Scuffing wheels for paint

[Astro4x4]

Anybody used steel wool to scuff for paint? I want to paint the centers of my wheels but as you know the cast is rough, so I'm thinking scuffing with steel wool would be better than sandpaper that won't get down into the cast. How about 3m Scotchbright? Do you figure it would get down in? I'm going to prime with a 2 part primer before colour goes on. I have a blaster, but really don't want it down to the bare aluminum.

TIA,
Dave

[1SikKat]

That's what the 3M is made for...

[Erki]

id say go with the 3m... the red stuff. If your going to prime why dont you want to strip it to bare alum???

[Astro4x4]

Thanks guys. Worried about the aluminum oxidizing which I'm sure would compromise the primer adhesion........ or no?

[Mojoe]

you won't have any problem with the primer sticking. I blasted my complete rim and primed the whole thing. it all worked fine....EXCEPT for the whole paint job shattering to a shattered glass effect. it was not what I had planned, but it looked really cool. it was the clear actually. no flex agent and dried to brittle. this is when I discovered just how much those rims really flex.

but as they said....scotch-brite will do the trick.

[Astro4x4]

Shattered glass effect sounds cool, probably couldn't get it to do it if you wanted to though.

[Erki]

just make sure when priming bare metal of any kind to use an etch primer (adhesion promoter) before the 2k primer. Then you should have no problems.

[kain101]

you won't have any problem with the primer sticking. I blasted my complete rim and primed the whole thing. it all worked fine....EXCEPT for the whole paint job shattering to a shattered glass effect. it was not what I had planned, but it looked really cool. it was the clear actually. no flex agent and dried to brittle. this is when I discovered just how much those rims really flex.

but as they said....scotch-brite will do the trick.

can we see some picks of the shattered glass look?

[Mojoe]

can we see some picks of the shattered glass look?

sorry......sandblasted them down at the end of the season and powder coated them. they were a candy apple red color. it did look cool and people who noticed said so.

it's easy to do. use a regular primer, then basecoat....then clearcoat....make sure it does not contain a flex agent.

then to get it to shatter, get the bike up to 125-130mph or more. that's what it took on mine...lol