Wheel Painting
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
From: Moultrie, GA
Wheel Painting
I am wanting to paint the wheels red on my 1950 F1. I prefer not to take the tires off of the rims. I have seen somewhere a cone shaped device that covers the tire while painting. Anyone out there know what I am talking about and where I can get them? Also, is there a particular paint that you would suggest? Thanks!!!
Joker50
Joker50
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,093
Likes: 653
From: Brentwood, TN
Just clean the rim and sand it like you would any metal panel in prep for paint. Spray with enamel or urethane...rattle cans work great on wheels. As for the fancy masking devices...tape and paper work just fine. If you leave the wheel mounted, then it's easy to jack up the tire off the ground and spin the wheel while spraying.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 16,882
Likes: 3,126
From: SE Wisc. (the Rust Belt)
I used an adjustable sheet metal ring when I worked the auto body industry. I would think you could get them at any auto body shop supply store.
I use masking tape and newspaper myself, it's cheap and I think you can seal off the areas you don't want to have paint on more precisely than using the rings, IMO.
I use masking tape and newspaper myself, it's cheap and I think you can seal off the areas you don't want to have paint on more precisely than using the rings, IMO.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 4,489
Likes: 5
From: Valley Center, CA
Oh sure, "just mask it off with tape and paper." 
I've tried that route and it worked, but wow, it took about two hours of taping to get all around the rim. It's much harder than it appears to get it even. So, about 2 hours of taping and 10 minutes of painting later, I was done. You guys must have a lot more time and/or patience than I do. (It's probably just superior talent on your parts)
For me, it's much faster to cut yourself a piece of cardboard in the shape of a triangle (12" on each side). Then trim one edge with an arc to match your wheel. By holding the cardboard up to the outside edge of the rim, you can spray that portion without hitting the tire. Great results in less than 20 minutes.
For the best results, you will still need to have the tires off the rims. Good luck, Jag
I've tried that route and it worked, but wow, it took about two hours of taping to get all around the rim. It's much harder than it appears to get it even. So, about 2 hours of taping and 10 minutes of painting later, I was done. You guys must have a lot more time and/or patience than I do. (It's probably just superior talent on your parts)For me, it's much faster to cut yourself a piece of cardboard in the shape of a triangle (12" on each side). Then trim one edge with an arc to match your wheel. By holding the cardboard up to the outside edge of the rim, you can spray that portion without hitting the tire. Great results in less than 20 minutes.
For the best results, you will still need to have the tires off the rims. Good luck, Jag
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 16,882
Likes: 3,126
From: SE Wisc. (the Rust Belt)
Taping isn't that hard, you just have to make sure the tire is clean. I wipe 2" around the rim with lacquer thinner a couple of time and then run a 3/4" tape around the rim. I line the long edge of newspaper with the tape and then follow the first masking tape. I don't try to make a perfect arc with the paper, maybe only 30º at a time.
Trending Topics
Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,525
Likes: 1
From: oh
I agree with BobJ.....and I have painted 100s of wheels. A little laquer thinner and some GOOD 3m tape and paper. I sandblast mine-but you can run a da sander on them also. Im fact I did about 15 wheels all colonial white this way a few weeks ago--and still need to do another 4-8 more. Bill
Making the cone will work great-if you are not cool on masking.
Making the cone will work great-if you are not cool on masking.
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalytic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer
Joe Kucinski
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies
Joe Kucinski
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make
Brett Foote
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!
Michael S. Palmer
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home
Verdad Gallardo
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!
Joe Kucinski
2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?
Brett Foote
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 16,882
Likes: 3,126
From: SE Wisc. (the Rust Belt)
The main problem with using a cone or a round piece of sheet metal is you won't be able paint the outside of the rim lip. If you want to completely cover the rim you'll have to touch up the outside. If you use tape and paper you can leave the outside lip exposed.
Post Fiend
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 7,641
Likes: 21
From: Poway, Ca.
Hi,
Try setting the wheel flat, then coating the tire with a water soluable liquid soap. You can spray it with armoral or even coat it with a 50/50 mixture of Dawn dishwashing detergent and water. Let that dry on the tire. Then make sure the wheel is clean by carefully wiping it with a rag with Laquer thinnner on it.
You should be able to spray paint the wheel if you use Polyurethane or Enamel, and if you are at least a little careful, after the paint is dry on the wheel, the overspray should flake right off the tire. Let it dry a couple days and try not wash the soap over the new paint. If you use armoral, don't do anything. Just put the tire/wheel back on the truck and the first time you drive it all the over spray paint on the tire will just flake off.
This isn't a slather and blow paint into the neighbors yard type of thing. Apply the soap or armoral with a cheepy 2 inch disposable wood handled paint brush - like the kind you get at Home Depot for $1. At least try to be a little careful. Be sure and let it dry. Try not to overspray but if you do it should come right off.
Have fun,
J!
Try setting the wheel flat, then coating the tire with a water soluable liquid soap. You can spray it with armoral or even coat it with a 50/50 mixture of Dawn dishwashing detergent and water. Let that dry on the tire. Then make sure the wheel is clean by carefully wiping it with a rag with Laquer thinnner on it.
You should be able to spray paint the wheel if you use Polyurethane or Enamel, and if you are at least a little careful, after the paint is dry on the wheel, the overspray should flake right off the tire. Let it dry a couple days and try not wash the soap over the new paint. If you use armoral, don't do anything. Just put the tire/wheel back on the truck and the first time you drive it all the over spray paint on the tire will just flake off.
This isn't a slather and blow paint into the neighbors yard type of thing. Apply the soap or armoral with a cheepy 2 inch disposable wood handled paint brush - like the kind you get at Home Depot for $1. At least try to be a little careful. Be sure and let it dry. Try not to overspray but if you do it should come right off.
Have fun,
J!
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 968
Likes: 0
From: webster wi
sorry julies but i wouldnt use armoal it has silacone in it and that stuff causes fish eyes in paint but the soap thing is a great idea if you could just break the bead and push the tire out of the way to go
Post Fiend
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 7,641
Likes: 21
From: Poway, Ca.
And no need to break the bead. That tiny lip on the backside of the wheel can go without the paint. Tire replacement will cause that to get scarred up anyway.
J!
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 16,882
Likes: 3,126
From: SE Wisc. (the Rust Belt)
I hate silicone, it gets all over. Just the overspray mist can ruin a paint job. I worked in the autobody field for a few years and the hardest cars to work on were the ones the owners dolled up with Armorall. It took forever to get the stuff off of the surfaces that had to be painted. The best part is you really don't know if you got it all until you applied the first coat of paint!
Stick with the tape and paper. It's the easiest to control. Or you could do as we did in the truck shop I worked in; we hosed the paint on the wheels and then after the paint was dried, well we didn't always wait for the paint to dry, we'd paint on black tire dressing. It looked good until the customer drove down the road a few miles then the paint would come through. Looked like cr*p never had any complaints though.
Stick with the tape and paper. It's the easiest to control. Or you could do as we did in the truck shop I worked in; we hosed the paint on the wheels and then after the paint was dried, well we didn't always wait for the paint to dry, we'd paint on black tire dressing. It looked good until the customer drove down the road a few miles then the paint would come through. Looked like cr*p never had any complaints though.
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,093
Likes: 653
From: Brentwood, TN
That's funny...I didn't think that anyone else used the "tire black" technique. When I was in high school I worked part time in a body shop in Cincinnati. There was a customer who had a 59 Ford who would bring it in a couple of times a year to have the wheels painted. The shop owner humored the old guy and would paint his wheels but he wouldn't spend any more time on them than was absolutely necessary. The shop owner had me clean the wheels, jack up the car, and he would spin the wheel and spray...no masking! My job was to paint the tire with tire black to cover the overspray. Car looked super afterwards, those were the days before Armor-all so tire black was hot. I guess that when you only got 10 - 20 K miles on a set of tires it didn't matter how long the tire black lasted!
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
