Refinishing my aluminum wheels (Need suggestions to polish)
#1
TECH Fanatic
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 1,042
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
![](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/ranks/ls1tech20year.png)
![Default](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
What tool(s) do you guys use to polish aluminum wheels? I sanded mine with 220 on the rough spots, then used red scotch brite on the whole wheel and want to polish the wheel before I clear it.
Should I just leave the light scratches from the red scotch brite in the wheel and fill them with clear? Of course, I want the paint to stick but I also want as close to a mirror finish as possible.
TIA
Should I just leave the light scratches from the red scotch brite in the wheel and fill them with clear? Of course, I want the paint to stick but I also want as close to a mirror finish as possible.
TIA
#2
TECH Apprentice
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: peabody ma
Posts: 391
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
![Default](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
defniatyley use mothers billet alumnium polish. highly recommend it. easy to use and the wheels come out great. mothes makes 2 different kinds. one is a red ocntainer and hte other is black and says BILLET right on it. therer is a hugh difference b/w the two. good luck.. polishing wheels suck i hate it!
#3
Motorboater
iTrader: (53)
![Default](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
not sure what grit that scotch thing would equate to but if its left visible marks then it is not fine enough.
when i polish aluminum i start with 400 and wet sand my way through like 7 grits all the way up to 2000 grit..it will leave it with a very nice finish ready to be polished. at that point its just little buffs on a dremel with Mothers Billet and it comes out great.
don't half *** it, especially if you are clear coating it, you will wish you'd taken the time to get the surface right. get yourself some wet/dry 600, 1000, 1500, and 2000 at the minimum and get ready for some arm ache..but it'll be worth it.
when i polish aluminum i start with 400 and wet sand my way through like 7 grits all the way up to 2000 grit..it will leave it with a very nice finish ready to be polished. at that point its just little buffs on a dremel with Mothers Billet and it comes out great.
don't half *** it, especially if you are clear coating it, you will wish you'd taken the time to get the surface right. get yourself some wet/dry 600, 1000, 1500, and 2000 at the minimum and get ready for some arm ache..but it'll be worth it.
#4
TECH Fanatic
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 1,042
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
![](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/ranks/ls1tech20year.png)
![Default](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
I'm too lazy to do it by hand. ![Happy](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_stretch.gif)
EDIT: I called Eastwood and they gave me some pointers.
I'm going to get some drill attachments from them that will take all the handaches away.
![Happy](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_stretch.gif)
EDIT: I called Eastwood and they gave me some pointers.
I'm going to get some drill attachments from them that will take all the handaches away.
Last edited by Tech; 05-03-2004 at 03:45 PM.
#6
TECH Fanatic
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 1,042
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
![](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/ranks/ls1tech20year.png)
![Default](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
I talked to my painter again. He says "the book" says to sand 'em so we're going to leave one fairly rough. He said that the clear will fill in the scratches. I'm going to hit it with some 320 before he paints it.
#7
Banned
iTrader: (54)
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Grants Pass, OR
Posts: 1,816
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
![Default](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Just to let you know, you should polish them up to a mirror finish and then POWDERCOAT clear them if you want them to stay nice. The powder won't have any choice but to stick, where as the paint you'll have a hard time. And the paint clear will chip off, the powdercoat is much more durable.
Trending Topics
#9
TECH Fanatic
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 1,042
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
![](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/ranks/ls1tech20year.png)
![Default](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Originally Posted by Jantzer98SS
Just to let you know, you should polish them up to a mirror finish and then POWDERCOAT clear them if you want them to stay nice. The powder won't have any choice but to stick, where as the paint you'll have a hard time. And the paint clear will chip off, the powdercoat is much more durable.
But painting them is free.
![Happy](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_stretch.gif)
I also may have access to a soda blaster should I not like the paint (or they flake).
#13
TECH Fanatic
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 1,042
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
![](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/ranks/ls1tech20year.png)
![Default](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Originally Posted by Derek98z
Hey Jason, I thought you were painting the center of the wheel. Are you polishing the entire thing now? Regardless, they are badass wheels.
![Chug! Chug! Chug!](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_chug.gif)
#14
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Montreal (CANADA)
Posts: 594
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
![](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/ranks/ls1tech10year.png)
![Default](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Originally Posted by SilverGhost
eugeno SS, you did a nice job with that. what did you use to safely strip off the factory paint on them?
#16
![Default](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
i just wanted to comment on the whole "powdercoating" weakens metal theory.. First off I have done tons of peoples rims and I have never had anybody ever say that there rims cracked or even had one iota of problems with the process I have however had many people bring me rims that have cracks in the rims and I have powdercoated them as well and those people have not come back either...
I would assume that if metal was put to an extremely high amount of heat it would obvisouly have issues but that is direct heat... Ir lights and ovens are not direct heat and therefore dont work the same as applying a butane torch to a solid...
and if all that is true then JET HOT would go out of business since your headers are baked for at least 1 hr at 600 degress... and powdercoatins is around 350 for 15 minutes so i dont think the whole powdercoating weakens theory is true.. and not to pile on but when billion dollar corporations are building buildigns, deep sea oil drilers, and everyday items for our use they sure would have researched all of this long before they used it..
POWDERCOATING
Painting
I would assume that if metal was put to an extremely high amount of heat it would obvisouly have issues but that is direct heat... Ir lights and ovens are not direct heat and therefore dont work the same as applying a butane torch to a solid...
and if all that is true then JET HOT would go out of business since your headers are baked for at least 1 hr at 600 degress... and powdercoatins is around 350 for 15 minutes so i dont think the whole powdercoating weakens theory is true.. and not to pile on but when billion dollar corporations are building buildigns, deep sea oil drilers, and everyday items for our use they sure would have researched all of this long before they used it..
POWDERCOATING
![Nod](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_nod.gif)
![Guns](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_guns.gif)