Originally posted in the traditional hot rods board, new to this and wasn’t sure if it was in the right spot. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/faux-magnesium.1333151/#post-15544830 “Long-time listener, first-time poster, and unsure if I’m even doing this right. We all love mag wheels, but I could never afford them. So I tried my own version of some faux-mags and thought I’d share my method incase anyone else wanted to give it a try. -Start with nice aluminum wheels that you're supposed to leave alone. -Sand off the machined surface so it's all smooth. -Sandblast with a course media. -Spray wheel with Dry Graphite Lube. I used CRC Moly Lube. -Let dry overnight. -Lightly wiped wheels off with a towel to get any excess buildup. Not sure if it's needed but that's what I did. -Unload the Dishwasher and set all that stuff in the sink for a sec. -Toss a wheel in the dishwasher on high and a Cascade Platinum dish pod. The heat kind of baked it in and made the nice goldish-rainbow hue from the heat like magnesium has. -Apologize to your wife for the previous step. -Lightly mist the wheel with salt water outside since sodium chloride reacts with graphite and helps oxidize, while the wheel is facing up. -Let it dry. I let it sit overnight. -Keep them suckers outside all night, and let it rain and hail on them the next day, and then heat in the sun later in the day. Shoutout mommy nature. -Profit. Yes I’m aware I should’ve cut the lip off, but I decided not to. I don’t know anyone with a lathe to make it quick. Enjoy, and please don’t send your wife to yell at me for tossing wheels in the dishwasher!”
Wow!!! That's about the best "mag look" I've ever seen pulled off with any realism. The reason I notice these threads is I've had it in my mind to do the same thing to the wheels on my roadster for a long time, rarely do I see them turn out looking like real magnesium. These are P.S. Engineering welded two piece aluminum wheels, they normally come with polished hoops, I had them blast the hoops after they were welded to match the centers. I'm reasonably happy with the overall outcome but they don't look real like yours do.
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