painting mags

[86304]

hey guys,

would like to thank everyone for the great help getting my bike running so well. now it's time for some of the cosmetic stuff.

my '78 mag wheels are pretty faded out, in spots. you know, the black painted part. i really didn't want to get into powder coating, just looking to pretty up the wheels. the polished aluminum sections of the wheels are in good shape.

is it feasible to repaint only the original painted part or am i in for an impossible taping-off situation.

has anyone out there had experience with painting these wheels? will i need to strip the old paint off, somehow? it's not flaking off, just faded.

as always, your help is appreciated.

bob

[spyug]

Hey Bob there is nothing much to it. As with any paint job its 90% prep and 10% paint. Best way is to do them off the bike.

Take off brake disks and rear sprocket.

Start by thoroughly cleaning the wheel with a good hot soap and water with a stiff bristle brush. This will get rid of the accumulated crud. Especially important on the back wheel where lube sticks and grabs the road dust.

Next get some green scotch bite pads and mineral spirits. Douse the pad in spirits ( or paint thinner) and go over all the painted parts to scuff. Wipe with paper towels and allow to thoroughly dry. Blow off with compressed air if available.

Now tape off the tire and outer rim of the wheel ( the shiny bit). Do both sides.Don't worry about the spokes. Do cover off the bearings and center part of the hubs...anywhere the paint is not going.

Now get your paint of choice...automotive spray bomb wheel paint ....semi gloss or flat usually easiest. Also get some of the right kind of paint thinner or cleaner that goes with the paint you buy.

Pick a warmer day (70 or higher is best ...with little humidity as possible) Set the wheels up so you can spray one side of both wheels at one go. Spray away but don't put it on too heavy....many light coats are best. If it is not warm enough you can paint anywhere from 0 degrees and up just use a halogen spot light or two ( about 10" away from the wheel) to help speed the cure.

When you have finished painting but before the paint hardens take a folded paper towel with a hint of paint thinner on it ( not soaked or running) and rub the paint off the flat sections of the spokes. Take your time and go easy...you don't want to wreck your paint job by dripping thinner onto the painted areas.

Another "trick" you can use is to rub a thin film of petroleum jelly on the spoke faces ( or any place you don't want paint) before apply paint. when the paint is dry you can easily rub off the spoke face. This is a kind of advanced trick as it is easy to get jelly on the inner surfaces of the spokes where you do want paint.

If these ideas intimidate you, it is still easy to mask the faces but a bit tedious. Just lay a strip of tape down the face you want to cover and run a razor blade or x-acto knife down the sides to trim to fit.

Method one is quickest.

Once you've done the one side flip to the other.

Give them a good 24 hours at 70 + before remounting.

Easy but time consuming and remember....take time with the prep it will show in the finish.

Show us what you can do

Cheers and good luck,
Spyug.

[86304]

hey spyug,

thanks for the great info.

prep, prep, prep, just like all painting, huh?

looked around at the local hardware stores, automotive supply places, walmart, etc. did not find any automotive, flat or semi-gloss. any online place that you may know that would carry proper paint. wouldn't want to spend time and patience doing a great prep job and use paint that won't last. i live in a pretty small town and phoenix is a 2 hour drive, one way.

thanks,

bob

[krehmkej]

Try bDupli-Color Semi Gloss Engine paint, or check out Eastwood online. They have maby different sprays of good quality.

[82bobber]

Wallyworld carries the Dupli color laquer in their automotive section, lots of nice colors and you should be able to use any on wheels, plus they have aluminum finishes.

[86304]

hey guys,

thanks for all the quick replies.

the local wallyworld doesn't carry any duplicolor paints, just the bedliner kits. small town = small selection. did find some online (satin black)
eastwood had a lot of good info and tips, also. bookmarked that site!

guess it's time for prep, prep, prep while i wait for paint to arrive!!!!!

thanks again. hope i can return the favors, in the future.

bob

[ShakerNorm]

Bob - I always wondered why my paint seemed hazy or milky sometimes. I found out recently that it turns out to be humidity in the air. On dry days - it would dry clear and glossy - but on humid days it almost always turned milky on me.

Since you're in AZ, I guess this probably isn't a big problem for you, but for everyone who's spray-bombing parts (especially black ones...) paint on a dry day - with LOW humidity.

Good luck with the project!

[cafefill]

Bob:
I masked off and painted mine, using mostly the same cleanup method Spy suggested, only I used Zep parts cleaner instead of mineral spirits. It seemed to take forever to get them masked off, but the results were worth it. I even placed a small piece of tape across the radiused end of the spoke, where it meets the rim, and then cut the raduis with an exacto knife. Remember- this is a labor of love. I also hand sanded the edge of the rim down to 1000 grit, and then shot the entire wheel with VHT brand wheel clear in a spray bomb:
www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_10002_763168_-1_10747

Take your time, and it'll be great. Mine turned out fine:
i46.photobucket.com/albums/f132/philipmtaylor/78XS650cafe/100406-8.jpg
Hope this helps.
Phil

[86304]

thanks phil,

i'll try the zep cleaner, if i can find it. probably back to a google search, but i'm pretty used to that.

your wheel looks fantastic!!! hope i can make you all proud. it will be an exercise in patience, for sure.

bob