talontsi92
04-08-2010, 10:25 AM
As many of you know I recently started working on cleaning and painting some new wheels for my 92 Plymouth Laser. I figured id take some time and show you exactly what steps I took to bring them back from some nasty looking things I wouldn't put on a beat up Radio Flyer wagon, to something I will be proud to rock on my DSM.
Step 1 - Stripping off the old paint.
The person who had this set of wheels before me was not exactly an artist, so I had a bunch of junk paint to remove. I used Kleen Strip brand 15 minute paint stripper, which I bought 1 quart of at Wal-Mart for approximately $7.50.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/talontsi92/GKS3_6_R.jpg
This was enough for 2 applications of the stripper per wheel. Be very careful, this stuff is pretty nasty. You want to make sure you use it in a very well ventilated area (I recommend outdoors) and you do NOT get it on anything you plan on keeping, like your skin. Rubber gloves are a must, and even those will be eaten by this stuff if you get it on them. Be VERY careful.
After rinsing all the excess paint/stripper off the wheel I ended up with four wheels that look like this.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/talontsi92/SANY0004-1.jpg
Step 2 - final paint removal
While the paint stripper did a good job, it did leave some of the harder stuff behind, so I purchased some 1.5 inch wire wheels, 3 inch wire wheels and 2 5 inch 3M brand "Varnish and Paint" stripping wheels. These all go into a standard drill and whiz the paint right off. Start with the wire wheels, making sure to get into the hard to reach areas. The wire wheel will leave some scratches in the wheel, but don't worry about it, the 3M wheel comes along and cleans them right up. When I was satisfied with my results the wheels looked something like this.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/talontsi92/0407101756.jpg
Step 3 - Masking
Masking these wheels was relatively easy, as the seam between the lip and the wheel gave a great place to start masking off the wheel. I just used standard 3"x5" index cards and placed them in this seam.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/talontsi92/0407101804.jpg
I also took this time to go ahead and mask off the valve stem, just because little stuff like that bothers me, call me picky. I just took a small piece of masking tape and wrapped it around it, pretty simple.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/talontsi92/0407101807.jpg
Step 4 - Priming
I just used some cheap rattle can gray primer. Using 2 light to medium coats, making sure that every little area is covered completely and evenly, covering any small discolorations that may have been left behind by the old paint. The hardest part of this is the odd angles that you sometimes have to hold the can at to get good coverage, sometimes they do not like to spray in those angles. Be patient, move slowly, and never hold the can still when painting and you can avoid runs in the paint most of the time. If the paint begins to run you are probably moving the can too slowly. Wait approximately 15 minutes between step 4 and step 5.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/talontsi92/0407101814.jpg
Step 5 - Color coat
Again, using cheap rattle can paint, this time gloss black. 2 light coats, again ensuring that all the primer is completely covered, but being careful to avoid runs in the paint by using the tips in the previous step. Again, give the paint 15 minutes to cure.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/talontsi92/0407101826.jpg
Step 6 - Clear Coat
Some people don't do this step, but I do to ensure a long lasting high gloss shine. Just the paint will dull quickly and the finish will deteriorate. The clear coat gives a little more protection from chips as well. I generally do one medium wet coat on the clear, making sure to get everything covered as good as possible. The clear has more of a tendency to run, so be very careful or all the work to this point will be wasted. As soon as I am done with the clear coat, I pull the cards and other masking out, it seems that if It is given time to fully cure, the paint may chip when the cards are removed due to them being basically glued to the wheel with paint. Be careful and don't drop anything on the wheel. When finished the wheel should look something like this.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/talontsi92/SANY0003-1.jpg
Let the wheels cure for at least 24 hours before mounting them to the car.
Step 1 - Stripping off the old paint.
The person who had this set of wheels before me was not exactly an artist, so I had a bunch of junk paint to remove. I used Kleen Strip brand 15 minute paint stripper, which I bought 1 quart of at Wal-Mart for approximately $7.50.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/talontsi92/GKS3_6_R.jpg
This was enough for 2 applications of the stripper per wheel. Be very careful, this stuff is pretty nasty. You want to make sure you use it in a very well ventilated area (I recommend outdoors) and you do NOT get it on anything you plan on keeping, like your skin. Rubber gloves are a must, and even those will be eaten by this stuff if you get it on them. Be VERY careful.
After rinsing all the excess paint/stripper off the wheel I ended up with four wheels that look like this.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/talontsi92/SANY0004-1.jpg
Step 2 - final paint removal
While the paint stripper did a good job, it did leave some of the harder stuff behind, so I purchased some 1.5 inch wire wheels, 3 inch wire wheels and 2 5 inch 3M brand "Varnish and Paint" stripping wheels. These all go into a standard drill and whiz the paint right off. Start with the wire wheels, making sure to get into the hard to reach areas. The wire wheel will leave some scratches in the wheel, but don't worry about it, the 3M wheel comes along and cleans them right up. When I was satisfied with my results the wheels looked something like this.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/talontsi92/0407101756.jpg
Step 3 - Masking
Masking these wheels was relatively easy, as the seam between the lip and the wheel gave a great place to start masking off the wheel. I just used standard 3"x5" index cards and placed them in this seam.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/talontsi92/0407101804.jpg
I also took this time to go ahead and mask off the valve stem, just because little stuff like that bothers me, call me picky. I just took a small piece of masking tape and wrapped it around it, pretty simple.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/talontsi92/0407101807.jpg
Step 4 - Priming
I just used some cheap rattle can gray primer. Using 2 light to medium coats, making sure that every little area is covered completely and evenly, covering any small discolorations that may have been left behind by the old paint. The hardest part of this is the odd angles that you sometimes have to hold the can at to get good coverage, sometimes they do not like to spray in those angles. Be patient, move slowly, and never hold the can still when painting and you can avoid runs in the paint most of the time. If the paint begins to run you are probably moving the can too slowly. Wait approximately 15 minutes between step 4 and step 5.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/talontsi92/0407101814.jpg
Step 5 - Color coat
Again, using cheap rattle can paint, this time gloss black. 2 light coats, again ensuring that all the primer is completely covered, but being careful to avoid runs in the paint by using the tips in the previous step. Again, give the paint 15 minutes to cure.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/talontsi92/0407101826.jpg
Step 6 - Clear Coat
Some people don't do this step, but I do to ensure a long lasting high gloss shine. Just the paint will dull quickly and the finish will deteriorate. The clear coat gives a little more protection from chips as well. I generally do one medium wet coat on the clear, making sure to get everything covered as good as possible. The clear has more of a tendency to run, so be very careful or all the work to this point will be wasted. As soon as I am done with the clear coat, I pull the cards and other masking out, it seems that if It is given time to fully cure, the paint may chip when the cards are removed due to them being basically glued to the wheel with paint. Be careful and don't drop anything on the wheel. When finished the wheel should look something like this.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/talontsi92/SANY0003-1.jpg
Let the wheels cure for at least 24 hours before mounting them to the car.