Step 1. Chemical Dip |
This is a nasty but essential cleaning process where the item is dropped into an acid bath which removes all unwanted paint and coatings. It's nasty on the basis of the cleaning acid with is highly hazardous.
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Step 2. Aqua / Shot Blast |
This a process of glass bead mixed with water at high pressure which removes any remaining debris and cleans (peens) the item ready for painting.
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Step 3. Degreasing
Step 4. Wheel Repair |
We use a alcohol spirit or a hot wash to further clean the substrate removing any final impurities which may be lurking. This process is the final stage of the cleaning process
Most alloys will require a refurbish of rims or wheel faces to remove scratches, grazes and chips. This process takes time and if done correctly, you'll not notice the repair when painted.
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Step 5. Out-gassing |
Out-gassing is essential with alloys or porous metals. The process is an oven bake for approx 30 minutes to extract any oil or impurities left within the substrate. This process removes the contaminates and allows a clean powder attraction to the substrate |
Step 6. Powder Application |
Depending on the powder used, this could be a 1, 2 or 3 stage process which could involve up to 3 times application of primer, base and lacquer coats. Our primer base is normally Epoxy and our lacquer coat is normally the hard wearing Acrylic.
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Step 7. Final oven bake
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All powders have a cure time for example, ONCE the substrate is up to temperature (normally around 180 - 200 degrees centigrade, the timer is set for the cure process which is around 10 minutes at that temperature
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Once the above has been completed, your wheels are ready. It does make you think however, how much work is involved in wheel painting and refurbishment process when done correctly!