Wheel Refurbishment
Stages of refinishing a wheel
1. Inspection. Kerbing damage, lacquer lifting, stone chips and balance weight marks spoil the look of a wheel
2. Stripping. The existing paint and lacquer finish is removed with either shot blasting or a hydrofluoric acid bath. If the wheel is cracked or deformed, it is discarded and we buy a new wheel to replace it.
3. Painting. Unlike standard paint finishes, the paint on a wheel must survive the rigours of tyre fitting, stonechips and road grime corrosion. It is for these reasons that a durable polyester powder coat paint is used and cured in a gas fired oven to give a tough finish that lasts. The powder is electrostatically applied to the wheel to give even and complete surface coverage. The powder reaches its glass point in an oven, but before it is fully cured, the silver cellulose or water based paint is applied. This is again part cured and the top clear lacquer applied. The wheel is then fully cured and the 3 layers fuse together in the oven.
5. The wheel is inspected at each stage to ensure a good even coverage to the finish and that there are no defects in the metal
