TROLL
12-30-2005, 04:58 PM
I'm looking into doing some DIY polished lip refinishing to take care of a good amount of cosmetic scratches isolated only on the polished lip of a set of wheels. This info was forwarded on to me from a wheel shop that does these kinds of repairs and was willing to help me out. Just wanted to pass on the good info, and if anyone has done this before or has anything to add, please speak up. I wouldnt mind a second hand with my own project to help ensure that i dont muff it up. Anyways, on with the step by step:
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Here is what you will need to do this right:
(all of this can be purchased at Kragen)
1 can of Aircraft Remover
1 pkg of 400 grit sandpaper
1 pkg of 800 grit sandpaper
1 pkg of 1000 grit sandpaper
1 pkg of 2000 grit sandpaper
1 tin of NEVR DULL
1 tin of Mothers Billet Polish
1 pkg of microfiber cloths
1 roll of painters masking tape.
The total cost of all this weighs in around 50 bucks. But to get all your wheels polished out will run you upwards of 100 bucks per wheel!
Step 1:
Mask off the wheel lip. You DO NOT want any of the Aircraft Stripper to touch your painted wheel surface. It takes less than a minute to remove paint from a metal surface. So mask off this section well. You only want to apply stripper to the lip of the wheel.
Step 2:
Using a paintbrush approved for chemicals (can be picked up from Home Depot for like 2 bucks.) Spread a light coat of Aircraft Remover onto the wheel lip. YOU DO NOT WANT THIS STUFF TO DRIP. And whatever you do, don't get this on your skin. I recommend some chemical gloves. Once you have applied this stuff to the wheel lip, let it sit for a good half hour. I know it may look like it is done after the first minute or two, but you really want the clear coat to release from the metal.
Step 3:
Remove as much of the crusty stuff from the lip as you can with a piece of steel wool or a rag that you don't care about. Then roll the wheel out back and spray it off with the hose. You want to get all that crap off of there. If there is any clear coat left on the lip, you may need to re apply the stripper to it again.
Step 4:
Get a cup of water handy. Take a piece of that 400 grit paper and tear it off. You want about a 1"X1" piece. Splash a bit of water in the area of the wheel lip that you plan on starting with. Then dip your sand paper in the water and start sanding the lip. You want nice long strokes. The 400 grit should be enough to remove any surface imperfections. If you see dents that aren't coming out, try picking up a pack of 320 grit. You don't want to go too low though as you may not be able to remove the grooves that the sand paper leaves behind. Continue dipping and sanding with 400 grit as needed until the entire lip has been sanded. It is important to sand every inch of the lip to ensure uniformity of the finished product.
Step 5:
Wipe off the residues from the 400 grit paper. In fact, every time you step to a finer grit paper, you want to clean the surface with that "ruined" towel. The deposits from the 400 paper can cause lines when sanding with the 800 paper. Do the same as before with the 800 paper...lots of water, lots of long sweeping sanding motion.
Step 6:
Repeat with 1000 grit paper, then the 2000 grit paper. You are almost done!!!
Step 7:
Ok, so you have wet sanded the lip with the 2000 grit paper, and wiped off the residue. It is lookin' pretty good at this point. Kinda dull, but smooth. Open that can of NEVR-Dull. Rip a chunk of the wadding off and start rubbing the surface of that wheel. This is the point when elbow grease will pay off. The same black residue will continue to show up here. Make sure to hit the entire surface with the NEVR-DULL cotton thingy. THen throw it the fock away...I hate it when I find dirty wadding in the NEVRDULL can. Let the residue dry to a haze then buff it off with a towel.
Step 8:
Right now you are looking at your wheel lip saying, "damn, can it get any better?" YES, it can and it will. Pull out one of those microfiber towels. Wrap it over your finger and open that Mothers polish I told you to buy. Put just a dab on the end of the 'towel finger.' You don't need much and you don't want to slop this stuff everywhere because it isn't cheap. Just like with the Nevr-Dull, start buffing. The more you buff, the better the lip will turn out. Keep buffing and don't let the polishing compound dry up until you have polished the entire wheel. Once you have polished the entire lip surface, let it dry for a second or two. Then buff it off with a clean section of the micro fiber towel.
Step 9:
Seriously, your wheel lip will look better than when you bought it. Most performance wheel manufacturers do not polish their lips to this level. It is MIRROR finished. Truely stunning.
You now have two options. YOu can either
1.) Wax the lip with a cream wax (NOT the spray stuff)
2.) Clearcoat the lip. I recommend Dupli-Color wheel coatings.
Before you spray it down with clear coat, make sure to wipe that lip clean with some windex. You don't want anything to keep the clearcoat from adhering. If you don't clearcoat it or wax it, it WILL corrode.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is what you will need to do this right:
(all of this can be purchased at Kragen)
1 can of Aircraft Remover
1 pkg of 400 grit sandpaper
1 pkg of 800 grit sandpaper
1 pkg of 1000 grit sandpaper
1 pkg of 2000 grit sandpaper
1 tin of NEVR DULL
1 tin of Mothers Billet Polish
1 pkg of microfiber cloths
1 roll of painters masking tape.
The total cost of all this weighs in around 50 bucks. But to get all your wheels polished out will run you upwards of 100 bucks per wheel!
Step 1:
Mask off the wheel lip. You DO NOT want any of the Aircraft Stripper to touch your painted wheel surface. It takes less than a minute to remove paint from a metal surface. So mask off this section well. You only want to apply stripper to the lip of the wheel.
Step 2:
Using a paintbrush approved for chemicals (can be picked up from Home Depot for like 2 bucks.) Spread a light coat of Aircraft Remover onto the wheel lip. YOU DO NOT WANT THIS STUFF TO DRIP. And whatever you do, don't get this on your skin. I recommend some chemical gloves. Once you have applied this stuff to the wheel lip, let it sit for a good half hour. I know it may look like it is done after the first minute or two, but you really want the clear coat to release from the metal.
Step 3:
Remove as much of the crusty stuff from the lip as you can with a piece of steel wool or a rag that you don't care about. Then roll the wheel out back and spray it off with the hose. You want to get all that crap off of there. If there is any clear coat left on the lip, you may need to re apply the stripper to it again.
Step 4:
Get a cup of water handy. Take a piece of that 400 grit paper and tear it off. You want about a 1"X1" piece. Splash a bit of water in the area of the wheel lip that you plan on starting with. Then dip your sand paper in the water and start sanding the lip. You want nice long strokes. The 400 grit should be enough to remove any surface imperfections. If you see dents that aren't coming out, try picking up a pack of 320 grit. You don't want to go too low though as you may not be able to remove the grooves that the sand paper leaves behind. Continue dipping and sanding with 400 grit as needed until the entire lip has been sanded. It is important to sand every inch of the lip to ensure uniformity of the finished product.
Step 5:
Wipe off the residues from the 400 grit paper. In fact, every time you step to a finer grit paper, you want to clean the surface with that "ruined" towel. The deposits from the 400 paper can cause lines when sanding with the 800 paper. Do the same as before with the 800 paper...lots of water, lots of long sweeping sanding motion.
Step 6:
Repeat with 1000 grit paper, then the 2000 grit paper. You are almost done!!!
Step 7:
Ok, so you have wet sanded the lip with the 2000 grit paper, and wiped off the residue. It is lookin' pretty good at this point. Kinda dull, but smooth. Open that can of NEVR-Dull. Rip a chunk of the wadding off and start rubbing the surface of that wheel. This is the point when elbow grease will pay off. The same black residue will continue to show up here. Make sure to hit the entire surface with the NEVR-DULL cotton thingy. THen throw it the fock away...I hate it when I find dirty wadding in the NEVRDULL can. Let the residue dry to a haze then buff it off with a towel.
Step 8:
Right now you are looking at your wheel lip saying, "damn, can it get any better?" YES, it can and it will. Pull out one of those microfiber towels. Wrap it over your finger and open that Mothers polish I told you to buy. Put just a dab on the end of the 'towel finger.' You don't need much and you don't want to slop this stuff everywhere because it isn't cheap. Just like with the Nevr-Dull, start buffing. The more you buff, the better the lip will turn out. Keep buffing and don't let the polishing compound dry up until you have polished the entire wheel. Once you have polished the entire lip surface, let it dry for a second or two. Then buff it off with a clean section of the micro fiber towel.
Step 9:
Seriously, your wheel lip will look better than when you bought it. Most performance wheel manufacturers do not polish their lips to this level. It is MIRROR finished. Truely stunning.
You now have two options. YOu can either
1.) Wax the lip with a cream wax (NOT the spray stuff)
2.) Clearcoat the lip. I recommend Dupli-Color wheel coatings.
Before you spray it down with clear coat, make sure to wipe that lip clean with some windex. You don't want anything to keep the clearcoat from adhering. If you don't clearcoat it or wax it, it WILL corrode.