>>> WHEELS --- SAND or BLAST <<<

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

I just finished hand-scrubbing and hand-sanding the two front DRW wheels on my truck.

This is the first time being re-painted since the factory painted them in most likely 1984.

My goal is to completely clean, sand, and paint every wheel on every truck on the place, plus all the trailers, plus countless extra sets of wheels.

As just hand-sanding the two I have done so far was almost over-whelming, I am considering possibly sand-blasting the rest of them; which leads me to a few questions :



Should I invest in a Harbor Freight closed-top sand-blaster and do the blasting myself at my leisure ??

Or, should I instead have them blasted by one of the commercial guys ??


About what should I expect to pay per wheel to have them sand-blasted if I take four to six at a time ??

Thanks.

 

[pybyr]

Hand-held gravity feed sandblaster. You lose the media and will "wear" a lot of it, but they are handy as heck.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

Hand-held gravity feed sandblaster. You lose the media and will "wear" a lot of it, but they are handy as heck.

Do you mean like this :

http://www.harborfreight.com/21-oz-hopper-gravity-feed-spot-blaster-gun-95793.html


I actually have one of those and forgot all about it until reading your suggestion.

 

[pybyr]

Do you mean like this :

http://www.harborfreight.com/21-oz-hopper-gravity-feed-spot-blaster-gun-95793.html


I actually have one of those and forgot all about it until reading your suggestion.

Yes

 

[robmoore11]

I am an industrial painter/sandblaster and usually when people bring their truck rims to get sand blasted we were charging 100 for all 4 rims depending on the coating and how long would take to come off. If they were powdercoated rims then around 150-200 for all 4 but if it is factory ford rims it should only cost 60-70 for them taking only 10-15 mins for all 6

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

factory ford rims it should only cost 60-70 for them taking only 10-15 mins for all 6

After reading that, I am almost ashamed to admit how many HOURS I spent on EACH wheel, first with the pressure-washer, then with oven-cleaner and a wire-brush, then forever with several sheets of 180-grit wet-or-dry.

 

[robmoore11]

After reading that, I am almost ashamed to admit how many HOURS I spent on EACH wheel, first with the pressure-washer, then with oven-cleaner and a wire-brush, then forever with several sheets of 180-grit wet-or-dry.

As long as the blaster has enough pressure it will rip the paint right off. Only problem is if it's heavy grit you have to put a thick enough coating on. If not you will have rusting because the peaks and valleys will be filled but the tips of the peaks will not be covered. Seen it happen a lot.

 

[robmoore11]

And if your going to sand use 80

 

[OLDBULL8]

Take as many as you can, might be cheaper to do a bunch. Setup time to blast, if you know what I mean. Aluminium wheels, they use don't use sand.

 

[robmoore11]

Take as many as you can, might be cheaper to do a bunch. Setup time to blast, if you know what I mean. Aluminium wheels, they use don't use sand.

You can use sand. Starblast is the best. All they have to do is keep the hose not so close. But your right they will generally use silica. Only reason for that is so the granules don't get stuck in the aluminum.

 

[robmoore11]

And I was under the impression they were steelies. So disregard the 80 grit sandpaper comment. Unless they are badly pitted.

 

[G. Mann]

I took mine to a local truck tire supplier, Purcell Tire. They have a machine that is automatic cause they do loads of 22.5 semi wheels. The machine does the sand blast automatic, they just load the rims and turn it loose. Rims come out the other side ready for power coat which they also do at same time.

They came out perfect. Cost me $25 bucks a wheel and included dismount/remount/balance of the tires. Worth it to me. Only took like 3 hrs and I didn't have to touch anything.

Check around, there may be a large truck tire supplier near you that does the same thing.

Only draw back is I could choose colors.. either black or white... haha..

 

[robmoore11]

I took mine to a local truck tire supplier, Purcell Tire. They have a machine that is automatic cause they do loads of 22.5 semi wheels. The machine does the sand blast automatic, they just load the rims and turn it loose. Rims come out the other side ready for power coat which they also do at same time.

They came out perfect. Cost me $25 bucks a wheel and included dismount/remount/balance of the tires. Worth it to me. Only took like 3 hrs and I didn't have to touch anything.

Check around, there may be a large truck tire supplier near you that does the same thing.

Only draw back is I could choose colors.. either black or white... haha..

That's cool I have never heard of that. I will be bringing my steelies down to my shop to blast, zinc primer and a high gloss urethane finish.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

All of my wheels are STEEL; I don't buy or run any pot-metal junk.


That is neat about the semi-wheel blasting machine; I did not know such an animal existed and I have been to many many tire/wheel industry trade-shows.

 

[robmoore11]

All of my wheels are STEEL; I don't buy or run any pot-metal junk.


That is neat about the semi-wheel blasting machine; I did not know such an animal existed and I have been to many many tire/wheel industry trade-shows.

Ok well then I would just get them blasted. If you plan on keeping them for a long time my suggestion would be to get them to put a **** coat of zinc primer on them and you topcoat them. They will last forever with that zinc.