Plasti-dipping wheels that have runny rattle can paint

[xtitan1]

Sorry to keep hitting this sub-forum with threads but I've got another project now. As some may have seen, I purchased those gold TBSS 20" replica wheels from 05tbowner.

This:
View attachment 31057

To this (I removed the running boards at the same time I put the new wheels on, just because I was tired of them and they were getting pretty dumpy):
View attachment 31058​

I was kind of delirious from exhaustion when we talked, but I think tbowner said they were painted flat black by the manufacturer (factory repros, I think), and then the previous owner used rattle can gold paint on them (tbowner, hop in here if I'm screwing this up brother).

The rattle can job wasn't very good because there are many areas on the wheels with runs and uneven paint:
View attachment 31059​

There are also many places where the gold paint has already come off:
View attachment 31060​

So I decided to plasti-dip the wheels, as I don't really have it in my budget to have them professional sand-blasted and painted/powder-coated. For those curious, I hear the prices for that range from $80 a wheel to $150 a wheel, and sometimes you get a slight discount for having them do all four.

This is what my GF got me for our anniversary:
View attachment 31071
View attachment 31070​

I'm totally new to painting. I tried to do a bunch of research as well as pester the heck out of my uncle who is a professional painter (houses and commercial buildings, not cars). One piece of advice that seems to keep coming up is that you need to spend the majority of the time properly preparing the surface, called "prep." I figure that means that if I want my plasti-dip to have a smooth surface, I need the wheels to have a smooth surface before I ever start spraying the plasti-dip (by smooth I mean not visibly uneven like the pictures above, if you were hypothetically to make the wheels like glass with 5000 grit sandpaper or something, the plastidip would have a hard time adhering, or that's at least my understanding of it).

So I went out and bought some 100 grit sandpaper and some 320 grit sandpaper:
View attachment 31063
View attachment 31064​

For those really new to this, 100 is coarser and therefore will abrade the surface more quickly, but the drawback is that it will leave the surface less smooth. It's a heavy-handed approach and is used for paint stripping, and some may question my using such a coarse sandpaper. It definitely caused me trouble, but I also believe it saved me a huge amount of time.

The 320 grit sandpaper is finer and will not abrade the paint as fast, which means using it can take longer especially when there is a lot of paint to get through, but this can be an advantage because it allows you to be more cautious. Furthermore, it leaves the surface even smoother than is possible with the 100 grit, yet not so smooth that the plasti-dip won't adhere. Therefore it's the perfect grade for our purposes.

So I started working on my front passenger wheel today, first making sure to get it as clean as possible:
View attachment 31065​

I think my mistake was not having a clear game plan of what I wanted to do with it. Originally I wanted to simply smooth out the runs so I would have a good surface to dip. I wanted to get that done before the Mid-Atlantic meet tomorrow. Well obviously it was too late for that because I would have to complete a lot of prep-work and then the plasti-dip requires multiple layers as well as 24-48 of drying time, so that wasn't happening. Then I figured I could at least sand off the gold paint to expose the black paint, which I preferred if having to choose between the two. I don't think I was really thinking that decision through because I had read elsewhere that stripping only the top layer of paint while leaving the bottom intact is really hard to do. Anyway, I jumped right in without thinking.

I went to the 100 grit to see what it would do. It actually started making pretty quick work of gold and got through to the black coat underneath pretty fast.

Here was my progress after only 3 minutes:
View attachment 31062​

I was using the sandpaper just with my fingers instead of using a sanding block, which for you guys new to this is pretty much just a block you wrap the sandpaper around so that you apply even pressure throughout the sandpaper instead of just the contact points of your fingers. Because of this, I was applying too much pressure at the edges, such as the edges of the spokes, and this, combined with the fact that edges are usually very thinly painted compared to the rest of the piece, meant that I went too far and got straight through to the silver colored aluminum underneath the black:

View attachment 31068​

The going quickly got tough and certain areas were awkward to reach and were not coming off as fast. I realized this was going to take a lot longer than expected (everyone reading this is probably like, ).

I was hoping I could take a shortcut by using lacquer thinner, which I read on the internet was good at removing the types of paint that came in rattle cans:
View attachment 31069​

However, this didn't seem to do much except do a great job of cleaning the wheels from the sanding dust. Maybe I will use this as prep before I paint to make sure the wheels are extra clean? Obviously I would make sure to wipe it off so the wheels are dry before actually spraying them. So I resigned to using the 100 grit to get all of the bumps, runs, and pitting out as best I could. Once that was done, I went back over everything with 320 grit just to generally smooth stuff out as well as better feather the edges of areas where I had gone through the black to the aluminum.

3 hours of work later after I relocated to the bottom of the parking garage because it started pouring:
View attachment 31066
View attachment 31067​

I can feel no bumps, edges, flakes, etc. with my fingers except for the very outer edge of the rim which I guess I still need to do, but I'm worried about scratching up my beautiful new tires! I guess I will tape them?

Because I went through the black in several places, the temporarily black wheels idea is out. I only got through the one wheel, so the other 3 are still gold and this one looks like, well it just looks really bizarre. I guess I will plasti-dip it later this weekend or later this week, assuming I have completed the necessary prep-work (see below), as well as do the same thing for the other 3 wheels.

I have several questions if someone could help me:

1. Is there a faster, DIY way to be doing this, such as with a power tool accessory, or a different chemical stripper than lacquer thinner? I have a Flex 3401 dual action polisher (probably no help here) as well as a corded drill and a cordless impact drill.
2. Should I also do the inside of the wheel wells, or just worry about the face and sides of the spokes?
3. How the hell do I remove the center cap lol?
4. Is it okay to stop at the point that this wheel is at, or do I need to go further with the prep?
5. Any additional tips on plasti-dipping and plasti-dipping wheels would be much appreciated.

 

[jrSS]

First of all...u need tobtake the wheels off. Makes everything soooo much easier and more comfortable to work on. It takes patience if u want it to look good. 320 paper is the way to go. Here is mine I sprayed with rattle can duplicolor wheel coating. I didnt sand between coats either.

 

[xtitan1]

First of all...u need tobtake the wheels off. Makes everything soooo much easier and more comfortable to work on. It takes patience if u want it to look good. 320 paper is the way to go. Here is mine I sprayed with rattle can duplicolor wheel coating. I didnt sand between coats either.

Roger that, I was going to take the wheels off to finish the job (to get into the lug nut areas, as well as to spray), but it didn't occur to me that it would be easier to do the whole process from the beginning with the wheel off. I will do that for the other 3. What makes it more comfortable? Did you take it to a workbench or what'd you do?

When you say here is mine, what are you referring to?

Do you think I have gone far enough with the prep process on the first wheel? I was wrong about the three hours, that's five hours of sanding.

 

[jrSS]

Sorry tapatalk wouldnt let me download pics.

 

[jrSS]

Got on my hands and knees and went from there in the garage. Mine were pitting from the prev owner neglecting the wheels. So i decided to paint them. I love them....they look sweet!!

 

[jrSS]

Heres a good pic.

 

[xtitan1]

Heres a good pic.

That's sexy as hell man!

Did you do that with rattle cans, and with the tire on?

Do you think I need to sand further or am I good to go on that one wheel?

 

[jrSS]

I did this with the tires mounted...and used a deck of playing cards. Took my time.

 

[jrSS]

Ur going to beable to see hills and valleys if u don't get smooth.

 

[xtitan1]

Ur going to beable to see hills and valleys if u don't get smooth.

When you said playing cards, you mean you stick the playing cards in between the tire and the wheel at the edge, making a circle to keep the paint from going onto the tire? I've never heard of that but that sounds like an ingeious way to keep the tire from getting messed up. I was thinking of using painter's tape, but the edge wouldn't be as perfect as this playing card method would be.

I guess I'm asking you how does one know that the wheel is smooth enough? Obviously I haven't gotten rid of all of the paint down to the aluminum surface, but running my fingers over the wheel, it feels extremely smooth (and it took a long, long time to get it that way by continually searching out by feel even the slightest texturing with my finger and then sanding it until it was gone). Is that good enough? Or do I have to completely strip the old paint?

 

[jrSS]

Yes that's what the playing cards are for...as for sanding the wheels....well...if its good enough for u then yes. Its good enough. Lol

 

[kawaholic]

I have several questions if someone could help me:[/SIZE]

1. Is there a faster, DIY way to be doing this, such as with a power tool accessory, or a different chemical stripper than lacquer thinner? I have a Flex 3401 dual action polisher (probably no help here) as well as a corded drill and a cordless impact drill.
2. Should I also do the inside of the wheel wells, or just worry about the face and sides of the spokes?
3. How the hell do I remove the center cap lol?
4. Is it okay to stop at the point that this wheel is at, or do I need to go further with the prep?
5. Any additional tips on plasti-dipping and plasti-dipping wheels would be much appreciated.

I'm no expert by any means and I have no experience with plasti-dip but I've done my fair share of rattle can and professional spray gun painting of motorcycle and car parts. As you already know, your prep work will determine the level of quality of the finished product.

To answer your questions,

1- There are a few chemicals that come to mind, aircraft stripper (brand of paint stripper) or MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) would probably remove the paint fairly quickly. Unfortunately they're very nasty chemicals and I wouldn't use them as long as the tires are still mounted to the wheels. I would be very careful even with the lacquer thinner getting on the tires. I think your best bet is to keep going the way you are with hand sanding. One thing you could try using is some red scotch brite pads with the lacquer thinner. WARNING, these chemicals are EXTREMELY hazardous to your health and the environment. Be sure to wear chemical resistant gloves, long sleeves, pants, shoes, eye protection, a properly fitted respirator (ideally, full face) approved for organic vapors and use outdoors for proper ventilation. Protect your work area to prevent/contain any spills from seeping into the ground. Another option would be sandblasting but that has it's own inherent health risks, (mainly silica inhalation) along with damage to the tires if they aren't removed.

2- I would do any part of the wheel you can see.

3- Seems like it should pop out with a screwdriver. Maybe remove the wheel and knock it out from behind with a hammer handle?

4- Hard to tell from the pics. Does it feel smooth? Does it look smooth? The better it looks and feels now, the better it looks when you're done. What color are you going with?

5- Again, no experience with plasti-dip but I'd imagine, like paint, multiple light coats will turn out better than trying to put on too much at once. After the #100 paper I'd hit it with 220 before going to 320. The 220 will take down the deep scratches left from the 100 a lot quicker than the 320 will. Use plenty of fresh paper, it wears out a lot quicker than you think. Doesn't this stuff peel off fairly easily? Seems like quite a bit of work for a temporary paint job. Why not just hit them with some paint? I forget which auto parts store (advanced, maybe?) carries it but I prefer duplicolor for my rattle can jobs. It'd be easier in the long run to remove the tire altogether but I understand the risk of scratching the wheels remounting them. I'd say you should at least break the bead on the outside. This will make masking off the tire easier and you'll get a better looking job on the wheel.

 

[xtitan1]

Yes that's what the playing cards are for...as for sanding the wheels....well...if its good enough for u then yes. Its good enough. Lol

Lol that's not something someone with OCD wants to hear! What if it could be even more perfect-er?

Well I will see what mike and May think of it tomorrow. Appreciate the handholding lol. Hopefully I will get good results, especially armed with that playing cards trick!

 

[xtitan1]

I'm no expert by any means and I have no experience with plasti-dip but I've done my fair share of rattle can and professional spray gun painting of motorcycle and car parts. As you already know, your prep work will determine the level of quality of the finished product.

To answer your questions,

1- There are a few chemicals that come to mind, aircraft stripper (brand of paint stripper) or MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) would probably remove the paint fairly quickly. Unfortunately they're very nasty chemicals and I wouldn't use them as long as the tires are still mounted to the wheels. I would be very careful even with the lacquer thinner getting on the tires. I think your best bet is to keep going the way you are with hand sanding. One thing you could try using is some red scotch brite pads with the lacquer thinner. WARNING, these chemicals are EXTREMELY hazardous to your health and the environment. Be sure to wear chemical resistant gloves, long sleeves, pants, shoes, eye protection, a properly fitted respirator (ideally, full face) approved for organic vapors and use outdoors for proper ventilation. Protect your work area to prevent/contain any spills from seeping into the ground. Another option would be sandblasting but that has it's own inherent health risks, (mainly silica inhalation) along with damage to the tires if they aren't removed.

2- I would do any part of the wheel you can see.

3- Seems like it should pop out with a screwdriver. Maybe remove the wheel and knock it out from behind with a hammer handle?

4- Hard to tell from the pics. Does it feel smooth? Does it look smooth? The better it looks and feels now, the better it looks when you're done. What color are you going with?

5- Again, no experience with plasti-dip but I'd imagine, like paint, multiple light coats will turn out better than trying to put on too much at once. After the #100 paper I'd hit it with 220 before going to 320. The 220 will take down the deep scratches left from the 100 a lot quicker than the 320 will. Use plenty of fresh paper, it wears out a lot quicker than you think. Doesn't this stuff peel off fairly easily? Seems like quite a bit of work for a temporary paint job. Why not just hit them with some paint? I forget which auto parts store (advanced, maybe?) carries it but I prefer duplicolor for my rattle can jobs. It'd be easier in the long run to remove the tire altogether but I understand the risk of scratching the wheels remounting them. I'd say you should at least break the bead on the outside. This will make masking off the tire easier and you'll get a better looking job on the wheel.

Wow what a thorough reply! Thanks!

1. That's some scary information about those chemicals. I was using nitrile gloves but no eye pro, respirator, or sleeves and pants. I need to be more cautious in the future. I didn't grow up doing any of this handy type stuff so it's all new to me and some things that may be obvious to other people aren't obvious to me. It's hard to walk the line between asking too many questions and trying to wing it on your own without important information. Thank you for looking out and warning me!

I did think to thoroughly wipe off the tire and the wheel with a wet MF towel when I was done which hopefully got the lacquer thinner off in case it did indeed come into contact with the tire.

The red scotch brite pads combined with lacquer thinner sound like they may work, although I would have to buy those as well as a respirator for the lacquer now that I know that it's necessary.

Sandblasting sounds like the best method, but I assumed to sandblast something would require very large and expensive equipment that only a professional shop would have access to, not a DIYer like me, right?

Lastly, and this is a really dumb sounding question, but if I go have a place take the tires off of the wheels, how do I get the car and wheels home to paint them!? I also don't know how to remove the bead on the tire, or how to reseal it afterwards, for that matter. I just spent $70 this morning getting the tires mounted and balanced after having to take them off to replace the stems. If you add those costs plus the cost for all of the sandpaper, chemicals, safety equipment, and paint supplies, it's almost not even saving any money over having a professional do it, which more than likely would result in a better outcome anyway.

2. Roger that, so in my view that means wells get done as well.

3. Oh that makes sense, I will give those two a shot. I was trying to do all of this with the wheel still on the car today, so that's probably why I was having trouble.

4. It feels completely smooth. That's how I decided to stop. I kept feeling every damn square inch of that thing over and over again to sand out any little inconsistency that I could feel. The picture is very confusing to look at, but every single edge of a paint chip or sand-through (made that word up) has its edges feathered and blended so it feels continuous and seamless to the touch.

The looks obviously don't look so great but I think that's just a result of all of the different layers coming through all over the place from the sanding process. Then again, it's hard to tell.

One option of course would be to just use one of the methods you gave in answer 1 to completely remove any and all paint down to the aluminum, but I'm not sure if that would really be worth it or not, and whether or not I'd still have to so a whole bunch of leveling of the aluminum.

The color of the plasti dip kit I got is the aluminum color one with the high gloss coat option.

5. Roger that about the 220 as well as the tip about fresh paper. Now that I think of it, my paper did seem to decrease in effectiveness as time went on.

Your point about all of this work for plasti dipping, which is a temporary process is well taken. I'm not sure I can really argue with that. The only thing is, my GF already bought the kit for me. One positive is that I do all of this prep one time, and then anytime I want to do a different finish, I just remove the old plasti dip and spray on the new plasti dip finish. Although, I do tend to know what I want so I'm not sure I would really be switching the finish that much.

Plasti dip is temporary yes, and can be peeled off unlike normal paint, but people are reporting it to be very durable and are able to maintain a good finish on wheels for two years and beyond before needing reapplication. Your point about putting on many, but thin, layers I think is right on because I have heard lots of people say that about plasti dip. There can be major issues with its peeling properties if it was applied too thick at one time.

Yes I believe I saw dupli color products in advanced the last time I was in there. I guess I made another dumb call in thinking that somehow plasti dipping would be less involved than painting, but I guess that isn't really true. So I do the same work, pay the same amount (or more) and get a less durable (perhaps less attractive looking as well) result.

How do you break the bead and then later reseal it? Wouldn't that require rebalancing? I was thinking jrss's card trick might be the way to go, along with some painters tape for overspray protection of the tire.

 

[blazinlow89]

MEK is some nasty stuff, but it is amazing at what it does, and so much more.

Have you considered a wire wheel attachment for the drill. I used that and a scotch brite wheel to tear the paint and decals off my old camper. It took it off pretty easily. If you have an air compressor you pick up a cheap die grinder which will help keep you from destroying your batteries for your drill.

 

[jrSS]

Have you considered a wire wheel attachment for the drill. I used that and a scotch brite wheel to tear the paint .. If you have an air compressor you pick up a cheap die grinder which will help keep you from destroying your batteries for your drill.

 

[hockeyman]

I sandblasted a set of rims a few years back for my 22 yr old niece's 2010 Mustang. I bought this from HarborFreight and used it when stripping the old paint. It worked perfectly, but I had soda blast media all over the back of my driveway when I was finished. Nothing that my shop-vac couldn't handle though

After blasting, I used my air compressor and spray gun to put a few layers of Titanium Gray Metallic basecoat on, then about 4 layers of clearcoat. Problem is that at the moment, I cannot find my exact photo's. The following photo is not one of the rims that I painted, but the color and shine is identical to what they looked like when I was finished.

Lots of hard work to strip, clean, primer, paint, clear, then wetsand and polish them to make them look good, but they looked awesome on her car. Oh, and I also painted the insides (caliper area) of the rims too. I wanted everything to match, inside and out.

The wheels weren't on the vehicle while I was doing all of the work, and the tires weren't on the rims either. Made blasting/painting ssooo much easier! Took me about 15 minutes per wheel to blast the old paint away.

 

[Ryda55555]

Basic pics showing card technique

I washed and then sprayed the rims down with that mighty green or mean green (whatever you call it) and let soak in for 10-15 mins
Then i sprayed a really light layed 50% transparency and let sit for 5-10 mins to promote a good adhesion for the rest of the coats
And then went away at it.
I used a can of duplicolor black gloss caliper paint as a base for each side (2 cans altogether)
And then sealed it off with a can of duplicolor clear caliper paint for each side

Not as great as powdercoating but definitely worth the $30-40 i spent on paint. I wouldnt change a thing.

Btw i used caliper paint because they were out of wheel paint and i read somewhere they're the same formula but the caliper paint is a little thicker. They both say they're brake dust, chip, crack, and peel resistant. Plus the caliper paint is good with high heat.

 

[kawaholic]

Even the nitrile gloves don't last very long with these chemicals. Some heavier chemical resistant rubber gloves will hold up better but they'll be a little harder to work with.

A respirator like this should be sufficient.

The blaster that hockeyman linked to is a good set up. I borrowed a set up like this from a friend, not the best set up but it got the job done and works pretty good for small jobs.

As far as removing the tires, I thought you still had your old wheels you could drive on while finishing the new ones.

For breaking the bead you can make a simple lever with some 2x4 lumber and hinges. This is a portable set up I use to change or flip motorcycle tires at the track but the same principle applies. It attaches to the receiver on my truck but you could just attach yours to a wall in the garage.

The wheel you see is my stand for holding the motorcycle wheel but picture it having a tire on it. You'd remove the valve core from the stem to let the air out. Press down on the sidewall of the tire right next to the rim. You may need to rotate the wheel and break the bead in a few spots before it will be free all the way around. Resetting the bead should be as simple as putting air in the tire. Sometimes you need to help the bead seal by pulling the tire towards the edge of the rim. Once it starts to catch and the tire starts to fill, it'll give a loud "pop" when the bead is actually set. Sometimes you need to leave the valve core removed until the bead is set again. The tire SHOULD stay in place as long as the bead on the back stays seated. As long as the tire doesn't rotate on the wheel, there shouldn't be any balancing issues.

I know how it goes trying to save money with projects like this. It's very true you end up spending close to or even more than you would've paid a pro to do it. But hey, you're learning things along the way and you'll have some new tools, equipment and supplies for your next project.

Just tell the gf you're having second thoughts about the dip, ask her if she could return it, get you some paint and supplies instead. Hey, they do that shit to us on a regular basis so why not see how they like it...

Only pics I have handy at the moment are these. I couldn't help myself when I rebuilt my transmission...

it looks red in this pic but trust me it's chevy orange

This was done with duplicolor rattle can engine paint. Took me about two hours from start to finish. Started out in the parts washer cleaned inside and out. Scrubbed outside of case with a wire brush and some scotch brite pads. Took outside, blew everything out with compressed air, final rinsed with brake kleen, blew off again, masked off and shot it.

EDIT, forgot to mention, I/we keep saying smooth when we're meaning to say FLAT. The surface may feel smooth but is it flat? If it isn't, it'll show in the finished product. You could use this to help get it as flat as possible.

 

[hockeyman]

Damn, ☝ that's ☝ one prrr'tee trans!

 

[xtitan1]

Basic pics showing card technique

I washed and then sprayed the rims down with that mighty green or mean green (whatever you call it) and let soak in for 10-15 mins
Then i sprayed a really light layed 50% transparency and let sit for 5-10 mins to promote a good adhesion for the rest of the coats
And then went away at it.
I used a can of duplicolor black gloss caliper paint as a base for each side (2 cans altogether)
And then sealed it off with a can of duplicolor clear caliper paint for each side

Not as great as powdercoating but definitely worth the $30-40 i spent on paint. I wouldnt change a thing.

Btw i used caliper paint because they were out of wheel paint and i read somewhere they're the same formula but the caliper paint is a little thicker. They both say they're brake dust, chip, crack, and peel resistant. Plus the caliper paint is good with high heat.

They came out great man! Were you worried at all that when you were spraying the back of the spokes, inside the well (I assume that's what you meant by "both sides"), that overspray would get on the front of the spokes and cause them to have uneven paint or even runs?

 

[xtitan1]

Even the nitrile gloves don't last very long with these chemicals. Some heavier chemical resistant rubber gloves will hold up better but they'll be a little harder to work with.

Yeah I noticed that, especially if you're doing some vigorous elbow grease stuff, they will just rip anyway.

A respirator like this should be sufficient.

Oh that's really affordable, I definitely will get this before I continue.

The blaster that hockeyman linked to is a good set up. I borrowed a set up like this from a friend, not the best set up but it got the job done and works pretty good for small jobs.

I think blasting the wheels is probably the smart man's way of doing this, but while those blaster units are affordable, they require a pretty good air compressor (~$300+) to function, right? I don't have one currently, although I definitely think it's becoming a must-have. They have so many uses. Maybe for my birthday or Christmas. While I was researching the links you posted, I noticed some reviewers talking about soda blasting which hockeyman also mentioned. I looked into it further and it seems there is sand blasting and there is sodium-bicarbonate blasting. The latter is a "lighter touch" method that will not abrade metal, Bondo, or even wood, and supposedly can be used to remove individual layers of paint. It's also biodegradable, water soluble (so you can just wash it away), and environmentally friendly. But some people seem to be using the two terms interchangeably, so it's confusing. I think after you sandblast the wheels you would have to sand them, right? Because it would cause all sorts of inconsistencies in the finish? What about soda blasting? I could probably drop another $150 on this project, but I'm not sure that what I could buy with that budget would be that much of an improvement over just doing it by hand, but then again I'm new to this process.

As far as removing the tires, I thought you still had your old wheels you could drive on while finishing the new ones.

Unfortunately no, I think I made some real rookie mistakes on this whole thing. They were dry rotted but still at least functional, so what I should have done is have the shop take the tires off the wheels I bought, done this whole project, and then only afterwards bring them in to be mounted and balanced and put on the truck. I took them off because I thought they would be easier to transport back and I was thinking of trying to sell them, in which case the extra shipping cost from the weight of the tires would probably be more than the value of the tires.

For breaking the bead you can make a simple lever with some 2x4 lumber and hinges. This is a portable set up I use to change or flip motorcycle tires at the track but the same principle applies. It attaches to the receiver on my truck but you could just attach yours to a wall in the garage.

The wheel you see is my stand for holding the motorcycle wheel but picture it having a tire on it. You'd remove the valve core from the stem to let the air out. Press down on the sidewall of the tire right next to the rim. You may need to rotate the wheel and break the bead in a few spots before it will be free all the way around. Resetting the bead should be as simple as putting air in the tire. Sometimes you need to help the bead seal by pulling the tire towards the edge of the rim. Once it starts to catch and the tire starts to fill, it'll give a loud "pop" when the bead is actually set. Sometimes you need to leave the valve core removed until the bead is set again. The tire SHOULD stay in place as long as the bead on the back stays seated. As long as the tire doesn't rotate on the wheel, there shouldn't be any balancing issues.

I can definitely understand that not having the tires on the wheels makes them a lot easier to paint and probably comes out better around the edges if you're really paying attention to detail. This rig is pretty badass lol. I just am new and am sketched out by squishing my $900 tires and popping and deflating and reinflating and valve stems leaking. I feel like I have made enough problems for myself this attempt lol, but I'm still thinking this one over.

I know how it goes trying to save money with projects like this. It's very true you end up spending close to or even more than you would've paid a pro to do it. But hey, you're learning things along the way and you'll have some new tools, equipment and supplies for your next project.

It's weird because I really don't have a problem spending every last cent I have on things, which obviously is not a good thing. So trying to do things the most inexpensive way possible is not really something I'm used to, but I'm trying to be more responsible and force myself to really start paying attention to my budget. I guess I do suffer from major spending guilt so I thought I would try to cut back.

Although, in my experience, trying to do everything on the cheap just results in getting something that is not what you really wanted, were promised, or expected. So I definitely hear you on that. And I really like the idea of seeing value in gaining experience, ability, and tools for life. You may be around what it costs to do it professionally the first time, but the next time you need to do a similar project, it's virtually free. But then the guilt comes in and I worry I'm just giving myself an excuse lol.

Just tell the gf you're having second thoughts about the dip, ask her if she could return it, get you some paint and supplies instead. Hey, they do that shit to us on a regular basis so why not see how they like it...

Haha, true that. I will see what dipyourcar.com's return policy is. The thing is, since I'm not confident in my painting ability, I was thinking the plasti-dip would be kind of a training wheel. If I totally screwed it up, I could just peel it off and try again. With real paint, you would have to do all of the prep over again, which is the majority of the effort.

Only pics I have handy at the moment are these. I couldn't help myself when I rebuilt my transmission...

it looks red in this pic but trust me it's chevy orange

This was done with duplicolor rattle can engine paint. Took me about two hours from start to finish. Started out in the parts washer cleaned inside and out. Scrubbed outside of case with a wire brush and some scotch brite pads. Took outside, blew everything out with compressed air, final rinsed with brake kleen, blew off again, masked off and shot it.

Wow, I can't believe you did the whole thing in two hours. I am 5 hours in already and have just done that one wheel, which I'm not even sure is ready for paint yet or not. That thing came out great though!

EDIT, forgot to mention, I/we keep saying smooth when we're meaning to say FLAT. The surface may feel smooth but is it flat? If it isn't, it'll show in the finished product. You could use this to help get it as flat as possible.

Could you expand on this if possible? How can the surface be smooth yet not be flat? Because there are different layers of paint still on the wheel, and they have different thicknesses in different places, some places I have gone through to the aluminum, some to the black, and some just smooth out the gold. The areas where they transition I have worked real hard to feather. I then went over everything with both 100 and then 320 wrapped around a block to try and get it all level or flat. Why is the sponge 320 grit you linked effective for this?

This is such great information brother. Thanks so much. I have replied to everything inside the quotation. My responses are marked in bold. Sorry I didn't respond earlier, I was at the mid-Atlantic meet yesterday!

 

[Ryda55555]

I didnt worry about the inner part of the wheels that much, i just laid them flat and sprayed the one side getting everything the eye can see.