Painting Wire Wheels Question

[John Spragg]

Has any one successfully hand brush painted with enamel paint their wire wheels after having them sand blasted? Or is this just a too difficult project? Thanks John Spragg Australia.

[Dollar Bill]

Too many surfaces to deal with using a brush and you will never get the brush strokes out of it.

[C26Pinelake]

I totally with Dollar Bill! Why would you ever want to use a brush when there are aerosol sprays that do a great job. It's not powder coat. But then again it is likely no more than 20 dollars. Wayne

[KGBnut]

I painted mine with rattle cans. Yes, there is a lot of waste when painting through the spokes, but it seem to be the best way to get an even finish. I did put the paint on pretty heavy. I seem to remember it took a little more than one full can per rim. The toughest part is where the spokes cross. It is not easy to get the space between them.

One think I like about paint vs. powder coat....both can get chips and cracks over time. I can touch mine up. You really can't do that with powder coat.

Ken

[SAJ]

I had powder coated wheels on my 1930 roadster and they showed rust stains around the welds where spokes meet rim. I think powder coatings are not liquid enough when fused to creep into these interstices round welds etc. So I used plasticote spray can enamel to repaint the wheels about 6 years ago and there is no more rust. Plus touch-up are easy.
I have since welded cracks in my wife's Tudor, sanded everything and resprayed these the same way 3 years ago. Again no problems so far.
The paint is not a perfect match for straw in both cases but close enough for me.
I can do 2 wheels with one can and 4 wheels takes 3 cans. With quite a lot left over for retouch. I have not needed any touch ups on either car so far.
SAJ from NZ in deepest Cornwall at present

[ModelAMike1930]

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When I did mine I used a wire brush wheel and a drill, steel wool and sand paper. I sprayed them with rust-oleum restorer primer and rust-oleum spray gloss enamel. Looks good.

[ronn]

rattle cans work great! I use up old paints to get my base and finish with a nice coat of
Rustoleum or Krylon- they look good for years.

the most important thing is the prep of the wheels-but you already knew that.

[John Spragg]

Thank you all for the advice - much appreciated, looks like it will need to be a spray Job either can or spray gun for the best results. John Spragg, Australia.

[tbirdtbird]

you've gone to the trouble to sandblast them and now want to rattle can them.

what about the idea of a 2-part urethane which will hold up for decades?

[Capt Quahog]

Life has been easier and far less complicated since I stopped considering these vehicles as actual automobiles. Instead, the antique cars are treated as big 12-inch to the FOOT scale models. It is all about image. For wire wheel painting, it is a fast pressure wash and then after dry off it gets the masking tape treatment for tires and the silly little hub cap things. Found it too much bother trying to remove and reinstall that stupid cap with those tabs. It's all quick n dirty. Gloss black cheap Home Depot rattle cans handle the job nicely. Goodbye 1970s Era goofball disco color painted spoke wheels.

[tbirdtbird]

WoW
how do you build your motors?

[1946]

I have painted my wheels with a stipple brush. They were soda blasted and spray undercoated at the blaster shop. I purchased a 1/2 gallon can ( 2 liter) can of RustoLume Silver Hammertone. The wheels were stood upside down on a plant holder, the size to fit over the center of the wheel and placed on a rotating base. I the painted the inside of the rim, inside the center, and the back of the spokes with a dabbing or stipple motion. All five insides done turn them over and do the outside.
Because of the method of painting, there are no brush marks. A second coat was applied about a month later, after the first had harden.
Yes it is slow, and time consuming but the finish is worth it. The motor block was done the same way, in a dark green.
A stipple brush is a short hair brush or a normal paint brush with the hair cut short with a pair of sissors.

[ronn]

what about the idea of a 2-part urethane which will hold up for decades?


hope you're picking the "right" color..........................!