VW scala alloys - helios blue

hi,

would wire-wooling these silver bits & then carefully respraying/repainting make any difference. not after perfection, just after them looking acceptable. wheels will get knackered by london kerbs anyway…

cheers

Without actually seeing the wheel I am guessing they are laquered. So those marks are where the laquer has gone and salty walter has got in.

Wire wool won't touch it, need wet and dry, then relaquer.

And if they are not laquered. Autosol and elbow grease!

Peter.

that's exactly what has happened… but am i right in saying that these wheels are made by powder coating, then polishing, then laquering?

if so, could i get them looking shiny again if i wet n dry and then relaquer? or why they always look dull?

cheers.

I don't think the silver bits are coated prior to laquer?
The wheel would originally be painted black all over, then put on a machine to cut the face back to metal, you should be able to see the lines in the metal,

then laquered, or not.

I would Start with as higher number wet and dry as I could, maybe a 500 then work up to 1200, then some metal polish. then clean all residue off and relaquer. may need to relaquer whole wheel,

Getting a good gloss finish is all in the laquer application, lots of nice thin coats, just before it gets so heavy it runs, STOP.

I would  take the wheel off. Otherwise more likely to get runs.

LOL.

Peter.

this is the best news i've had all day. bottom line is, with a bit of elbow grease, i should be able to get them looking good again. not perfect, but good.

sorry for ignorance. which is more abrasive, 500 or 1200?

massively appreciate your previous advice, thanks. i thought the wheels were a goner, short of spending big money on a proper refurb. am delighted.

Larger the number the finer the grit.

Tian

Don't muck about with wire wool/papers/etc…

Spend a bit of cash getting a sandblast gun and shot blast them - either that or give them to someone who can blast them for you.

If you want them polished, flap wheel all the way.

My preference for getting wheels done is to blast them then get them stove enameled - super strong finish that doesn't corrode and is dead easy to clean.

Had a set of Lancia Beta Cromadoras blasted and stove enameled by a lad who makes wheelchairs for a living for twenty quid - came back lovely!!

ok,

so i tried a bit of wet and dry, then tried a bit of metal polish but i'm never gonna get anything like the finish of the 2 good'ish wheels that i have, even with clear lacquer, as when i've used this in the past on silver alloy wheel paint, it's made things appear darker. unless there is some magical lacquer that brings out the shinyness??? Bottom line is, the metal is just WAY too dark. bit gutted, so after some advice please.

polishing kit from machine mart. and a lot of time. the metel is'nt dull the oxidising and scratches make it look dull though. depends what material they are made from. if the are a magnesium alloy you will never get them shiny as it will oxidise and dull again. try not to use anything heavier than 800 grit and lots of water as the scratches are to deep to remove.
30-60 quid a wheel will get then diamond cut.

can i just get the wheels diamond cut on a lathe, to a pre-set cutting template that they have? the blue bits of the wheels are perfect and i can put the lacquer on myself.

will this make them shiny?

if so, does anyone know of anywhere that will do this. ideally asap.