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Prep wheels for a re-spray


Kiwiwannafly

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In the process of slowly refurbishing a 2001 VFR800 that has been sorrowfully neglected for the last few years.  The electrics were UGLY but look better, and importantly FUNCTION now.  Bodywork has the expected tabs, cracks and scrapes to fix - not too much of an issue with that.

The cast alloy wheels look pretty sad so I am intending to spray them the same gunmetal grey as the engine cases.  Considered powder coating but for several reasons rejected that idea.

 

Question for the forum is: how best to clean that miserable porous surface of decades of grime to a state where paint will stick?

 

I have cleaned with car wash, water pressure sprayer, brake cleaner, scrubbed with brushes - but not particularly happy with the results.  The original coating is missing/chipped/discoloured so no matter how clean they get, still looks pus.  I was watching a guy cleaning up some car engine parts including some aluminium alloy with a bead blaster using glass media - came up pretty clean looking.  Anyone vehemently opposed to trying this? And for what reasons?  Don't really want to dismount tyres if I don't have to - will deflate and mask to get good coverage around rim.  Prefer to remove bearings but if not - mask off real good and clean/repack after.  Is bead blasting too harsh for the alloy? Is there a better option?

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I did something similar for prep when I refurbed my wheels last spring. Brought to a company who dips the alloy parts in a chemical bath then blasts with glass beads, came up looking great and removed some surface corrosion on the aluminium. The glass bead blast is supposed to promote paint/powder adhesion so if you can it would be the better option, sand blasting would be too abrasive I think.

 

I did remove the bearings and tires though but even masking them off, the beads will rip through the tape easily enough, I wouldn´t think you´ll get the edge where the tire bead sits nice and clean and may lead to a poor seal (?)

 

Why did you decide not to powdercoat? I did (neon yellow) and am very happy.

 

 

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You must remove tyres and bearings for good paint job. Otherwise when sprayed, new paint will create a lip where it butts up against tyre (or masking tape). Then when you change tyres later, sliding tyre over this lip will start chipping/cracking new paint off.

 

What's it take to remove tyre? 5-10 min max?

 

1. use aircraft-stripper to remove old paint. Note that methylene-chloride was banned by EPA last year. This stuff works well:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SQH6JPY

 

2. brass wire-wheel off all old softened paint. Go back and repeat #1 & 2 as necessary until all old paint has been removed. Or blasting with walnut-shells will work.

 

3. hand sand entire wheel surface with 400-grit wet sand-paper. This will fix porous corroded bare exposed aluminium as well.

 

4. spray zinc-chromate primer for adhesion

 

5. spray regular filler primer

 

6. wet-sand with 500-grit

 

7. spray polyurethane colour coats

 

8. wet-sand with 600-grit

 

9. spray polyurethane clear coats

 

This will at least give you somewhat OEM-quality paint job. Don't do crappy backyard-mechanic quickie job with rattle cans. 

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Hahaha...you VFR guys! I've got NZ$1000 invested in this 19 year old beast - but you're not gonna let me get away with a cosmetic botox job on these wheels!

No to the powder coat - mostly due to time and cost.  Need the bike for transport and its approaching Xmas so powder coating realistically wouldnt come back till next year.

Been doing some building work at a paint shop - so can access a glass bead blaster, they can do paint and bake/UV oven.  The paint they use for trucks is impressively durable and incredibly impact resistant. So the time frame there works better for me with acceptable results for my particular bike - its never gonna win a concours.

Wasn't too keen on popping the bearings till I saw a press at the paint shop.  Good point about the bead blasting toasting any masking.

If I'm a good boy I'll try to remember to take some b4 and after pics.

After wheels comes body panels.  Found a source in England that has decals - but sketchy about exactly which bits are which colours. Any known and reputable decal makers for 2000VFR?

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Can you make your own decals? 
Send artwork to any sign-shop?

They've got automated vinyl-cutters that an spit out any design you want.

Print out some extras for rest of us.

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I did a cheap-o refinish on my Silver Wing 600 wheels, which were peeling and had some powdery corrosion. I used some Wheel Silver paint from SuperCheap over the top of a primer. From a metre away they look great and have proven to be durable so far, but the prep work is absolutely critical and I should have done a better job. I used a wire brush to clear off all the flaking and powder and then sanded and feathered the rest. I did not do a perfect job but I'm pretty sure it will look fine for 10 years. 

 

I let the tyres down and then stomped around the edges to slightly shift them on the bead so I could get some masking tape under the rim. I also removed the discs and masked the mounting points. 

Before:

image.thumb.png.e64d4f8271bf878da6d8caa661cc5f3b.png

After:

image.thumb.png.87bd7c6560a7077ae9edd23554f95de1.png

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 12/4/2020 at 6:57 AM, DannoXYZ said:

Can you make your own decals? 
Send artwork to any sign-shop?

They've got automated vinyl-cutters that an spit out any design you want.

Print out some extras for rest of us.

I went down that road for a 1976 XL250 with some original design graphics that I just couldnt find anywhere. Believe me it sounds much simpler than it is to design graphics that are 'just right' and of the appropriate vector format and RGB (or other) colour codes.  But maybe I'm heading that way again. And the cost to print 20 is much the same as 1. Mine is the VTR/Pgm-Fi-CBS/HECS2 graphics.  Anyone else seriously interested if I get a few extra printed?

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  • 1 month later...
On 12/3/2020 at 2:03 PM, DannoXYZ said:

You must remove tyres and bearings for good paint job. Otherwise when sprayed, new paint will create a lip where it butts up against tyre (or masking tape). Then when you change tyres later, sliding tyre over this lip will start chipping/cracking new paint off.

 

What's it take to remove tyre? 5-10 min max?

 

1. use aircraft-stripper to remove old paint. Note that methylene-chloride was banned by EPA last year. This stuff works well:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SQH6JPY

 

2. brass wire-wheel off all old softened paint. Go back and repeat #1 & 2 as necessary until all old paint has been removed. Or blasting with walnut-shells will work.

 

3. hand sand entire wheel surface with 400-grit wet sand-paper. This will fix porous corroded bare exposed aluminium as well.

 

4. spray zinc-chromate primer for adhesion

 

5. spray regular filler primer

 

6. wet-sand with 500-grit

 

7. spray polyurethane colour coats

 

8. wet-sand with 600-grit

 

9. spray polyurethane clear coats

 

This will at least give you somewhat OEM-quality paint job. Don't do crappy backyard-mechanic quickie job with rattle cans. 

Whats it take to remove a tyre? 5-10 hours? Well not quite that bad but (lacking a tyre machine) those MOFO beads were seriously glued to the little bit of oxidation on the seating area of the rims! Plenty of struggle and a LOT of lube later the rims got stripped, wire brushed, sanded well prior to heading off to the painter. I promise - these are getting done properly. Haven't spotted any rattle cans in the paint shop (apart from under body rust preventative - N/A in this case).

Killing time by replacing that knackered chain - see my post about the master link, and blinging up all the alloy bits I can get my hands on easily...

IMG_20210225_175357.jpg

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On 12/4/2020 at 6:57 AM, DannoXYZ said:

Can you make your own decals? 
Send artwork to any sign-shop?

They've got automated vinyl-cutters that an spit out any design you want.

Print out some extras for rest of us.

Vector files available by request - easier to send than anything physical in this Covid excuse for a totally f**ked postal system.  After nearly 4 months and more than $50 postage for a second hand book (just a paperback, not an encyclopaedia) - still not delivered in Europe. Will never opt for post again.

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Post to islands seems to be outrageous. Probably due to captive audience. Sent some stuff to OZ and it was $40 for less than 0.5kg! To Ireland? $50!!! Meanwhile to mainlands like EU & Asia, $20. I guess it depends upon destination's post since there needs to be handoff at some point.

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19 hours ago, DannoXYZ said:

Post to islands seems to be outrageous. Probably due to captive audience. Sent some stuff to OZ and it was $40 for less than 0.5kg! To Ireland? $50!!! Meanwhile to mainlands like EU & Asia, $20. I guess it depends upon destination's post since there needs to be handoff at some point.

Colony of Puerto Rico suffers from this as well. There is a law prohibiting boats flying foreign flags making deliveries to the island driving prices mad.

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