Removing (Possible) Powder Coat From Alloy Wheels

[undertaker]

Hi all.....

I'm trying to clean all the coating off a set of OEM VW alloy wheels.

I've tried paint stripper gel (causes clear coat to bubble but not much more), sandpaper (scratches and that's about it), blow torch (smelly)......

Any ideas before I throw them in my sodium hydroxide tank?? Which obviously I gather isn't the best thing to do to alloy

There must be something? It has got to be powder coating as I've never known any paint to be this tough!!

 

[ben8vgte]

All I can say is good luck, VW and Audi wheels take the longest time to strip at work in our methylene chloride/ hydrofluoric acid strip tank. A normal wheel might be 40 mins to 80mins, those can be up to 6-7 hours with taking it out and jetwashing the loose bits off every so often.

 

[rtbcomp]

Sodium hydroxide will remove the wheels from the powder coat.

There are several types of powder coat and some is tough as old boots, certainly stronger than aluminium, so blasting is more likely to gouge the metal.

Eurochem (Northern) Ltd. do a product called Atlas-T for shifting powder coat. I've never used it, but I know a man who does and he says it's very good.

I soak mine in methylene chloride overnight and then blast them. The primer on last lot I did formed a gooey mess which took a lot of shifting with the grit blaster.

These days I try to avoid ally wheels, usually they're more trouble than they're worth.

 

[AndyStobbs]

Would pay somebody to blast them. Around here £20 a wheel is about the going rate.
Saves alot of agro...

 

[Coppers Lot]

Hi all.....

I'm trying to clean all the coating off a set of OEM VW alloy wheels.

I've tried paint stripper gel (causes clear coat to bubble but not much more), sandpaper (scratches and that's about it), blow torch (smelly)......

Any ideas before I throw them in my sodium hydroxide tank?? Which obviously I gather isn't the best thing to do to alloy

There must be something? It has got to be powder coating as I've never known any paint to be this tough!!

So, what did you do in the end?

 

[ale36]

Sodium hydroxide will remove the wheels from the powder coat.

Do you mean that it will eat away at the wheels?

I soak mine in methylene chloride overnight and then blast them.

do you use methylene chloride straight or do you dilute it with water? if so at what ratio

 

[rtbcomp]

Do you mean that it will eat away at the wheels?

Yes

do you use methylene chloride straight or do you dilute it with water? if so at what ratio

Use it straight, it won't mix with water. In fact you need a layer of water on top of your dipping tank to stop the Meth Chloride evaporating.

If you brush neat meth chloride onto a surface it will immediately evaporate.

 

[ukracer]

Would pay somebody to blast them. Around here £20 a wheel is about the going rate.
Saves alot of agro...

Not being awkward as I have a VW with wheels starting to corrode and I have a sand blaster (But does not seem to be the best in the world for some reason) so I was going to try and clean them up before re-coating. but this quote worries me..."There are several types of powder coat and some is tough as old boots, certainly stronger than aluminum, so blasting is more likely to gouge the metal."

Any more advise appreciated.

regards Andy T

 

[chunkolini]

Undertaker it appears that you are in Magnus Magnusson position.
His catch phrase
"I've started so I'll finish".