Preparing for painting wheel 1933

[FrankWest]

I want to prepare my spare wheel for painting. Should I take it all down to the metal. Not sure paint is original, but assume it is not.

[Lawson Cox]

Wire wheels look great powder coated. I know it ain't original, but just saying.

[rotorwrench]

If a finish is in solid condition and has no signs of peeling or corrosion underneath then it can be scuffed & repainted using Scotchbrite or a 400 grit sandpaper. Otherwise it would be better to strip it & start over. If you do powder coat then you have to take very good care of it. If powder coat starts to deteriorate then it is very difficult to strip & refinish. A wire wheel is a lot of work to finish properly for sure.

[FrankWest]

Originally Posted by rotorwrench

If a finish is in solid condition and has no signs of peeling or corrosion underneath then it can be scuffed & repainted using Scotchbrite or a 400 grit sandpaper. Otherwise it would be better to strip it & start over. If you do powder coat then you have to take very good care of it. If powder coat starts to deteriorate then it is very difficult to strip & refinish. A wire wheel is a lot of work to finish properly for sure.

Photo of spare tire , tire is badly split along thread, ordered replacement/

[DavidG]

Given the condition of the paint on the wheel, the easiest way to paint a spoke wheel is to turn it over to a powder coat provider, as Lawson recommends. They will remove all of the old paint and it will come back to you with the color evenly distributed everywhere without a drip or a sag in the paint finish. (Obviously you will need to remove the tire and inner tube beforehand.) The color selections available these days in powder coating are very extensive and it is likely that a good color match will be available. Further, powder coating will likely cost less, all in, given the time and effort required to prepare a spoke wheel for conventional painting.

Spoke wheels can, of course, be spray painted, but it is not a job for a painting novice as it requires a rotisserie to keep the wheel turning throughout the application of paint (and thereafter until the paint sets up) to ensure a uniform application of paint and to prevent drips and sags in the paint.

[1931 flamingo]

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In 1968, 32 Model B 4dr sedan, Newport RI. on a Saturday morning, 2 cases of beer, 2 cans red Rustoleum, 2 brushes,4-5 hours, al five wheels painted and not much paint on the ground or tires.

Paul in CT

[FrankWest]

Originally Posted by 1931 flamingo

In 1968, 32 Model B 4dr sedan, Newport RI. on a Saturday morning, 2 cases of beer, 2 cans red Rustoleum, 2 brushes,4-5 hours, al five wheels painted and not much paint on the ground or tires.

Paul in CT

\
Go idea, I already have the paint now I just have to get these gals to do the work

[FrankWest]

Originally Posted by DavidG

Given the condition of the paint on the wheel, the easiest way to paint a spoke wheel is to turn it over to a powder coat provider, as Lawson recommends. They will remove all of the old paint and it will come back to you with the color evenly distributed everywhere without a drip or a sag in the paint finish. (Obviously you will need to remove the tire and inner tube beforehand.) The color selections available these days in powder coating are very extensive and it is likely that a good color match will be available. Further, powder coating will likely cost less, all in, given the time and effort required to prepare a spoke wheel for conventional painting.

Spoke wheels can, of course, be spray painted, but it is not a job for a painting novice as it requires a rotisserie to keep the wheel turning throughout the application of paint (and thereafter until the paint sets up) to ensure a uniform application of paint and to prevent drips and sags in the paint.

I guess the powder coat gives a hardened baked on finish that is easy to clean and care for rather than regular painting.

[FrankWest]

For this....
Maybe powder coat for wire wheels not a good idea?
http://www.mgexp.com/phorum/read.php?3,2910951

Maybe 31flamingo has the right idea! Sounds like more fun anyway.

[Krylon32]

Check a thread by Dennis Lacy over on the HAMB describing the procedure his powder coater uses to do wire wheels. He's putting them on a 32 PU.

[Charlie Stephens]

Originally Posted by FrankWest

For this....
Maybe powder coat for wire wheels not a good idea?
http://www.mgexp.com/phorum/read.php?3,2910951

Maybe 31flamingo has the right idea! Sounds like more fun anyway.

The main concern seems to be in breaking the powder coat when you adjust the wire wheels. You don't adjust the 1933 Ford wire wheels (except initially if they are bent). Be sure to find a good powder coater, they are not all created equal. Also be sure to specify a powder that is designed for being outdoors in the sun. I had the wire wheels on my 1931 powder coated 25 years ago and they have held up fine.

Charlie Stephens

[FlatheadTed]

These cars are not subject to hard use so paint is fine as well ,I would sand blast them rather than dip strip because they are a two part hub and originally were dipped so you have some paint in the seam /join that can be prone to rust .Spin the wheel use 2K. Ted

[quickchange34]

Don't power coat your wheel !! If it gets chipped you are SOL!! Sand blast or Glass bead, prime and paint. Make yourself a stand that turns and slowly turn the wheel as you paint. Keep it up until the paint starts to tack.

[Doctor's Ford]

Frank. The wheels make such a visual impact that I think is worth painting them properly. I can tell you what I did in case you find it helpful. The spraying was done in my yard by a painter, which makes a big difference of course. The wheels were kept hanging for the job. The paint is uniformed and no dripping or sagging. Initially had the wheels sandblasted. Then applied a base coat/rust protection layer and finally sprayed with Tacoma Cream paint based on Polyurethane, which is a shiny and quite durable material. The paint was prepared at a local paint shop using the paint chip samples provided in the book "Antique Ford Repaint Manual". I bought the book from MACs. Certainly, considering that my paint shop was my yard, I had to wait until we had perfect wheather, 75 degrees, dry, no wind, and wife was out for something. It worked OK for me. These are some of the photos. Good luck ! Manuel

[FrankWest]

Thank's Manuel

My wheel are the same color. You are right,,the appearance of the wheel is very import important..Even a great car paint job can look lousy with crummy looking wheels.
Like a man in a new suit with dirty scuff shoes..
I am working on the spare wheel first then later will attempt each wheel separately. My car was running but the fuel pump gave out...I am in the process of rebuilding the fuel pump now.

[FrankWest]

I finally got the bad tire off my spare wheel, and now want to strip the wheel, in preparation for painting. What is the best way to remove the old paint?

[DavidG]

Sand or media blasting or professional chemical stripping such as Redi-Strip.

[s nichols]

I took mine to a machine shop- we hot tanked them- then put them in bead blast cabinet $15 ea- I painted them buy rolling on a 8ft table.

[FrankWest]

Just received my spare tire wheel after sandblasting. They said they coated it afterwards to prevent rusting.

[Bruce/CT]

Thought that this was great and I saved it.
Credit to JNCRASH here on the Fordbarn

Good luck!!
Bruce/CT

http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showth...ng+wire+wheels