Polishing alloys

[Dave]

Looking for some info! I'm gonna refurb the alloys on my MB6, and have toyed with the idea of polishing them, like you get alloys (rota jspls for instance) with painted spokes/polished rims. I want to polish the whole wheel, not just the rim. What I need to know is once you polish them, How do you go about laquering them? As it's a polished surface, you wont be able to use primer on it, so I guess the normal clear laquer used in 2 pack will be no use. The only way I thought of that would give them a clear coat would be getting them annodised? This would mean having to put the wheels in somewhere to get done, which means the car being off the road. Something I want to avoid! Is there any other way of clear coating polished alloy, to give it some protection?

Answers on the back of a ten pound note to the usual address please!

[Dave]

Looking for some info! I'm gonna refurb the alloys on my MB6, and have toyed with the idea of polishing them, like you get alloys (rota jspls for instance) with painted spokes/polished rims. I want to polish the whole wheel, not just the rim. What I need to know is once you polish them, How do you go about laquering them? As it's a polished surface, you wont be able to use primer on it, so I guess the normal clear laquer used in 2 pack will be no use. The only way I thought of that would give them a clear coat would be getting them annodised? This would mean having to put the wheels in somewhere to get done, which means the car being off the road. Something I want to avoid! Is there any other way of clear coating polished alloy, to give it some protection?

Answers on the back of a ten pound note to the usual address please!

[seanmb6vti]

Sounds good Dave nice to hear something different being done to the vti wheels cant wait to see the outcome of this one!

1"£££$££"

[seanmb6vti]

Sounds good Dave nice to hear something different being done to the vti wheels cant wait to see the outcome of this one!

1"£££$££"

[civicturbo79]

I would start off by paint strippering the wheels start off with 320 grit and keep getting lighter grads till you get to 800 , the wet flat the wheels in 1000 and the 2000 , at the point polish the wheel with cutting compond then clean the wheel and remove all polish and mechine polish the wheel at this point it will look like chrome ,

As for the clear coat im sure you can get a clear etch primer the keys to the wheel and then clear coat goes on as normal ,

If not just trizack pad the wheels if a super fine sanding pad and then clear coat the wheels .

Ill look into the etch on mnday Dave . Rich.

[civicturbo79]

I would start off by paint strippering the wheels start off with 320 grit and keep getting lighter grads till you get to 800 , the wet flat the wheels in 1000 and the 2000 , at the point polish the wheel with cutting compond then clean the wheel and remove all polish and mechine polish the wheel at this point it will look like chrome ,

As for the clear coat im sure you can get a clear etch primer the keys to the wheel and then clear coat goes on as normal ,

If not just trizack pad the wheels if a super fine sanding pad and then clear coat the wheels .

Ill look into the etch on mnday Dave . Rich.

[prezes]

I'd love get wheels done like this... I have refurb m current oz polaris couple of months ago and it was hell of a job... I have no shed nor garage.. so garden was the primary working environment...

I would think twice before starting it again although the satisfaction with the finished product was priceless

[prezes]

I'd love get wheels done like this... I have refurb m current oz polaris couple of months ago and it was hell of a job... I have no shed nor garage.. so garden was the primary working environment...

I would think twice before starting it again although the satisfaction with the finished product was priceless

[PsychoDogBeast]

Hiya There

Both me and our kid run polished wheels on our weekend toys, and can say they are a bloody nightmare to keep in good condition, ive polished a few sets and dont think i'd do it again.

Dave as rich has said, start with some nitromors to get the paint of then start on the rough grade wet and dry, 200/400/600/800/1000/2000, ive never had any luck with the clearcoat, its always ended up with laquer peel, but im fair game to give it another go.

I wrote a bit of a how to on a BMW forum last year

Restoring/polishing wheels is very easy but a little time consuming and very messy, i did a set for our Golf G60 last year as a stop gap before we got some BBS split rims for it.

First off you have to strip the paint off the wheels, i used paint stripper called Nitromors as used above, 'B' awful stuff, be safe wear goggles as it can blind you and gloves as it can cause skin cancer, after you have stripped all the paint start rubbing the wheels down using various gradess of papper, i started at 300, because our wheels were rough, then moved onto 400, 600, 1000 and finished at 2000 wet sanding them.

Next is getting a polishing mop out, bought a kit from Screwfix for £25, includes a rough mop and finishing mop, two bars of cutting soap and a reverse shaft, started with the rough mop and used the finishing mop to finish.

If you guys run polished lips with no laquer as me and Andy do, you need to smother and rub into the wheels 'Poorboys Rim sealer' its quite expensive, £15 a tub but seals the alloy and keeps them easy to clean.

pics of refurbed wheels below, first set was some BBS RZ's which were toast, but its amazing waht ya can do with some elbow grease.

BBS RS's rebuilt by me, new bolts and hand polished lips, no laquer

OZ ACS's rebuilt by me with rechromed bolts and hand polished lips, no laquer

Good luck mate and let us know how ya get on

J

[PsychoDogBeast]

Hiya There

Both me and our kid run polished wheels on our weekend toys, and can say they are a bloody nightmare to keep in good condition, ive polished a few sets and dont think i'd do it again.

Dave as rich has said, start with some nitromors to get the paint of then start on the rough grade wet and dry, 200/400/600/800/1000/2000, ive never had any luck with the clearcoat, its always ended up with laquer peel, but im fair game to give it another go.

I wrote a bit of a how to on a BMW forum last year

Restoring/polishing wheels is very easy but a little time consuming and very messy, i did a set for our Golf G60 last year as a stop gap before we got some BBS split rims for it.

First off you have to strip the paint off the wheels, i used paint stripper called Nitromors as used above, 'B' awful stuff, be safe wear goggles as it can blind you and gloves as it can cause skin cancer, after you have stripped all the paint start rubbing the wheels down using various gradess of papper, i started at 300, because our wheels were rough, then moved onto 400, 600, 1000 and finished at 2000 wet sanding them.

Next is getting a polishing mop out, bought a kit from Screwfix for £25, includes a rough mop and finishing mop, two bars of cutting soap and a reverse shaft, started with the rough mop and used the finishing mop to finish.

If you guys run polished lips with no laquer as me and Andy do, you need to smother and rub into the wheels 'Poorboys Rim sealer' its quite expensive, £15 a tub but seals the alloy and keeps them easy to clean.

pics of refurbed wheels below, first set was some BBS RZ's which were toast, but its amazing waht ya can do with some elbow grease.

BBS RS's rebuilt by me, new bolts and hand polished lips, no laquer

OZ ACS's rebuilt by me with rechromed bolts and hand polished lips, no laquer

Good luck mate and let us know how ya get on

J