric motor that would slowly spin the wheel while at a 45* angle. They could really load the paint on without getting any runs. The shop owner was showing us around and I walked over to check out the fixture. The owner came over to brag about his idea but the poor painter got his *** chewed out because this time the wheel on the fixture had a bunch of runs. I felt sorry for the painter.

I deflate the tire so that it pulls away from the edge of the rim a tad and use a pizza box card board shield as I go around the rim. It's easy enough to clean up any oh ****s with a rag and thinner.

When someone gets on their hands and knees to pick apart my wheel paint job, I kick 'em in the ***. You can do a nice job unless it's up for the Riddler award.

 

if he was here and brought them in already blasted, I'd prep and do one color for 25 each. Try and call some local shops and tell them they are stripped already, easy money for them.

 

About 6 years ago I bought some smoothies that had been powder coated yellow. Didn't fit my colors so I quick sanded them, cleaned them and shot them with good old Krylon blue. Let set for a couple hours and went over them with Krylon clear. It is my daily and the still look like the day I shot them.

 

Followed as told (minus the Marlboros) and they turned out pretty well. Thanks for writing that up!

 

I painted the wheels on my wagon last year, prepped them well. The next day I took them next door to the tire shop and had them mount my American Cl***ic WWW's on them. When they aired them up, it "pulled" the paint from the backside of the lip/bead, and so it looked like I did a ****ty job masking the tire, when in fact they weren't mounted at the time of painting.

Possibly I should have waited a couple of days, and or, I may have not prepped the back edge of the lip as I should have.

Just my experience, I used thinner and it came off but took awhile, not a whole lot of thinner, but a whole lot of rubbing.

Joe

 

Powder coat =$200
another can of rustoleum =$4
$200= 50 cans of rustoleum

I work for the Government only they would powder coat 200 wheels just before going obsolete.

 

For us NW guys, Les Schaub's quoted me $30 a wheel for sandblastin and powdercoating today. I will be sending a set in in about 2 weeks, I'll let you know

 

I had these blasted, then went straight to color, Duplicolor Metal Specks, 6 decent coats, let dry for about 15 minutes and hit it with Krylon clear.



I painted the backs and insides with regular krylon so it would be lots cheaper.



the scallops are done with same stuff.

 

You've got the right idea.

I like powder coat on certain things except wheels. The first time you slide that trim ring on and hear that s****ing sound... there's no turning back with powder coat. With paint you can scuff them and shoot them again if you decide to change caps or rings later.

These are spayed the same way you mentioned above with International Harvester white Tractor paint...

 

Been painted since 2004 no problem,lots a miles.

 

Mine are just simply painted after sanding and using steel wool on them. I used restoleum paint. Still got to do the back wheels. One positive to having bad tires is you don't have to mask them. I am probably going to put the hubcaps back on if I can get them clean enough.

 

i've painted over power coating with no problem, it's still paint. but i like the idea that the inside part of the rim is sealed good. alot of air compressers shoot out more water than air! (on the road) then, if you are un-happy with the color of the rim on the outside, scuff it and re-paint it. power coat dose'nt mean thats it from now on. it's still just paint. just cooked on.

 

Powder coating is not paint.

it is a plastic resin that is baked/cured in an oven relying on surface tension more that adhesion.

really tough stuff but once its been chipped and exposed to the elements it may begin to chip off in sheets, if and when it reaches that point there is no real world touch up. your only choice is blasting/stripping and re coating.

There are baked on enamels etc that are paint, but powder coating isnt the same.

 

got my info. from carinal paints. when painting the engine box from my a100 van. i wanted the inside black and durable, but the outside to match the dash, doors etc. i called them to ask. this was their answer. i did as they said with no problems. it sanded fine, and gave me no problems.so far engine heat has been no problem. all power is not the same. they do have differnt varietys. i told them what i had in mind and they picked their product.

 

Wheels are one of those parts on which the finish is never permanent and subject to a lot of abuse. I use Rustoleum. When they get scratched, touch 'em up. Want to change the color? Scuff 'em and shoot in an afternoon. Powder coating is a lot more expensive and too "permanent" for my needs.

Bob

 

I think baking most spray painted items up to 140 F or so does good things for paint durability. At first I did it Mostly to speed up the drying for impatient, poorly planned ***embly.

The folks that work with epoxy/composites include a controlled high temperature cure for improved strength.
http://www.amsc.com/solutions-products/marine_solutions.html


I have no idea if generic polyester resins are helped or hurt with higher cure temps

 

I think I'm just gonna paint mine.
'54 Chevy steelies, reversed. I'm concerned that if I powder coat them, rust will start inbetween rim and centers where coating can't reach.
Before welding them up, I painted them in weld-thru primer, but that's all I have in there.

 

Great thread. Thanks for everyone's contribution. Tons of good info.

 

Apart from the baking bit i've done exactly the same and never had an issue, even if my climate. I've wet sanded the primer for a smoother finish but thats as fancy as i've gone. No runs, good shine and easy enough to touch up. By the time the rim has a hubcap, trim ring etc there is only so much of the paint you can see anyhow.
I have had wheels powdercoated which is all well and good if you have the funds but normally i don't and this has been more than fine in the past. If not using rustoleum paints i've just put a few coats a rattle can clear over the paint.
Usually the whole thing takes me a weekend and my tire guy has never marked a single rim. Cheap approach i know but always worked for me and there is a sense of satisfaction once done.

 

Yep that what i'm talking about. Unless its a daily going up and down real rough roads there's no reason why that won't last a good time. Looks killer aswell and i bet your hard work was worth it everytime you look at your cool car. Like the idea of the scallops aswell, sets it off a treat.

Top stuff Datinman

 

I love Less Schwab

 

I called several places today to see about powdercoating my wheels. 80-125.00 per wheel was the answer to my queries. Uh....No. went to Lowes, and 1 day later I have painted wheels to match the pinstriping on my old truck. 3.89 plus a can of left over primer and about 3 hours. I'll gladly spend that yearly if I have to. My favorite part is that If I change my mind on the color, it's still only a five dollar problem.


I shall break it down in photo form.

1) Bought these on the cheap. No likey color.
[/url][/IMG]

2) Scuff, Primer, Paint.
[/url][/IMG]

3)Save enough money from the crack-smoking powdercoaters to buy these!
[/url][/IMG]

 

I too followed most all the proper steps that you folks addressed. But (A BIG BUT) I did NOT heat them in an oven. I blasted them, I etched primed, I wiped with all sorts of precleaners, the whole ball o wax.
I too used Rustoleum rattle can stuff (It's ****!)
I let the rims set up for 5 months in a heated garage.
I tested the paint by applying strips of blue masking tape to each wheel.
I pulled on that tape 3 days later and it pulled my new paint off in huge strips.
Next time I'm going for the powder coat package.....screw rattle can stuff.