At 01:16 PM 1/22/98 -0500, Cordell, Ralph PhD wrote:
>It sort of seems like a no-brainer (for $300+ they get dirty vs I get
>dirty) but have any of you had experience refinishing wheels and am I
>missing something here? I've also got a gallon can of stripeze and a
>bag of coarse steel wool pads (I'm sort of tired of the skin on my hands
>anyway). What sort of paint should I use if I do it myself? Are there
>any tricks/pitfalls I need to be aware of? It all seems pretty
>straightforward but I've a long history of being torpedoed by things
>that seemed straightforward. Hints/suggestions will be appreciated.
>
Ralph, if you happen to have an air compressor, I would suggest a small
sandblast kit, which has just the gun.
These run around $25 from your local hardware store.
I was recently short on sandblast sand and I used regular patio paver sand.
I can't say what grit it was, but it did a great job.
Take it down to bare metal, then grab some metal etching primer and prime those
jewels. If the surface is rough after sanding, you may want to use a leveling
primer as well. Since it sounds like you are going to have hubcabs over the
wheels, I would just recommend a simple acrylic enamel paint which is forgiving
and simple to apply. Only one coat is necessary, but if you want a nice gleam,
you can use a clear coat over the enamel and get a really glossy finish.
However, if you desire to use a chemical stripper, I would suggest you forgo the
Stripeze and go to a paint supply store(preferably automotive) and ask for a
quart
of aircraft stripper. This will make short work of any paint, except the most
stubborn. Any chemical stripper is going to eat your skin up.
I used to use latex gloves but the stripper ate through them in no time flat,
so I suggest you grab some dish washing gloves. They work great, and if you
put some Palmolive inside the gloves, you'll have silky smooth hands.:)
I still suggest the sandblaster. It's quick, gets rid of all paint, and
it's a great toy.
Consider that you would pay $300+ to have someone else do the work, and the
sandblaster cost and your sweat labor are quite an attractive alternative.
Besides, doing the work yourself is more fun and rewarding. I love being able
to say that I rebuilt my car with my own two grubby hands.
I've seen the wheels Atlanta Imports puts out and they aren't near the quality
you
could do yourself.
Jay
***********************************************
Jurgen Hartwig, Civil Engineering, Georgia Tech
<paraindent><param>left</param>When you were born you cried
and the world rejoiced
Try to live your life so that
when you die you will rejoice
and the world will cry.
</paraindent>
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