SynicalVip

iTrader: (2)

So am looking to sand blast some wheels and repaint them. Reason being is the wheels were badly prep and repainted and I dislike em very much! I got a portable sand blast along with aluminum oxide media blast, now is there a easy way for the paint to come right off? Or I will have to just keep sand blasting til the paint actually come off? All tips and tricks is greatly appreciated! This will be this weekend project

lexus997

I know this is an old thread, but no one replied, and someone might find it via the search tools later.


The abrasiveness will be a function of your media blaster, air pressure and the grit of the media. If you notice that the paint comes off easy to start, but then it gets more difficult to remove, you probably need to change one of the variables ........ and the media does wear. Thus, if you reuse the media, eventually it looses grit, becomes finer and finally becomes trash.


I have used actual sand before to refinish steel wheels. A sandblaster can be good for removing oxidation too.


Sand blasting will typically etch the surface. Soda blasting can remove paint while not etching the surface and it is water soluble.


Just different options.

zoo

You can also strip the paint, which will also not etch/damage the aluminum. It will not require any special equipment., other than gloves and a brush.

Shmee

iTrader: (3)

i have blasted and stripped about 5 dozen wheels for rebuilds over the years.
which is better really depends on what you are after as an end finish.

Blasting in the hands of an amateur can fubar the finish of the wheel. to aggressive and long on one area will actually remove metal and you might not notice the divot you just blasted into your wheels until it's too late. it also will texture a lip requiring a lot more time to repolish later.

that said, I prefer blasting to stripping simply because it is cleaner in my cab and i always get the results i am after. I have wasted a lot of time on wheels using striper and almost always end up having to blast them to get into the tight spots a brush and stripper won't.

stripper does have it's uses. on clear coated lips that i'm going to polish, stripper > blasting every day.

Shmee

iTrader: (3)

oh and I have a large blast-cab (big enough to work on 22x12s) with 170psi line pressure and a 50/30/20 mix of Garnet/silica/Al-ox. i've messed around with different media and have found this mixture, albeit entirely by accident, to give a nice finish without being too damaging to finishes at around 110-135psi.

mitsuguy

iTrader: (2)

Careful about being too abrasive - any metal you remove from the wheel will weaken the structure. It may not seem like much, but it is definitely a concern.

Ultramiler

I am looking to do the same thing in the near future. To those guys that have done, it is there a specific brand/type of wheel paint that you prefer? I am probably going to do a stock looking silver or more of a gunmetal. I am just looking for a good finish and good durability.

crosseyes

Yes he is correct with his statement. It so easy and affordable to do it diy.