Painting wheels and center caps. AWESOME Results
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Joined: Jun 2005
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Painting wheels and center caps. AWESOME Results
This DIY has been posted before, I think.
Duplicolor makes a graphite-colored wheel coating and clear coat.
The trick to this is prep work and patience. Trust me, I know.
Assume that between all coats, I used super-high grit sandpaper to smooth out any rough spots or bubbles.
Before starting, remove the wheels. If you don't you're a moron.
1) Clean Wheels Thoroughly. Degrease like crazy. Use a red Scotchbrite and scrub like crazy.
2) Clean Again. And again. And Again.
3) Let dry.
4) Scuff with high-grain uber-fine sandpaper.
5) Wipe down to remove all dust.
6) Rub down with paint thinner or isopropyl alcohol. Do NOT touch with your hands (no oils on the rims at all). Allow the paint thinner or alcohol to evaporate.
7) Insert index cards or 8.5x11" paper folded in half between the edge of the rim and the tire. They stick out at about a 45-degree angle, preventing any overspray from getting on your tire and allowing you to squirt paint between the rim and paper.
8) Spray a LIGHT initial coat of the duplicolor wheel coat. I mean LIGHT. Hold can about 6" from wheel and keep it moving in a constant side-to-side motion. Also leave wheel flat to prevent runs, do not prop up vertical. Better to spend more on another can of spray paint than to deal with runs.
9) Allow first coat to dry enough that it is no longer wet, but still tacky. (about 10 minutes or so). Proceed with a second coat, a little heavier spray this time.
10) Repeat, repeat, repeat. I went through one and a half cans, giving me about six coats.
11) Clear Coat spray is next. Again, start with a light coat, allow to partially dry, and repeat with another medium coat every 15 minutes or so. Avoid runs at all costs.
12) Allow to dry for at least 24 hours before handling.
CENTER CAPS:
1) I peeled off the ASA decals, which were wearing out and chipped and faded.
2) I scraped off the glue and lightly sanded, prepping as described above. I used paint thinner, which did not damage the plastic. (I was worried that it would).
3) I did 3 coats of bright red high heat engine enamel
4) I found the Honda emblem on the internet. Resized in Word it so that it would fit in a 2.25" circle, and printed it out on the back of the sticky screen protector film that I have for my PDA.
5) I cut that out very very carefully and stuck it to the dried red enamel, making sure it was perfectly centered.
6) I sprayed with three coats of graphite paint.
7) I let that dry. Ran an xacto blade along the edges of the sticker to make sure it peeled away cleanly, and then peeled it off.
8) 4 coats of clear coat smooths it all out and makes it look professional
Duplicolor makes a graphite-colored wheel coating and clear coat.
The trick to this is prep work and patience. Trust me, I know.
Assume that between all coats, I used super-high grit sandpaper to smooth out any rough spots or bubbles.
Before starting, remove the wheels. If you don't you're a moron.
1) Clean Wheels Thoroughly. Degrease like crazy. Use a red Scotchbrite and scrub like crazy.
2) Clean Again. And again. And Again.
3) Let dry.
4) Scuff with high-grain uber-fine sandpaper.
5) Wipe down to remove all dust.
6) Rub down with paint thinner or isopropyl alcohol. Do NOT touch with your hands (no oils on the rims at all). Allow the paint thinner or alcohol to evaporate.
7) Insert index cards or 8.5x11" paper folded in half between the edge of the rim and the tire. They stick out at about a 45-degree angle, preventing any overspray from getting on your tire and allowing you to squirt paint between the rim and paper.
8) Spray a LIGHT initial coat of the duplicolor wheel coat. I mean LIGHT. Hold can about 6" from wheel and keep it moving in a constant side-to-side motion. Also leave wheel flat to prevent runs, do not prop up vertical. Better to spend more on another can of spray paint than to deal with runs.
9) Allow first coat to dry enough that it is no longer wet, but still tacky. (about 10 minutes or so). Proceed with a second coat, a little heavier spray this time.
10) Repeat, repeat, repeat. I went through one and a half cans, giving me about six coats.
11) Clear Coat spray is next. Again, start with a light coat, allow to partially dry, and repeat with another medium coat every 15 minutes or so. Avoid runs at all costs.
12) Allow to dry for at least 24 hours before handling.
CENTER CAPS:
1) I peeled off the ASA decals, which were wearing out and chipped and faded.
2) I scraped off the glue and lightly sanded, prepping as described above. I used paint thinner, which did not damage the plastic. (I was worried that it would).
3) I did 3 coats of bright red high heat engine enamel
4) I found the Honda emblem on the internet. Resized in Word it so that it would fit in a 2.25" circle, and printed it out on the back of the sticky screen protector film that I have for my PDA.
5) I cut that out very very carefully and stuck it to the dried red enamel, making sure it was perfectly centered.
6) I sprayed with three coats of graphite paint.
7) I let that dry. Ran an xacto blade along the edges of the sticker to make sure it peeled away cleanly, and then peeled it off.
8) 4 coats of clear coat smooths it all out and makes it look professional
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
FYI,
Turned out these were the wrong size so I'm selling them. See the parts classified section as DIY is not the place to put stuff up for sale. I just thought it still was a good DIY even if I can't enjoy the results myself.
https://www.honda-acura.net/forums/s...d.php?t=193827
Turned out these were the wrong size so I'm selling them. See the parts classified section as DIY is not the place to put stuff up for sale. I just thought it still was a good DIY even if I can't enjoy the results myself.
https://www.honda-acura.net/forums/s...d.php?t=193827
