My dad bought a sandblaster a while ago and never used it. I wanted to know if I could use it to polish my GTA rims.Would it remove the clear coat and paint? What are sandblasters usually used on? Any help or instructions on using a sandblaster is appreciated. Thanks

 

Haven't used a sand blaster much. I would use it to take clear coat off though. But before you paint you'll nedd to sand it lightly with a less coarse grit. One tip wear as much of a suite that you can. Sand will be everywhere including socks shoes pockets hair. I've used sand blasters on car bodies, bumpers, misc parts that were going to be painted, and intakes. Good luck

 

Only kind I've used before what the box type that has gloves and a window. The only tip I have is to try and work even across the piece... if you stay in one place too long, the surface will be uneven. Sandblasting will be perfect for stripping wheels.

 

I dont know that much about sand blasters but I would suggest that you see if you can use something other than sand. Is the sand blaster the same as a bead blaster. I know you can use different products to strip paint like walnut shells, plastic beads, glass beads.

Im not sure, but when blasting a piece you have to take into consideration how soft the material you are stripping is made of.

 

It's not a good idea for someone with little or no experience sand blasting to jump right in on soft aluminum wheels. They pit easy and you can easily mess up. Try your skills on a piece of scrap before you trash a wheel. If you have the right system you could also use a softer media too. ( plastic beads, ceramic bits )

 

I agree, sandblasting, might be a little harsh, especially if you use some sort of silica based sand. You might end up with a worse mess than you started.

I plan on taking a spare axel and hooking a motor up to it with a sewing machine pedal for speed. then as it spins take sand paper to get off the old paint. then polish and paint.

sounds good in theory don't it.

I had a friend who wired his car to a kill switch, jacked it up, took the switch to next to where he was working/ Started the car and as the tire spun he took sandpaper and sanded the surface of his wheel. This is REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY DANGEROUS so being extra careful is a must. I do NOT recommend it, I am only saying it has been done before.

Actually in the factory, they would paint your wheels a single color, like the charcoal gray color, then machine the surface with a nice sharp bit, on a lathe type machine, then clear coat it.

Unfortunately most of us do not have access to such things...

Good luck

John

 

sand blasting and bead blasting are basically the samething, like stated above i'd practice a little first or go some other route, in the bodyshop we use sandblasting more for stripping frames and large hardware more than stipping cars body panels... this is a bodyshop point of view.... hope it helps....

 

TIP, don't polish the wheels before you clear them. The clear will just peel right off. Been there done that. I stripped my GTA wheels, polished the lips, painted them, and then clear coated. When I had the first tire mounted the clear coat peeled off in one large piece. The clear coat has to have something to bond to. I'm going to have to sand the lips and do it again.

 

that might have been caused by the quality of paint. I pay about $7.00 for a can a good spraypaint. anything less peals, or does not coat well and runs

John

 

I don't think that was it. My clear cost over two hundred dollars a gallon with the catalist. Haven't peeled off of the car or centers of the wheels yet. I sprayed my wheels on the 77 T/A with the same thing 3 years ago. Still on them. I sanded these wheels with 2000 grit paper and then polished them, they look like chrome. Too smooth for the paint to adhere to.

 

if you paid that much for clear you got ripped off, what are you using

 

why not just polish the rim then paint and clear just the center.
Dont clear the outer ring. You can repolish it from time to time with a little mothers polish, and wont have to risk the wheel weights causing the clear to peel.

 

The stuff in spray cans is definately inferior to the canned stuff. What you bought is better. I assumed you were like some folks here who seem to use spraypaint for everything and call it good. If you look at the wheels from the factory, they are not perfectly smooth, and I agree with you that the smoothness of the surface would cause paint to peal.

I believe GM uses some sort special clear coat for their wheels, there was a service bulliton on re-finishing wheels I have around here somewhere, and GM specifically recommended a certain paint. I do not know where it is, so please dont ask...

John

 

Can't help that I may have paid too much. I use PPG urathane. Time you buy a gallon of clear and the catalist for it, you tell me how much YOU pay.

 

i also us ppg thats all i use, but maybe it helps that i work for a bodyshop, where are you buying your materials from...i have never heard of anyone paying that much for clear...