alloy wheel refurb

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citroen7
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alloy wheel refurb

Post by citroen7 »

i have a set of alloys that i would like to fit to one of the fleet but they could do with a respray so i have purchased a grit blasting attatchment for my compressor , but having not used it i am not sure what grit to buy and any dos and donts, so any advice please and what paint to use etc.
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Post by BX Bandit »

We used to get our thermoforming tools grit blasted but I'm completely forgotten the grades. I remember shot blasting (as opposed to grit) was coarse in comparison and left comparatively large dings in the tools.
I would ask advice from the grit supplier and if in doubt choose the finer grade. They should be able to advise on the best grade for alloy wheel refurb.
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prm
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Post by prm »

It may work out slightly expensive for a one off set of 4 wheels, as glass bead shot, to obtain a reasonable finish, may be only available locally in 10-20 kilo bags. About £25 to £45 per bag. Aluminium Oxide is an alternative.

A medium grade of shot is quite universal and will remove most oxide corrosion @ 60-90 psi air pressure. You may be able to collect any residual powder and reuse to obtain a finer finish, @ around 30-40 psi.

For ali, avoid Iron and steel media, as this is inclined to impregnate any sand castings.

I would advise to remove any painted areas as required, with paint stripper, as this will consume a large quantity of grit to remove.

The hand held guns, similar to a spray gun pot, were designed for rust spot areas, if you able to reduce the bore size of the nozzle, air consumption could be reduced as air consumption normally is very large.

Grit blasting is an operation I would not recommend without a blasting cabinet or, the use of a full air feed breathing mask in the open, to avoid any dust hazard.

Found acrylic works well on painted sections, followed by 2 or 3 coats of acrylic lacquerer to cover painted and ali areas.

Regards
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