Quite often, car owners express a desire to restore their wheels in order to restore them to their former attractiveness. And if usually no one bothers with classic “stampings”, being content with treating the surface with spray paint, or just a brush, then with cast models everything is a little more complicated. In the absence of painting experience, questions often arise: is it possible to restore or change the paintwork on light-alloy wheels, and how to do this? You can find detailed answers in this article, which we hope will become a good step-by-step guide.
What should I check before painting?
Restoring the exterior of a disc is usually resorted to in cases where its surface has been scratched or worn out during use. In addition, the paintwork sometimes deteriorates under the influence of reagents and an aggressive external environment, and because of this, the wheels take on an unpresentable appearance. Also, many “gourmets” repaint the wheels to match the tuning of the car body. In any case, before painting, you should check the disc for any deformations that may occur during prolonged use, heavy loads and impacts, which is not difficult at home. To do this you will need to inspect:
- All surfaces are checked for cracks and dents.
- Check the rims for chips.
- Places of adhesions, if any remain after repair.
In addition to a thorough visual inspection, balancing should be carried out. Small deviations in the readings of a broken or crumpled disk are, in principle, acceptable, and then you can start painting. If the damage to the disc is significant, and the balancing shows significant deviations from the norm, then you should think about purchasing new wheels.
What is the best way to paint forged wheels?
The difference between stamped and cast models is the average quality of the final product; the highest quality discs are made by forging. Such models are highly durable, reliable and retain an attractive appearance.
Iron discs are predominantly coated with varnish or enamel using traditional methods. The distinctive advantages of the method include:
- low price;
- it is possible to perform partial painting at any time;
- high aesthetic qualities.
In the process of local painting, the greatest attention is paid to the correct selection of shade. The largest range of colors is presented in the field of enamel paints.
Painting forged wheels
Required Tools
Companies specializing in this field, before painting the disc, remove the old paint coating from its surface using sandblasting machines, and then use powder paint and a special varnish. The whole process in this case is automated and is not suitable for home use.
If the decision has been made and the painting will be done on your own, then you need to stock up on the following tools and materials.
- Fine and medium sandpaper, grit 400-630 and 63-80 microns. It will be stripped of the old paintwork.
- Solvent or white spirit, which will be used as a degreaser for the cleaned surface.
- Destroyer for old paint, as well as a brush or brush for applying it.
- Spray cans of paint (2-3 pieces) and special varnish.
- Primer and spatula.
- Masking tape.
In addition, you will, of course, need cleaning supplies, a respiratory mask and work clothes. This necessary minimum can be picked up in any specialized store or car market.
Security measures
Working with paintwork requires care and special safety measures:
- Try to prevent contact of harmful substances with your eyes and mucous membranes by using a respirator and safety glasses.
- Using gloves, you will absolutely protect yourself from unforeseen circumstances.
- All work carried out should be carried out in a room with good ventilation. Otherwise, you risk greatly damaging your health due to chemical poisoning.
From the above, it should be taken into account that the procedure for painting “casting” with your own hands is quite realistic. Following the instructions and recommendations, this procedure will not be difficult.
By following certain tips, you will save yourself from wasted time and wasted materials. Painting the wheels yourself will save a decent amount of money.
Selection of materials
As for the choice of paint, varnish and primer, things are as follows. Automotive enamel will be the best option for painting wheels. It is advisable to choose a heat-resistant one, which also sprays like an aerosol. It is sold in cans. You can also use heat-resistant enamel in jars, but to apply it evenly you will need a spray gun, which is an extra expense. Many people believe that only basic colors (silver, black and white) are produced for these purposes and are mistaken. There are no restrictions, and the widest palette of paints is available on the market. Choose the tone and shade that your soul desires. Primer and varnish should be purchased along with paint. Most manufacturers offer some kind of kit, where all three components come in one line. Thus, they all fit harmoniously, and you will save time on searching and selecting components. It is desirable that the soil is also heat-resistant. The varnish will perform a protective function for the new coating, and also give the disc shine. The disc can be painted completely (front and back surfaces, as well as the rim) or only on the outside. In the latter case, restoration will cost approximately:
- 2 cans of paint.
- 1 can of primer.
- 1 can of varnish.
If you paint the entire disc, then the consumption of materials, and therefore costs, will increase by 3-4 times. Now decide for yourself whether it’s worth it or not.
Plastidip: why is it needed?
“Plastidip” is a relatively new composition that is used to create a protective layer for parts on a temporary basis. They cover discs for long trips to the sea, on a business trip or hunting. Another advantage of the composition is the ability to change the color of the coating without removing previous layers of paint and varnish. PlastiDip is sold in a variety of colors, coming in both matte black and vibrant, expressive color ranges.
After painting, the discs are coated with a rubber-like compound, which effectively protects against damage from stones, branches, sand, etc., and is also quickly removed. It is enough to warm up the disk and pull one end to remove the “Plastidip”, the original layer will remain intact.
The dye is applied with your own hands, as it does not require complex preparation: sanding, putty, priming, degreasing, etc.
Plasi Dip painted disc
The user will need:
- Wash the discs thoroughly to remove dirt.
- The adjacent rubber is covered with tape.
- The product is applied in 3 layers, with an interval of 15 minutes between each layer to dry.
Preparatory work
First of all, you will have to completely remove the peeling paint layer. To do this, first, you should wash off the old paint by applying a paint remover with a brush. Next, you need to wait about a quarter of an hour, after which the paint will begin to swell and come off, which will allow us to remove it with a spatula. This remover does not work as effectively on the soil layer, so you should get rid of it with sandpaper.
On the cleaned surface, you can leave some of the old soil in hard-to-reach places. However, you must make sure that it is held securely on the disk. If you are painting the rim of an unmounted wheel, the contour of the rim over the rubber should be sealed with masking tape. This will save you from subsequent washing of the tire, which, one way or another, will get paint components. The last stage of preparation is degreasing the surface of the disc with a solvent or White Spirit.
Aquaprint: fashionable innovation
Painting technologies offer interesting solutions for improving the decorative appearance of a car; among modern trends, water printing (Aquaprint) occupies a worthy place. The popularity of the method is due to the high speed of work completion and high-quality finishing coating.
“Aquaprint” helps to paint not only rims, but also any body elements, interior parts and most other surfaces (motorcycle helmets, seats). If you want to stand out on the roads, water printing will help you create a pattern and a special texture: imitation leather, animal colors, certain emblems and much more.
You can paint the surface using the “Aquaprint” technology according to the following algorithm:
- A container is prepared and filled with water of the prepared hardness and temperature.
- A special film with a picture is fixed on top of the tank.
- The drawing is sprayed with activator.
- The element is gradually immersed in water with due care.
Aquaprint of discs
Dyeing process
We divide the entire painting procedure into three stages.
Primer
A layer of soil is applied to the disc by spraying from a can from a distance of 30-35 centimeters from the surface. When applying, care should be taken to ensure that the substance does not leak. You need to apply several layers, with 10-15 minute intervals between each application. It is important to know that after finishing priming, it is best to wait 12 hours until the primer is completely fixed on the surface of the disk. This will ensure the best possible result and save you from disappointment in the future.
Paint
is applied in the same way as with primer. The same 30-35 centimeters from the spray point to the surface of the disk, the same 3 layers, the same 15 minute intervals between application of layers. The only difference is that you don’t have to wait 12 hours after dyeing. One hour will be enough.
Varnish
Varnishing the front side of the disc is the final stage of the entire cosmetic restoration process. The varnish is applied in 1-2 layers, about which you can read in more detail on the can of a specific manufacturer. There should be no difficulties, since you have already done similar manipulations with primer and paint. Next, let the varnish dry, and you can put on your “steel stallion” shoes.
In conclusion, let’s just say that painting the entire set of wheels yourself will cost you 10 or even more times cheaper than the cost of similar work at a car service center. This is the savings.
Video on the topic:
Choice of concept
There are two ways to organize this business:
1) Buying used wheels, restoring them and reselling them. Discs can be bought and sold using popular message boards on the Internet. We buy good but neglected wheels, polish them, paint them and sell them at a good markup. With experience, you will choose more and more profitable options.
Advantages of this business:
2) Providing services for repairing and painting wheels in your city. With the help of advertising, we attract clients and provide paid services.
Of course, you can combine the two options described above.
Do-it-yourself powder coating of discs and video of technological processes
It will not be a revelation that car wheels are the first to perceive all the “delights” of the road in the form of crushed stone, tar and parking curbs. The consequences do not at all decorate the wheels; they lose their former gloss and color, but they are a stylistic addition to the exterior. This is especially true for light alloy structures, which, in addition to the original design, are not at all cheap, which does not allow them to be changed every season. Therefore, there is reason to think about restoring the appearance of car wheels.
Surface preparation
Once you have prepared the room and acquired the necessary equipment, you can begin preparing the surface. Many people, doing the work with their own hands, do not pay due attention to this procedure, which negatively affects the quality of the coloring.
At this stage we must thoroughly clean the surfaces to be treated. Wash the removed discs thoroughly with water and detergent and wipe off all dirt with a sponge. Then wipe dry with a microfiber cloth. Afterwards, degrease and sand with an electric drill with various abrasive attachments. It is necessary to ensure uniform processing. To remove rust stains yourself, sandblasting is a good option if you have the appropriate equipment.
Phosphating the surface will help increase the adhesion of coating particles to the surface of the discs. Afterwards, passivation should be performed - apply a solution of chromium and sodium nitrate compounds. This operation allows you to avoid the occurrence of repeated corrosion processes on the vulnerable surface after preparation. After rinsing and drying, the wheels are ready for the next step.
Features of powder paint
This product is used only for those materials that can subsequently be subjected to heat treatment. In short, the technology is simple: by spraying, the powder is applied to a dry surface, and after that the product is fired in an oven for 10 minutes or more at a temperature of 200 degrees Celsius.
There are several types of powder paints that have their own characteristics: silicone, polyurethane, polyester, epoxy. Powder paints do not have a very wide range of colors; the most popular colors are aluminum, metallic gold, copper, platinum, blue velvet (see photo).
