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Stripping Paint from stock wheels for basic restore

I need help stripping the paint of my stock wheels so that I can do a simple rustoleum paint job afterwards and have a decent winter tire combo. I know exactly how to do the rustoleum paint job thereafter but want to know how to get all of the stock paint off so it doesn't peel. It doesn't need to be all pretty, just enough so that I know that it won't come peeling off. I see posts about aircraft paint stripper in here but wasn't sure where to get it. Do I need gloves handy and how well does it work? Do I need to scrub it and if so what with?

I used an angle grinder for the quick and dirty but it dug deeper than I like and most parts were not reachable. A wire brush on a drill didn't do enough.

Thanks
 
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BrandonEchols

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Jan 18, 2010
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793
Location
Anchorage, AK
Aircraft stripper + a wirebrush on a drill should do it.
You need to put on the stripper and let it sit, and keep applying it - the paint will start to bubble up and come off pretty easy. Yes, wear gloves - get a box of the nitrile kind from Home Depot or somewhere similar. Your local NAPA or other auto store should have aircraft stripper, and maybe even the gloves too.
 

Thanks for letting me know...especially on the gloves part...tired of getting scars from different chemicals and not wearing them.
 

curtis

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May 4, 2003
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Clarksville TN
They suck to get uber clean. I stripped a set back in the summer and after bead blasting for over an hour on one wheel I quit. I decided to just leave a wheel in the cabinet until its clean and then change it out to the next one. Kills two birds with one stone and eventually I'll have them all done and sell them.
 

BrandonEchols

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Jan 18, 2010
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Anchorage, AK
Agreed. I did some wheels and if I could do it over again, I would just give them a good sanding on the stock paint to get adhesion, prime and paint. I did mine with spray rustoleum, and they turned out pretty good, but the stripping of the old paint was definitely the worst part.
See THIS THREAD for a couple more of my comments on the situation.

Don't forget if you take it down to bare metal you should really use an etching primer also.

I'd just sand the paint, and use Rust-Oleum Professional Primer Spray (Grey) and then Rust-Oleum Professional High Performance Enamel Spray in whatever color you like.
 

Galantvr4559

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Jul 15, 2011
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Denver, CO
I am a body and paint guy. before u use the aircraft stripper u need to scrarch the surface of the paint with 80grit sandpaper and then apply the stripper and then put a plastic bag right on top of the stripper and let it sit for 45 minutes. Pull the plastic off and everything that has the stripper on it should just wipe off with a puddy knife. If u got any other queations feel free to text or call me my cell is 307 399 9803.
 

Galantvr4559

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Jul 15, 2011
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Denver, CO
Do not use an etch primer on aluminum it will just peel off u need to use epoxy sesler/primer u can get that at napa as well. And wear two pairs of gloves and a mask. Aircraft stripper is very very strong in smell and if it get on ur skin u will know almost immediatly.
 

rdomeck

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Jun 1, 2011
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Indianapolis, In.
Find a blaster and pay the $25 per wheel and not have to deal with the big mess of stripper! Just my two cents worth!
 

89Mirageman

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Stantonsburg, NC
I get the paint stripper in the quart size can at wal-mart for about $9. Get the thick gel kind and not the runny kind. Buy a cheap 1" paint brush and trim the bristles so they are stiff, get an old veggie can like beans or corn comes in. Apply some stripper and wait ten minutes and apply more. Keep brushing it on and waiting until you see it bubble up (20-30 min.). Put on long sleeves and pants and some goggles and fire up the pressure washer and have at it. Be sure to do this in a safe place where there is nothing around you. My pressure washer is electric and still has plenty of pressure to blow the paint off. If there is a little left I just repeat the process until they look new. Ususally takes no more than 2 times per wheel. I strip valve covers the same way and this is by far the easiest way that I have found because you don't have to touch them.
 

curtis

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May 4, 2003
Messages
11,892
Location
Clarksville TN
Quoting rdomeck:
Find a blaster and pay the $25 per wheel and not have to deal with the big mess of stripper! Just my two cents worth!



Yea exactly..... even with a blast cabinet not fun. Sometimes you can find a local monument company that cuts letters in head stones. Before they change out there sand alot of them will blast car parts but you may have to wait a month to get them back and when they come back there ready for powder coat but the surface finish is super rough and not the frosted look from glass beads. Sand blasted is great for powdercoat but for paint takes alot of coats to fill the pits from the sand.
 

rdomeck

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Jun 1, 2011
Messages
620
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Indianapolis, In.
I have a local powder coater that will bead blast wheels for $25. I have my own beed blast cabinet, but I can't pay one of my guys to blast four wheels for that. Once I run the compressor and pay a them by the hour. I can actually have wheels blasted and powder coated for $65 each....I really cant blast and paint them myself for that!
 

I ended up sanding down the chipping wheels where it was peeling with 60 grit then priming to see where I might have missed. Still a few areas that I miss and the surface imperfections of the old uneven paint and the angle grinder show up....but no bother...this is my winter wheel combo. I don't really care. I would guess that this will come peeling apart sooner or later, but I would suspect later.

If and when it does happen, I will deal with it. Hopefully it just happens a wheel at a time. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif If not, I will just redo all 4...wheels look 10 million times better than they did before though. Thanks for everyones time.
 
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