Topic: 15x7 snowflake painting help

[xxinlinexx]

So i want to restore a set of 15x7 snowflakes i purchased. After looking at these two articles i'm a bit confused so hoping you all can help me out.

http://www.78ta.com/resto/rims.htm
http://www.78ta.com/wheelspec.php

mine DO NOT have the one inch lip, so to make these look as close to original as possible do i or do i not paint the spokes?

and if i do not paint the spokes how would i go about masking them off so no paint gets on them?

[Audixie]

I'm no expert, but I have decided I am not going to paint the spokes.  I was told by someone that knows more than I do not to mask.  Just paint the gold over the spokes and then use a piece of steel wool or something like that to remove the paint.  It would take forever the mask.

I have a set of 15 X 7's I am going to work on also.  I looked at the restoration services, but just can't afford the $500-600 bucks.

[xxinlinexx]

I looked into doing the professionally as well and i was being charged $175 a wheel.

Was thinking of doing what you just said, painting over the spokes and then just taking it off with steel wool and giving it a good polish.

I'll go ahead and post the progress here, let me know how it goes for you.

[T/A Addict]

I just recently finished up restoring some seriously beat up 15 x 8s. I wanted the highly polished finish on mine so it took me a little extra time. The pics show one of the wheels after I blasted it and the end product.

As far as masking, I did take the extra time to mask mine all up, Just some 1/2" masking tape and a sharp razor blade, time consuming but worth it in my opinion.

[78ta]

Brett said he paints the spokes and then uses lacquer thinner and a rag to remove the paint from the spokes. I masked mine before I heard he did that. Either way will work but it does take a LONG time to mask and then trim the excess tape off before painting them. Also, I wanted the polished look to so I polished my spokes before masking and painting. That way, I didn't take a chance on messing up the paint while buffing the wheels.
Buffing the spokes first would benefit even more if you were going to wipe the paint off with lacquer thinner since the paint would want to stick as well to the buffed surface. 
Oh, if you mask, be very careful to pull the tape away from the painted areas instead of back over them as the paint may peel off the area you don't want it to.

[Audixie]

Thanks 78ta

[78ta]

You're welcome.

By the way, you guys probably knew what I meant by it should have read " the paint WOULD'NT want to stick as well to the buffed surface. "

Procede at your own risk after reading this as it can be dangerous but I wet sanded my wheels by using my car as a lathe. I jacked up and supported the rear end and chocked the front tires and mounted a bare wheel on the pass side rear. Then started it and put it in reverse(I'm right handed) and just held the wet sand paper up to the spinning wheel. The outer flat spots are easy but I had to use a piece of plastic as a backer for the sand paper when doing the spokes. Otherwise, it would have beat my fingers to death and rounded off the edges of the spokes in the process. I also was sure not to wear any loose clothing or anything that might get caught on the wheel. Worked great for me but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
I think I went 600, 1200, 2000 and then buffed the lips and spokes with a 1/2 inch sewn cotton buffing wheel (normally used on a buffing stand) mounted on a hand held car buffer. Of coarse using rouge for aluminum. Then again with a softer buffing wheel and final cut rouge for aluminum.

[Wallington]

The rims with the 1" lip are the 8", yours being 7" doesn't have one.

Here's an 8" rim I did as a spare, the easy way. If I was doing a complete set that were my main rims and visible I'd do it properly being painted first and the surface machined after as per factory. Be aware that the cost to restore them properly with machining will often be more than the repro sets cost new. Having said that no one does the 7" rim in repro form.

Here's pics of how I did mine. I had it sodablasted, then polished up the machined surfaces using fine emery cloth and wire drill/buffing tools on dremel. The  masked up, use a sharp blade to cut both sides, don't try to line one side up, time consuming. I primed it before painting gold that matched the other rims. I then filed the edge of each painted spoke so as not to catch it and peel up, and I believe I also clear coated the entire rim once done. In the end it actually costs more than a repro replacement but it's fun to see it take shape having done it yourself. Ok, the masking up isn't fun, esp on a full set!

[hada76]

Procede at your own risk after reading this as it can be dangerous but I wet sanded my wheels by using my car as a lathe. I jacked up and supported the rear end and chocked the front tires and mounted a bare wheel on the pass side rear.  Worked great for me but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

thought of this vid when i read your post

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxxG4A4OgHI&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLEF9B330E33D6E0B6

[Wallington]

Interestingly, much of that work is simply to remove the scraping and filing marks left behind. If he went straight into different grades of emery cloth it may be quicker and neater. I wouldn't recommend it either, easy to catch a spoke and send tools flying! I know a guy who lost the end of a finger doing this, although it was testing new brake callipers and clearance with spokes, turns out, not enough clearance with finger to check..

[xxinlinexx]

Wow so many ways to do this. guess im going to have to find what works for me.

I think the method im going to try is polish the lip and spokes first. was able to find 5/16 & 3/8 painters tape. Going to have to measure the thickness of the spokes tonight to see which width i would need. I definitely was not going to sit there and start cutting lol.

[hada76]

BTW those look great

[Mongo]

Masking the spokes sucks arse but is worth the time.

[78ta]

Thank you hada76.
I failed to mention before that I clear coated them after paint as well.