OK, the time has come where I am tired of polishing them to make them look halfway decent. I purchased VHT 250* self etching primer, wheel paint, clear coat. I scrubbed them down with a red scotchbrite pad and removed all the oxidation. I then blew all the dust off with compressed air, then wiped them down with thinner. Sitting face up, I let them dry in the sun for 5-10 min. I then masked and started primer painting them. For some reason only in the center by the lug nuts, its clumpy and powdery. What have I done wrong or could do better?


It says in the instructions that the primer can be dry or wet sanded with 600 grit before the color paint is applied.

 

could still be a little grime there or the rattle can could have decided to spit. Is it on all the wheels? did you start and stop spraying off the wheel? If you stopped while still on the wheel it tends to spit...you can lightly sand it, spray it off with air and see if it evens things out. Sometimes another coat will help smooth it too

 

I've only got two wheels to this point. I feel like I got the base metal pretty clean. The rim edge is clean but the deeper in the wheel the more it clumps. It kinda reminds me grains of sand really fine. When the wheels were laying down I was having a tough time getting any to stick there. I stood them upright and it made it easier to reach the center.

 

I've painted rims on a couple cars and the only time I had that happen was I held the can too far away from the surface or I hadn't gotten the factory clear off good enough so the paint wouldn't stick. I've heard old paint can do that but pretty sure that's not your problem, it wouldn't change depending on where you paint. Were the rims to hot after sitting in the sun?
None of that is definitive, just throwing my thoughts out there to see if it sparks something.

 

The more I think about it, I think the paint can was slightly sputtering to point into the center of the wheel with the wheel facing up(probably the straw picked in the can). With the wheel upright the can sprayed fine into the center. I will dry sand and re touch them up before I move onto the next step.

 

I have done what you are doing, and then clear-coated the wheels with aerosol clear coat. Really brings out the shine and hides the sputter/matte look from the first color coats.

 

My wheels look like they should go on a Army rig....lol.

Before:


After Sanding:


I was only going after decent coverage, but it felt like there was too much primer there. I ended up sanding with 400 grit, as the 600 looked like it would just plug up.

So, after blowing them off with compressed air, do I re-prime them or continue on to color paint. Also is a tack rag necessary before the next step?

 

i like it.

i've rattle canned all my wheels(not my dually). cant beat slapping the color you like on some wheels. i want to put ford burgundy on some bbs rs's for my audi avant.

 

i use a temp gun. i let the wheels & rattle can sit in the sun. get em hot. scotch brite & fine sand paper.

paint, as i make the pass- hit it with the temp gun on about 400*f. kinda bake it on there. it'll boil the the paint when your too slow. don't do that.

do that a million times over. it turns out pretty nice. they'll chip after a while but you can't get that instant gratification or ease of doing it yourself from a powder coat shop.

 

I have never see the deck of cards idea. Will keep that one in the back pocket.

 

A co-worker gave me the idea. I had to let most of the air out to get them to stick inside the bead. I was originally gonna have them powder coated, but the cost of dismount, remount and balance was over $100 in addition to coating cost. Figured this way would be just fine for my winter set.


I think I'm gonna wipe them down with some thinner and move on to color.


I'm starting to think maybe I should have bought White paint instead of Black. Of the white trucks I googled, I didn't think the black matches very well...

 

White wheels so dirt easly though. Only thing to think about.

 

i painted the mesh wheels on my white passat a few colors before landing on midnight black metallic or something from kragen auto. it's like a gray black. it blends really well with brake dust

i second the cards technique. genius. im gonna have to paint the wheels on my wifes' a4 now

 

Ya never really considered that. White vehicles are easier to keep looking clean than black. But white carpet is the other way around. Why would white wheels be tough to keep looking nice? Brake dust maybe?


I already have the black paint bought, so I think I will stick with that for now...