The Process of Alloy Wheel Refurbishment
Alloy wheel refurbishment is best done by a professional. When the professional refurbishes your alloy wheels, the tyres will be taken off the wheels. Stripping the wheel of the existing finish must be done prior to any work. This allows for the ultimate adhesion of the new finish. This also allows all the damages to be assessed for repair. A chemical approved for stripping alloy wheels is used so there is no worry about damage to the wheels.
Alloy Wheel Refurbishment – Preparation
- After the stripping process, blasting the wheel is done to remove anything that might remain of the finish.
- This is also helpful to remove corrosion if there is any present within the wheel.
- This is also beneficial for preparing the wheel for alloy wheel refurbishment.
The damages on the wheels, such as scuffs and gouges, will be inspected and noted for repair. If there is only a light scuff on the wheels, rubbing them down should be sufficient. Deeper gashes in the wheels will need to be filled and sanded. This is a process that is quite similar to body work performed on vehicles.
Alloy Wheel Refurbishment – Painting
After the entire wheel has been smoothed in preparation for alloy wheel refurbishment, a base coat is normally applied. This is usually a silver metallic paint. The skill level needed to do this is one that has to be learned. Practicing is the best way to hone this skill.
The person painting will work there way around the wheel clockwise. If you have ever watched a professional do this, you will note that they start at 6 o’clock and paint from the centre of the wheel to the rim. Continuing using this method they will paint until they are back to their starting point.
The whole alloy wheel refurbishment process has to be done fairly quickly so that when the painter gets back to the starting point, the paint will still be wet. This is important for blending the colour together so that the ending point is the same colour as the beginning point.
Alloy Wheel Refurbishment – Why use a professional?
In addition to needing to paint rather quickly, the process is also painstaking. The wheels are not simple round, flat surfaces. They are three dimensional and this can create a problem for someone more inexperienced when it comes to covering the entire wheel. One of the major problems in alloy wheel refurbishment is the paint running because it was applied too thickly in spots.
As you can see, this will take a certain skill level in order to ensure the wheels will end up being smooth and containing no drips or runs. Often painters will use infra-red lamps to help dry the base coat. Once the paint has been applied, a clear coat of lacquer is put on the wheel to help keep the paint looking great. This is the final step in alloy wheel refurbishment.
Refurbishing your wheels can include the use of several colours. Cream, gold, satin black, metallic black, anthracite and metallic anthracite are just a few of the colours from which you can choose. Of course, as mentioned their standard colours are the lowest priced. Definitely better than the price of new wheels, alloy wheel refurbishment may be the answer to the appearance of your car.
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