cmb396

Does anyone have experience painting/prepping polished aluminum wheels?
I am going to have my 505 spokes painted, can't stand the polishing anymore!! I have talked with my painter and he is doing his own research, but I wanted to ask here as well!! LMK, thanks!!:

Disclaimer: I am not interested in powdercoating. I have talked to a powdercoater, and they feel it will be too hard to prep only the spokes w/o damaging the lip. Plus, there will be a nasty transition line b/t the pc and the polished lip that I do not want!!

justin_heat05

All I know is its really hard to paint polished or chrome wheels without having it peel off a few months down the road. You need to sand the crap out of them to get the paint to stick and stay.

If it were me, I'd try to buy a set thats already painted from the factory. Painting polished wheels never end good.

FreddyG

Have you tried talking to John at CCW? He's probably done those and might be able to help out.

Maybe you could sandblast or bead blast or maybe even sand the places that you wanted to paint first. I've found that if you scuff a smooth surface up first, that it works pretty well. Then just prime and then paint.

It's all in the prep work. They can Never be too clean or oil free!

cmb396

^I have not called CCW, yet. I thought I would post up here first and see what came up.
As far as the media/sand blasting, that is what the powdercoater uses, and could not guarantee the lips would not be damaged.

ALEXAMES

I feel your pain. Good luck with the project.

waupachino

The Polish Aluminum that you are wanting to paint will need to be sanded and roughed up. Paint will not stick on a Polished/Chrome service. Once the surface is roughed up it will need to be prepped with Aluma Prep, then Primed and Painted.

cmb396

^Exactly what my painter said. How rough is "roughed up"? I'm guessing you would use sand paper to prep? The thought of that makes me cringe...but so doesn't 10+ hours of polishing!!

bgreen83

keep us posted

cmb396

Talked w/CCW earlier and their prep is the same as what my painter suggested. After cleaning and scuffing, primer with an ethcing type primer, then paint...pretty simple. The daunting task is the taping, it looks like it will have to be done twice, once prior to primer, then pulled, then taped again prior to paint.
I have to check a couple of other things, but it looks like she'll go under the knife in a few days.
For those wondering, this is what I'm going for...

chriswtx

Painting aluminum and making it last is all about the proper prep and chemicals. I run an aircraft paint shop, all we do is paint aluminum. No sanding needed if you have the right chemicals. You will want to soap and water wash the wheels and scrub them with a red scotch bright pad(3M#7447). Then go to your local automotive paint store and pick up some Aluminum Etch/Cleaner. Use this and a scotch bright and scrub them again. Don't let the etch dry, rinse them good with clean water. Pick up some Alodine conversion coating treatment and treat the wheels with the alodine, rinse well again. Prime with a good epoxy primer within 24 hours of the alodine process and paint....Best process for painting aluminum and making it last..

You can pick up the etch and alodine form here...or your painter may find a local source..

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo...lodine1201.php

cmb396

^Thanks chriswtx!!! How do I do all of that treatment w/o getting it on the lips?? I am only painting the spokes and inner barrels, and leaving the lips polished!

chriswtx

mask the lips with plastic. If you have a small leak and get some etch or alodine on them it will polish out..