How To Polish Wheels????

[NINJARDR91750]

does anyone have a link on stripping the lip and polishing your wheels at home? i bought new tires and figured while i had the wheels off i mite as well strip the lip and paint the centers blue! any help would be appreciated!

[nandez71]

I dont have the link, but have done mine and my wifes bike. you will need to make a trip to wal mart and get:

aircraft paint stripper, the gel is best
cheap paint brush
stiff bristled brush
rubber gloves
paint thinner or denatured aclhohol
0000 steel wool
masking tape
razor blades
wheel paint (spray)
mothers aluminum polish
soft rags


with the tires off is easiest. wash and dry the wheels. then (while wearing the gloves) apply the paint stripper liberally to the lip portion of the wheel with the paint brush. be careful.... this shit burns if you get it on your skin.
let it sit. it will most likely start to buble right away. let it sit for a few minutes. after you see the paint bubbled up good, use the stiff brush to clean off the paint. dont touch it though (a nasty chemical) repeat as needed until all paint is removed. once all paint is gone. use the steel wool to smooth out the outter lip. if you have any blemishes, they can smoothed out with sandpaper the finished up with the steel wool. once the lip is smoothed out. use the paint thinner or denatured aclhohol to clean the entire wheel. clean it thoroughly, so that the paint will adhere without "fish eyes" also so that the tape will stick well. next tape off the lip portion of the wheel. paint the cast center, it would take a long ass time to sand and polish that part it was easier for me to overlap the tape and trim it with the razor blade. gives a nice clean line. once its taped off and trimmed. then you can paint. do it in light coats, allowing flash time in between. once you get the last coat, repeat this process on the other wheel while it dries. once you have the wheel painted and it is dry. remove the tape. now comes time to polish. self explanitory right. the wheels are pretty easy to polish being that they are really smooth on the lip to begin with. if you have access to a polisher, then all the better. ( i love my Dewalt and buffing wheels)


NOTE: some people may tell you to polish before you paint, but for me (did it both ways) the tape sticks better to an unpolished wheel. and you get a much better paint line.

hope this helps... i have polished everything aluminum on my bike at this point, to include making a aluminum undertail and polished it. aluminum shines up nice! just takes a lil work

[nonelower2001]

can we get a picture of your wheels nandez71??

[nandez71]

of course. but.......... probably not till tomorrow evening. stuck at work all nite and will most likely pass out tomorrow for most of the day.

[nandez71]

this is a really old one. its dirty as hell and before i painted the front. i had to find the link through a cell phone cause photobucket is blocked at work.

[hotdemongel]

yeah that was pretty good simple advice. the worst part is the polshing to start with, towards the end when you can see the fruits of your labour is the best bit. my advice is to get the best tape you can, dont just use plain ol masking tape, that stuff is crap! when i did my vtr rims i had to touch up the black, paint and paint remover get underneath the tape,but that was simple cos the inner rim was heavily textured and i just uaed a small chisel brush and gloss black enamel. you couldnt tell. have lots of rags and water for rinsing. in australia ive heard of shops charging up to and beyond $500.00 to strip and polish just the outer rims on both wheels. crazy. you get much more satisfaction doin it yourself. lets see the pics as and when you do yours.

[nonelower2001]

They look good good to me, would also like to see the ones of them after you painted them. The rest of the bike looks great too lots of polishing.

[NINJARDR91750]

thanks for the how to nandez!! plan on putting the bike on stands monday. then digging into her, i will take before, during, and after pics. have any advice on the paint? dupla-color etc.?

[nandez71]

duplicolor. but be careful. if you spray it on in thick coats it will cloud up. i just found the charger to my camera, so i will get better (current pics of mine soon)