Cleaning up rimms the cheap way

[Mux213]

Hey Guys,

I've desided to follow "wheeler dealers" and do a cheap ass clean up job on my clover wheels

Pictures to follow later when I figured out the right tools to use. Anyways the clover wheels that were on my hachi originally look shite. So I want to clean them up but not pay 40 euro's a wheel to get em sandblasted and powder coated, I want to go experiment with them

First thing I did was put a wire brush mounted on an electric drill to it. Basically this is what they did in the wheeler dealer show, only then on an angle grinder.

This did clean up all of the mess on the wheels. Everywhere where salt had done its bit I now was back down to the aluminium. As it turns out these rimms have a primer and topcoat and the wirewheel is not strong enough to get through it. I think my angle grinder wire wheel will probably be able to brake through as its much rougher but the best way to go is the right type of sandpager. I'm gonne see if I can get me one of these triangle electric sanders so I can get into the corners better and ask Martijn for the right type of sandpaper (I've seen him take paint of the hachi in seconds with his sander)

After that I am going to polish it up. The bits that are now without paints are only slightly scratched, probably any kind of polish with an electric polishing wheel will do nicely.

To finish off some black paint and clear paint should do the job nicely. I'll let you guys know how I proceed

[adomz]

hey!
i think it might help!

Click here!

that's a link to our mazda forum, and there is a really nice way to renovate your rims!
pictures included...;]

cheers, addam

[jamiemirror]

mux:
1. Use some acid-based oven cleaner (every oven cleaner must work!). It will act as degreaser AND some aluminium protection layers remover (not paint but anodisation).
2. Use paint remover chemical solution. No need of wire brushing.
3. Repeat paint remover - if necessary.
4. When you strip all the paint - use again the oven cleaner to remove anodisation from "bare" aluminium (after paint removal).
5. You can use brush but be prepared to deep scratches. I use the 3M ScotchBrite (2 sizes) and the results are very good (but I polish head covers at the moment).
6. The finish is "SONAX Chrome & Aluminium polish wax" - cheap and efective - even if you do it manually (the electric drill with polishing accessoaries will speed-up the process).

PS: This is my experience with aluminium cleaning and polish. Try to not scratch the aluminium surfaces during your work!

[Mux213]

Good info guys!! I'm gonne see what I can get with.

Btw the wire brush doesn't really damage the aluminium that much. I did work with it before on the throttle body of my RX7 which is aluminium aswell, using polish I got that to really shine, my biggest mistake so far has been not spraying some clear coat on it so I'm pretty sure in a year from now, all my work will be for nothing

I think its really paint and I have had bad experience with paint removers. Due to our environmentalist friends the really good stuff is not allowed to be sold anymore, only the light stuff that only works good for paint on wood, and even then only a little bit...

[jamiemirror]

My preffered paint remover contains 80% methylene chloride and in fact is dangerous.
http://www.afscme.org/health/faq-meth.htm
But it works very well *even* on aluminium surfaces.
PS: If you want mirror polish - the brushing scratches are problem. Also I prefer clear anodizing instead of clear coat.

[Ivan141]

the stuff we can buy in stores over here was only able to remove the clearcoat on my 280z rims..

[Mux213]

Jamie, I would be very surprised if we can buy that stuff here.

Really, alot of these sortof products are no longer allowed to be sold here to the general product because it is to environmentally unsafe. Good paint removers are among them. I tried some of the better stuff available in normal stores on my RX7, it just couldn't get it done.

As for scratching the surface, its just a lot of work really, you have to keep sanding it from rough sanding paper to very fine sanding paper and then polishing it. If you can avoid scratching the surface then yes, but everywhere were salt has done its work in removing the paint the surface is already scratched

As for anodizing instead of clear coat, I'm doing this as an experiment in trying to keep it as cheap as possible

[oldskull]

Sorry bump the old topic, but I would like to know some acid based for removing paint/coat on my rims. I know its forbidden in Holland. But I would like to know the name and some info about it. Thanks

[Ivan141]

I think you're probably stuck with ordinary paint stripper and some elbow grease..

[jamiemirror]

Or maybe I shoud send to all you Netherland guys pack of this effective but banned product, declaring at customs that this is just some peach jelly ? :wink: