VHT wheel paint or powdercoat

[jasonrenda]

Hi everyone,
This is my first post so pleae bear with me.

I am looking into getting the seup to do some powdercoating - hopefully Christmas will bring some funds for a compressor. Then I'll pick up a blast cab and the powdercoat system. Until then, or even instead of, I was considering using the VHT wheel paint on 2 harley spoked rims and hubs. I want to do them in white.

The rims are relatively new and don't have much pitting or any chrome peeling.

My questions are:
1 - is the VHT wheel paint any good for motorcycle rims? will it withstand some rocks, debris, etc?

2 - how do i prep the wheels? can i hand sand the rims and just spray it on? If I need to pull em apart to get them blasted I might as well wait till I get the PC setup and do it that way. Plus I'll need to get them relaced and trued - ugh.

3 - do i need a primer?

thanks in advance for any help!
- jason

[sswee]

Re: VHT wheel paint or powdercoat

1 - is the VHT wheel paint any good for motorcycle rims? will it withstand some rocks, debris, etc?
If the VHT wasn't a decent product, I don't believe Caswell would handle it. I can't say how long it or any liquid would hold up. Long term I would recommend PC.
2 - how do i prep the wheels? can i hand sand the rims and just spray it on? If I need to pull em apart to get them blasted I might as well wait till I get the PC setup and do it that way. Plus I'll need to get them relaced and trued - ugh.
Surface prep is going to be the biggest part of the job. Any surface to be coated will have to be scuffed and cleaned extremely well or the coating will peel. Scuffing with scotch brite or wet sanding at 400 then 600 grit for liquid paint will be extremely labor intensive, especially on a laced rim. Do you want white spokes also or just the rim. A white rim with stainless spokes would look sharp but it's all about what you like. I went to an alum. mags on my Harley after a bad wreck.
3 - do i need a primer?
Probably not with the VHT and proper prep.

I think you would be much happier with the PC. It'll cost more in the beginning but in the end you'll be able to do more on your bike and maybe recoupe some of the cost doing stuff for your riding buddies. You can't beat the people here if you need help on a problem and Caswell sells good products. Best of luck whatever you decide. SS

[dkrugler]

Re: VHT wheel paint or powdercoat

I have a follow-on question. I am painting an old Chris Craft anodized aluminum windshield frame. It was pitted, had white powder oxidation and many hole repairs that led me to believe it would be hard and expensive to re-anodize so I used VHT silver wheel paint from Caswell, product #SP-181 and I like the color. My question is after the paint is fully cured can this paint be rubbed with anything to smooth it up a bit and give it a semi-gloss appearance or should I just leave it alone? The can says full cure is achieved in 7 days, is that long enough to wait before trying to rub it?

Thanks in advance...

Dave Krugler