I've got an old set of wheels which I've spent a huge amount of time and effort stripping/sanding back to the bare paint and now I want to
spray them and achieve the best finish I can at home - so looking for advice.
Firstly - tools - I have a decent 3hp compressor, so imagine spraying would give better results than aerosols - is this correct? and would this be a
suitable spray gun:
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/pro-14c-spray-gun/path/spray-guns-spraying-equipment-air-brushes
Secondly - paint. I was going to prime, colour then clear coat as I've seen described elsewhere, but where can I buy the paint for the gun? How
much for 4 wheels? Do I need special wheel paint, or just standard car paint? Do I have to thin it or any other prep before use? Any other
hints/tips for using the gun?
[Edited on 6/2/10 by GreigM]
if the wheels are alloys you ideally need an etch primer. You only need clearcoat if you use a basecoat. If you sparay you can buy either 2k paint or cellulose for both you require thinners. 2K also needs an activator (ths paint is poisonous ) ideally you require a mask. A good finish can be achieved with a spay can. When painting with a can I would warm the rim up I also sit the paint can in hot water for a short period this assists the spraying pressure and speeds up the curing time. Ensure the place you are painting in is kept warm otherwise the paint will bloom
compressor will give the best results if you use it properly, but to do that takes practice (setting up the gun, thinning the paint for the right
viscosity, having the right gun, knowing the technique for spraying unusual shapes)
if you plan on doing a lot of spraying in the future, its worth investing in the right kit (inc. filter to remove moisture and oil from the air going
in to the gun) and practicing till you are good. otherwise use aerosol. its cheaper.
whatever you use, make sure you get a good primer coat down. acid#8 is my fave, but get a mask, its nasty if you breath it in.
Its a bit of a cliche, but the end result is directly proportional to the time and effort spent in preperation.
I have done a vid on wheel refurb that just needs editing before utubeing. if you are in a rush, i could rush the edit through and post it.
austin man is right about warming things up first. I just leave earosol on the rad in my house for 20 mins before use.
thanks guys for the advice - think I'll just go the aerosol route for now then (it is just an old set of alloys to mount wets anyway, so perfect
finish probably isn't important). I've spent lots of time sanding to get all the way to the bare metal and get it all smooth, so hopefully
thats a good start.
No need to rush the video skinned knuckles - will probably not be attempting the paint for a couple of weeks yet....
quote:
Originally posted by austin man
if the wheels are alloys you ideally need an etch primer. You only need clearcoat if you use a basecoat. If you sparay you can buy either 2k paint or cellulose for both you require thinners. 2K also needs an activator (ths paint is poisonous ) ideally you require a mask. A good finish can be achieved with a spay can. When painting with a can I would warm the rim up I also sit the paint can in hot water for a short period this assists the spraying pressure and speeds up the curing time. Ensure the place you are painting in is kept warm otherwise the paint will bloom