Removing Laquer

[RA Dunk]

Got a set of wheels that the laquer is badly fooked on,

Whats the best way to remove the laquer, Would a DA Sander do the job or would they need blasted. the damaged areas are only on the polished areas though not the whole wheel.

 

[brightspark]

Got a set of wheels that the laquer is badly fooked on,

Whats the best way to remove the laquer, Would a DA Sander do the job or would they need blasted. the damaged areas are only on the polished areas though not the whole wheel.

depends on what u want to spend . a da would be fine on the flat surface s and a rub up with wet n dry its either that or get them blasted

 

[norlander]

as Bspark says depends on your budget but I would get em blasted and powdercoated but that me -each to his own.

 

[RA Dunk]

Well they are not mine, they are my mothers (I actually thought she kerbed them and gave her a telling off lol) Anyway she just wants them redone as they are. As I have a DA Sander and not a blaster (yet) I was hoping I would get away with the sander but I'm having trouble locating fine sanding pads.

Having read this http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/2k-safety-leason-learnt.14051/ what do you recommend for Laquer when it's time to relaquer them?

 

[steveo3002]

for the hassle involved you might as well have somewhere blast them , you will never get to all the pits with sandpaper

if youre not needing a show car job you can get some pretty reasoble prices

 

[norsa]

as above, its probably clear powder coat. By the time you've prepped the first one you will be so browned off with it you'll be searching local blasters. If you get the right firm, they may even put a coat of suitable primer on for you.
Nick

 

[rtbcomp]

Blasters don't like doing them either (at least this one doesn't!). The loose lacquer will come off OK, but the actual paint sticks like stuff to a blanket. The ally is softer than the paint so it's easy to damage the wheels.

The best way is to dip them in paint stripper first.

I decline this type of work these days, and suggest using a wheel specialist as they will be au fait with modern coatings.

 

[norsa]

Can't get better advice than that

 

[mike k]

The mobile refurbished guys would just pop the tyre bead, mask, da then spray for 30 a corner, not a good way to do things as the wheel will probably have other corrosion issues that will need addressing. Your local powder coaters or wheel specialist would be the best bet, tyres off, chemically stripped then refinished. Ask how they strip the wheels as ideally you don't want them using methylene chloride or hydrofluoric acid, we have safe modern alternatives that require a stainless dip tank and heating but it won't damage the wheel or the health of them using it. If you can find out what bio stripper they use please post as I'm in the start up stage and the chemicals are expensive. You can do them manually but not ideal as it looks like salt corrosion and that will need outgassing prior to refinishing.

mike

 

[rtbcomp]

I use Methylene Chloride, it won't damage the wheels BUT the fumes aren't very nice so I use it outside.

Have a look here under "Paint Strippers"

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/workshop-supplies.15746/

 

[RA Dunk]

I take it those 'paint strippers' work ok on Powder coat as well?

 

[rtbcomp]

I'd ask the suppliers - there's a powder coat stripper called Atlas-T which appears to be a mixture of methylene chloride and hydrofluoric acid.

I have stripped powder coat with methylene chloride, sometimes it loosens it, sometimes it just softens it.

 

[richie00boy]

The problem will come when you try to re-lacquer the wheel. As it's a polished effect with no primer the lacquer will just flake off after a while. I have seen a company called wheelpaints that advertises a lacquer for direct to metal use, but it is a 2k product.

 

[RA Dunk]

I assume I need a airfed mask for 2K?

What other lacquers are of decent quality to put on a wheel that don't need airfed masks?

 

[richie00boy]

You can get UV cured lacquer that crosslinks like isocyanate based 2k lacquer, but you need a UV lamp to cure it. Also not sure how well it copes with raw alloy. And it's expensive.

HSE guidance is that you need an airfed mask for spraying isocyanate products, some on here will say they just use a carbon mask. You have to think about the people in your immediate area.

 

[Rocketman]

You can get UV cured lacquer that crosslinks like isocyanate based 2k lacquer, but you need a UV lamp to cure it. Also not sure how well it copes with raw alloy. And it's expensive.

I think some alloy wheel mobile refurbishers use the UV technology along with those mobile small body repairers.

Richie00boy how dangerous are the paints that use UV to activate? Are they on a par with 1K products? So a decent ABEK1P3 mask would be all that you need?

Edit - had a look around you can get

';Solaq UV Alloy Lacquer is a UV curing product specifically for Alloy Wheels, this product has special adhesion qualities which allows you to apply it directly onto polished Alloy Wheels.'

They also make the uv curing ovens for alloy wheels
http://www.aycesystems.com/product/alloy-wheel-refurbishment/cure-rite-uv-curing-oven/

Saying that you could hack something up pretty quickly I bet by buying a secondhand 24" aquarium light unit with 6 tube fitting and replace the t5 tubes with t5 uv tubes. Wonder how well that would work?

 

[richie00boy]

The UV cure paints are pre-activated, i.e. it's a 1k product. As long as it is kept in the dark it won't start to cure. As the curing mechanism is UV not moisture there is no isocyanate. When I spoke to the Ayce Systems guy he said that kind of mask would be fine.

I looked into it as at the time I was scared by all you read about 2k isocyanate. It was way too expensive for me as a DIYer and the need for a UV system which was also expensive was the final nail in the coffin. If you are a pro/regular user though it is a good system.