Polishing Powder Coated Wheels

[Crispy]

Has anybody done any "polishing" on powder coated surfaces?

I have looked every where and no answers?

Most wheels in the newer cars are powder coated, so surely somebody has been working with them.

I have a set of wheels powder coated 3 months ago with bad orange peel.

What can I do to fix?

[TTQ B4U]

I thought I just saw a thread on this? Will look......

IIRC you really can't do much with them. Most common Powdercoat is a polyester blend, plastic/rubber like but very very tough. Polish probably won't make a dent. I would imagine trying to polish it won't likely yield much outside perhaps dulling the finish a bit. Haven't had to do so myself but that's my guess.

[Mike Phillips]

Here's something I wrote back in 2008 and I have not experienced anything different than what I wrote about back then.

You'll also see Kevin Brown and Renny Doyle chime in with their thoughts....


Polishing Powder Coating ???? (http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?24139#YXsHuOmDP6mH4ApZ.97)


The wheels on my truck are BRPs and they are powdercoated. I tried polishing them once, I think with a cleaner/wax just to TEST and see if a little rubbing made any difference and I don't remembering it making enough difference to continue.

I have been itching to try out the Griot's Garage 3" pneumatic polisher with some of the hi-tech compounds and the Lake Country 3.5" grey ThinPro pads and see if getting more aggressive with high speed helps but have not gotten around to it yet.


There's probably a method for powdercoated surfaces I'm just not sure what it is.

Also, I'd like to point out that things change. Just like the phones we talk on have changed/improved in the last few years paint technology is always evolving. The thread I linked to above is from 2008, that's 9 years ago. Could be powdercoat paints have become more "polishable" than they were back then.

Of course, the powdercoated rims on my truck are only a few years old and again... they don't appear to react to polishing/abrading like normal car paint.


:dunno:

[Setec Astronomy]

Most wheels in the newer cars are powder coated

What's your basis for that? While there is plenty of powdercoating going on in the aftermarket (both for new wheels and refinish), AFAIK factory wheels are still done the old fashioned way, paint.

[Mike Phillips]

I did a quick Google search and found that the Eastwood Company makes both powder coating paint and the tools to spray powder coating paints and they also sell a powder coating polish.

Just Google

Eastwood Powder Coating Polish



I also found a YouTube video by the Eastwood Company that shows them using the polish and at the very end of the video they wipe the polish residue off an show the results and it looked good to me. The description for the polish says it's non-abrasive. After watching it being hand applied, wiped off and a visual improvement to visibly scratched powder coated paint, to me this means it has some type of chemical cleaner that does the cleaning/abrading.


I also found this video that does a really good job of explaining the science behind powder coating.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YkkKIQd4IU



This guy goes deep.....


:)

[chefwong]

Original Poster,

Orange Peel on wheels PC 3 months ago if I'm reading it correct.
A wild guess is the powder is not sprayed right or oven issues...

[Mike Phillips]

A wild guess is the powder is not sprayed right or oven issues...




That sounds about right.

A person could try sanding the orange peel flat and then buffing out their sanding marks but to me this would be a ton of work and if you can't get your sanding marks out or if you sand through the powdercoat paint to primer or metal then you're worse off than when you started.


:dunno:

[57BORNTORUN]

Original Poster,

Orange Peel on wheels PC 3 months ago if I'm reading it correct.
A wild guess is the powder is not sprayed right or oven issues...

Too much powder or not enough cure time in the oven generally causes this to occur.

[chefwong]

Crispy -

A quick telltate sign you got a guy who know's how to PC wheels...
Look at where the nuts rest on the wheel bolts . The PC should be very nice and thin....
Look on the back of the wheel - where the wheel hub is. There should a very thin on PC thickness compared to the overall PC of the wheel. If is is heavy.....you ain't got a good PC guy.

[Crispy]

Too much powder or not enough cure time in the oven generally causes this to occur.

There was no sanding done after they sandblasted with steel shot (if it was it was a bad job).

Had I known I would have taken them back and sanded them back to the way they were when I gave them to them.

They were polished to high gloss but I could not get them sealed properly to beat the harsh winter conditions.

That is why I'm asking for help.

Also agree that sanding out the orange peel would be a big chore.

I would be hsppy just to get it to shine.

[57BORNTORUN]

Can you explain "steel shot" please.

[Setec Astronomy]

Can you explain "steel shot" please.

Yeah, that's basically BB's. It's called "shot blasting" and is usually used on metal to impart compressive stress and improve the fatigue characteristics, or on concrete floors. Not sure why they did it on Crispy's wheels.

What is shot blasting? - Wheelabrator (http://www.wheelabratorgroup.com/us/sites/wheelabrator/content/about_us/about_wheelabrator/what_is_shot_blasting.aspx)

[FUNX650]

@OP:
On 09-22-2016,
You posted the following:



I have a freshly coated set I will try
a test spot to remove orange peel.
Just being careful as they cost alot to do.

If I had this much orange peel on
a body panel I would have taken
it back to the painter.
•I wouldn't have accepted the wheels,
in that condition, to begin with.
(Yes, I know, that's besides the
point right now.)

•Nonetheless...
IMHO it boils down to this:
-since you now know that Powder
Coatings (PCs) are not like the usual
auto-paints when it comes to sanding,
compounding, and polishing...
-only you can decide if it's too late
now to take 'em back for a "do-over":
that's the "true fix".



Bob

[chefwong]

A #### note......especially with wheels. Cast or forged, IMO the rules till apply.

If you deem your PC is not competent from the original job, I would not be going back for a redo.
There is a fine line between the heat required to cure the powdercoat and how much heat the metal can take before it WEAKENS.


Not sure why the word is banned, but #### I wrote the word w1k1

[57BORNTORUN]

Yeah, that's basically BB's. It's called "shot blasting" and is usually used on metal to impart compressive stress and improve the fatigue characteristics, or on concrete floors. Not sure why they did it on Crispy's wheels.

What is shot blasting? - Wheelabrator (http://www.wheelabratorgroup.com/us/sites/wheelabrator/content/about_us/about_wheelabrator/what_is_shot_blasting.aspx)

Correct term would be shot peening in the automotive world or at least that`s what us gear heads call it.Used primarily in engine, rear end, ect. parts that were previously forged.The blasting of non-forged steel rims is mostly finished with between 80-120 grit abrasive.Can`t envision the need or use of shot to blast when the coated surface should be smooth and clean as possible.