You're a spray painter & you don't use prepsol to clean the surface???
I wouldn't use anything water based to clean them because if you don't get every bit of moisture out you'll have a disaster on your hands, make sure as said you get every bit of surface shine off with some scotchbrite that you can buy along with the prepsol at an automotive paint shop (they can even mix you some good quality paint in pressure packs) mask your tyres and if you miss a bit you can wipe it with some dishwashing detergent so the paint won't stick then go for it.

I use prepsol .

I suggested that way, if he was going to do it at home for SFA money outlay.

If i were to do it, there would be a lot of things I'd do differently. But seriously, I wouldn't expect any job done by an amateur with a pressure pack to last at all, so the prep would make diddly difference.

You can't really. Not with out spending a fortune on equipment.
Using a pressure pack you'll have one of two possible paint types.

Enamel or Acrylic lacquer.
Neither is very durable or long lasting.
Enamel is hard and brittle.
Acrylic lacquer is soft, and scratches easy.

Thus my stance, that it doesn't really make a lot of difference how much effort you put into the prep work, the paint will get chipped and scratched and all that nasty stuff after a fortnight in any case.

d_generate;133803 wrote:

mind you it's illegal to use at home but if you don't tell anyone neither will I:nono:

Well not really Tristian.
It takes a lot of time and practice to do it well.

It's illegal because the sh!t is poisonous. Not like draino poison. But like, cancer of the lungs skin and brain poison.
Also the immediate effects can include blindness, and sever chemical burns.
That and the chemicals, once air born can travel as fair distance, so your putting people at risk, the elderly, the sick, the young.
All these paint chemicals are petrochemicals and thus highly carcinogenic.

Basically, if you intend to do any of this at home, i highly recommend you fork out the $100 for a decent sundstrom respirator.
Dont do it out side, for health reasons. And because you'll end up with copious amounts of sh!t in job.

Top load spray gun = Gravity feed. Just in case you fella's go out and buy one. You wont sound like a pratt .
The alternative is a Suction feed, where the pot is underneath the gun. They're a total c*nt to use IMO, as you have a lot of weight hanging from your hand.
Also they're quiet inefficient, as they can't suck the last 10-20mm of paint up, where as the gravity feed will use every last bit.

Also, I cant stress it enough, DO NOT USE TWO COMPONENT PAINT OUT SIDE OF A BOOTH.
If caught or dobed in, you can face jail time. The stuff is HIGHLY toxic, and HIGHLY illegal to spray out side of a certified spray booth. Also its illegal to spray it in a residential area.
/end covering of one's arse.

You can how ever use enamel and Acrylic lacquer. Again, i suggest doing this in a shed with enough ventilation. But you will need to filter any openings, other wise you and your neighbors will end up with over spray over everything.

Any other questions feel free to ask.

Cheers, Soop.

In reality, being exposed once or twice over a period of twelve months, wont worry you drastically. (Well not that has been proved thus far.)
Its more of a concern in the immediate future for the person spraying the materials.

If your over come by the vapor's, you can pass out, and stop breathing.
As i stated before, these materials are all derived from petrochemicals, most of which attack the central nervous system. I.e the brain.

Also, its not just breathing it in, you have to worry about. The molecules are small enough to enter your body through your skin and eyes.
One your done spraying, the vapors will have attached themselves to your clothes, so when you walk back inside, you'll essentially bring it all with you.
($15 for anti static spray over-alls from any good paint supplier.)

Yeah I've got the good respirator & I only do it outside on sunny warm days & stand up wind, my nearest neighbors are a couple of blocks away so hopefully they don't die.
P.S. Couldn't think of the gravity feed name LOL.

Sorry, i missed one part as im still a noob, but what do i use to rub the surface back? I'm assuming sand paper? But i could always be wrong? I got that i should use detergent and prepsol to clean the surface after removing the glosssy finish, wait a day or 2 so theres no moisture left and then apply the colour of choice. Do i apply a primer? Can anyone recommend a brand of spray paint that may be superior to others? Even though as Soop said, doing it myself won't result in a long lasting quality job either way. Or does it not really matter?

Actually posted at 1.50 am...............I like staying up late:ninja:

iOrion;134240 wrote:

Why not just get them powder coated? The finish is excellent and doesn't chip or wear (unless you curb them) and is a bucketload cheaper.

Mine were done for some $80 a wheel which included sandblasting. I recently had a quote to do my other set of wheels for $60 including sandblasting.

powdercoat FTW!

I paid $300 for all three wheels blasted, cleaned and coated.

CRUISN;134393 wrote:

powdercoat FTW!
I paid $300 for all three wheels blasted, cleaned and coated.