Author: Evgeny Zhivoglyadov. Date of publication: December 18, 2015. Category: Automotive equipment.
During winter operation of a car, all its parts, including wheel rims, are subject to strong exposure to reagents that are sprinkled on the roadway. From such exposure, the paint gradually cracks, peels off, and after a few years the discs lose their attractiveness. This is especially true for stamped discs made of steel, on which traces of corrosion also appear. What to do in such cases? The discs are essentially in perfect condition, throwing them away and buying new ones, no matter what, it’s basically not advisable from the point of view of financial costs. The best solution is to restore the paintwork. Even if you turn to a specialized workshop for this service, this operation will still cost less than buying new disks. But you can do it differently, you can do everything yourself. Moreover, this does not require any special materials or special skills or abilities; you will learn everything along the way.
In order to paint rims on a car with your own hands, you need to carry out preparatory work, as well as select a paint material.
Which paint to choose
Today, two types of paint are used to restore discs:
- Powder;
- Acrylic.
The powder composition has certain advantages, for example, paints of this type are more durable and resistant to mechanical stress. In addition, when producing alloy wheels at manufacturing plants, powder coating is used. However, despite these advantages, the technology for applying such paint is quite complex and requires the use of specialized equipment (heat chamber and sandblasting). The fact is that dry powder is applied to the disc, which is fixed to the surface under the influence of high temperatures. There is another disadvantage of powder paint - when using it, you can only paint the entire product, and not its individual parts.
When using an acrylic composition, car enthusiasts will not have to face such problems. Acrylic paint has a brighter and more saturated color and palette, so you can choose the most suitable shade that will match the color of the car body. Painting car wheels using acrylic composition also has disadvantages. These include low resistance to environmental influences.
Based on the above, when deciding how to paint your rims, it is better to give preference to acrylic compounds. You can find this kind of paint in any specialty store. When choosing a manufacturer, remember - it is better to purchase paint and varnish from the same company.
Recently, for painting not only wheels, but also body parts, another covering material has begun to be used - liquid rubber. In terms of cost, number of shades and mechanical strength, it is comparable to acrylic paint. It is even easier to apply than acrylic. The most famous brand is Plasti Dip liquid rubber.
In addition to paints and varnishes, you will need other materials.
What and how to paint wheels
You can paint rims both at home and in a car service center. But the second option requires significant costs, so you can resort to painting yourself. Many people are interested in: how to paint wheel rims with your own hands, and what dyes can be used? Suitable for such purposes:
- acrylic material;
- powder.
Powder coating is considered the best, as it is more resistant to wear and lasts longer than acrylic.
But at the same time, this material also has a drawback - its application is carried out with specialized equipment. And such equipment is very expensive, so acrylic is more convenient for home use. It is applied quickly and does not require significant costs.
Necessary equipment and materials
If you choose the powder painting method, then first of all you will need a sandblasting machine, which is used to thoroughly clean the worn disc of old paint, dirt and dust. In addition, with the help of this device you can perfectly level the surface of the product.
Advice! Sandblasting can be replaced with a conventional drill with various abrasive attachments.
You will also need a heat chamber, which is necessary for “baking” the powder paint. It is impossible to replace this type of equipment at home, so you will have to fork out more or still use a cheaper painting method.
Painting car rims with acrylic paint is a simple and cheap way to bring old rims back to life. To do this you will need to prepare:
- Brush;
- Washing powder or regular dish detergent;
- Sandpaper of different abrasiveness (from 200 to 600);
- Automotive finishing putty;
- Several cans of primer;
- Can of varnish (transparent);
- Can of solvent 646;
- Protective gloves, respirator and goggles.
As you can see, the second method requires much less financial costs, especially since most of this list is already in your garage. After everything is ready, you can start working directly.
Types of paints and technologies for tuning/restoring wheels
Before painting the wheels, a suitable composition is selected. There are several types of paint and varnish products that can cope with the task of protecting and giving a beautiful appearance to the discs.
Before painting the wheels, a suitable composition is selected.
Acrylic paint
Acrylic-based products can be used with different substrates; they can also paint over aluminum with high quality. There are options in cans and cylinders. The variety of colors makes acrylic paint popular. There are other advantages of the product:
- Possibility to combine shades;
- Surface protection;
- The durability of the discs themselves increases;
- Fast drying time, approximately 20 minutes;
- Reasonable price.
Acrylic-based products can be used with different substrates; they can also paint over aluminum with high quality.
Rubber paint
This type is suitable for different substrates and can give a matte or glossy finish. It is distinguished by its quick-drying properties, high level of strength and it is easy to remove the layer. The disadvantages are high consumption and low level of resistance to mechanical shocks compared to the acrylic type.
It is distinguished by its quick-drying properties, high level of strength and it is easy to remove the layer.
Powder paint
Powder paint is characterized by the complexity of polymerization; it is necessary to create the desired temperature regime, usually drying is carried out in a special chamber. In everyday life, this option is difficult to implement. But the protective functions of the product are high. The layer withstands most negative environmental factors.
Powder paint is characterized by the difficulty of polymerization; it is necessary to create the desired temperature regime.
Glowing paint
Luminous compositions work due to the presence of a phosphor, which accumulates light during the day; the duration of the glow depends on the size of the fractions. The smaller size ensures the glow lasts longer.
There are ready-made paints, or you can add a phosphor to the varnish, the amount is 1 to 5. To get the desired shade, you can resort to dyes.
In addition to the type of paint, it is important to choose what color to paint the wheels. The black version is universal and looks stylish. But for unusualness, you can use bright shades, or resort to multi-color dyeing. Chrome parts are popular.
Glowing compounds work due to the presence of a phosphor, which accumulates light during the day.
Car wheel painting technology
First of all, make sure that the room in which you will work is well ventilated. Acrylic and varnish are not the best combination for health. Wear goggles and gloves to avoid chemical burns and remove the wheels from the vehicle.
In order not to stain the tire, it must be sealed with masking tape along the rim. The adhesive tape must be applied as tightly as possible to the edge of the rim while simultaneously tucking it into the gap between the rim and the tire.
There is another option, you can remove the tires from the rim completely. If you are afraid to do this yourself, then you can contact a car service; this service will cost you little. Next, it is necessary to prepare the surface of the disks for subsequent processing.
Is it possible to paint alloy wheels yourself?
Wheels are often tested for strength on the road. The paintwork is especially affected: in summer, chips and microcracks form, in winter, aggressive reagents destroy the protective film.
If the product is deformed and cannot be repaired, it is better to buy alloy wheels in an online store. Otherwise, you can try to restore the original appearance. In car services, the price tags are quite high. Why not try to become a painter yourself?
The idea of doing paint work on a car yourself scares many people away. And in vain! There is nothing prohibitive about this - no special knowledge or skills are needed, just be careful and attentive.
To be sure, you can first practice on an unnecessary piece of metal, evaluate the result and work on mistakes.
Surface preparation
Use a brush and detergent to thoroughly remove old paint and varnish from the surface. To degrease the disc and remove paint residues, use a solvent or anti-silicone.
Advice! To get rid of worn paintwork in hard-to-reach places, use an awl or a thin screwdriver.
After this, go over the surface with sandpaper. At this stage, there is no need to rush; it is better to sand every millimeter of the disc for a long time and thoroughly. Use coarse sandpaper first, and the finest sandpaper at the very last stage. The surface to be treated must be periodically watered with water to remove any remaining sanded material and to better polish the disc.
Advice! It’s also not worth cleaning discs with fanaticism, since minor roughness and cracks will in any case hide layers of paint and varnish.
Of course, the old disk will have numerous chips, dents and other defects, which can be eliminated using automotive putty. When it's dry, go over the surface again with fine sandpaper and pour water on the disc.
Features of powder paint
This product is used only for those materials that can subsequently be subjected to heat treatment. In short, the technology is simple: by spraying, the powder is applied to a dry surface, and after that the product is fired in an oven for 10 minutes or more at a temperature of 200 degrees Celsius.
There are several types of powder paints that have their own characteristics: silicone, polyurethane, polyester, epoxy. Powder paints do not have a very wide range of colors; the most popular colors are aluminum, metallic gold, copper, platinum, blue velvet (see photo).
Primer
The degreased and cleaned surface must be primed. To do this, you need to start applying the primer first to the inner surface of the product, and then move on to the outer part.
Advice! While spraying, shake the primer canister periodically.
To ensure that the repair (painting) of discs is carried out efficiently, try not to rush. The primer must be applied evenly, while holding the container with liquid at a distance of 25-30 cm from the surface. After you have applied the primer, let the disc dry and repeat the procedure (2-3 coats will be enough). In order not to wait long after each application of primer, you can use a regular hair dryer. In any case, it is better to start painting the wheels only the next day.
About security measures
Painting work using sprayers (cans or spray guns) poses a health hazard, no matter what kind of paint you use. Tiny droplets of chemical compounds form an aerosol (a suspension of liquid in the air) that enters the respiratory tract and eyes. Harmful substances, especially carcinogens, take a long time to be eliminated from the body. When using nitro paints, harmful acetone vapors are added to this set.
To paint wheels without harm to health, follow basic safety rules:
- carry out work in a well-ventilated area (for example, a garage with an open gate);
- do not paint in your own apartment, where small children live with you;
- wear a respirator or protective gauze bandage and goggles;
- Put rubber gloves on your hands.
Set for safe painting of wheels
The most difficult and time-consuming part of the wheel painting process is the preparation. Washing, sanding and degreasing will take up the lion's share of your time allotted for this event. In general, you should expect that the procedure will take 1 day plus another day for the paint to dry. But professional painting in a car repair shop is also not done quickly, and it will not be cheap. Hence the conclusion: painting steel wheels yourself makes sense, provided that you have free time.
Painting and varnishing
Before using varnish and paint, carefully read the instructions for use of these materials, as drying time for liquids may vary depending on the manufacturer.
Dried and primed diks must be placed on polyethylene so that during painting, dust and dirt do not stick to them. The technology for applying paint is the same as for primer - we start from the inside of the product and then move to the outside. Apply 2-3 layers of paint, leaving the surface to dry for 15 minutes after each procedure. After that, wait 20-25 minutes and use the varnish. After the first application of varnish, it is necessary to check the surface of the discs for unevenness. If you find them, then go over them with fine sandpaper. Next, all that remains is to apply the final layer of varnish and wait until the product is completely dry (6-7 days). This completes the restoration of the discs.
Dyeing process
We divide the entire painting procedure into three stages.
Primer A layer of primer is applied to the disc by spraying from a can from a distance of 30-35 centimeters from the surface. When applying, care should be taken to ensure that the substance does not leak. You need to apply several layers, with 10-15 minute intervals between each application.
It is important to know that after finishing priming, it is best to wait 12 hours until the primer is completely fixed on the surface of the disk. This will ensure the best possible result and save you from disappointment in the future. Paint Applying paint is similar to how it is done with primer
The same 30-35 centimeters from the spray point to the surface of the disk, the same 3 layers, the same 15 minute intervals between application of layers. The only difference is that you don’t have to wait 12 hours after dyeing. One hour will be enough.
Varnish
Varnishing the front side of the disc is the final stage of the entire cosmetic restoration process. The varnish is applied in 1-2 layers, about which you can read in more detail on the can of a specific manufacturer. There should be no difficulties, since you have already done similar manipulations with primer and paint. Next, let the varnish dry, and you can put on your “steel stallion” shoes.
In conclusion, let’s just say that painting the entire set of wheels yourself will cost you 10 or even more times cheaper than the cost of similar work at a car service center. This is the savings.
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