Need help removing clear from rims

[97ws6]

Has anybody done this? Its a bitch, i am polishing my WS6 rims, one f them is clearcoated, i need to remove the clear to polish the aluminum

[chevylover5]

2 words: have fun! its a lot of work man, i did it to my 92z rims when i polished them, talk about a PITA. start sanding start at 80 grit and work ur way down the stages till ur at 320wet. then hit it real good with about a thousand coats of mother blue. and your good to go. but dont be afraid when it starts to turn black just keep workin with it til you get the shine you want. i researched this extensivly, if anyone else did theres another way i would love to hear it. good luck
-ken

[Knipps]

Originally Posted by chevylover5

2 words: have fun! its a lot of work man, i did it to my 92z rims when i polished them, talk about a PITA. start sanding start at 80 grit and work ur way down the stages till ur at 320wet. then hit it real good with about a thousand coats of mother blue. and your good to go. but dont be afraid when it starts to turn black just keep workin with it til you get the shine you want. i researched this extensivly, if anyone else did theres another way i would love to hear it. good luck
-ken

power tools

[chevylover5]

have fun gettin a DA in there and a dremel will take longer than doing it by hand and any air sanding attachments are too aggressive for aluminum... havent tried sand blasting tho, i still think its too agressive tho

[j0n]

bead-blast em...paul(hardcorez) might be able to do it

[Fast92RS]

Use aircraft remover stripper.. it works good.

[ins0mnia24]

Originally Posted by Fast92RS

Use aircraft remover stripper.. it works good.

Tal-strip 2 It is called it is better to use the brush on stuff instead of the spray on can version...
You brush it on let it sit on the clear coat for 10 minutes until it starts bubbling and blistering
then you hose it off
400 grit wet/dry sand paper would help to

[WildBillyT]

When working with aluminum be VERY VERY careful with chemical stripping methods.

[jola]

Originally Posted by WildBillyT

When working with aluminum be VERY VERY careful with chemical stripping methods.

What happens if you mess up?

[WildBillyT]

Originally Posted by jola

What happens if you mess up?

If you use too harsh a cleaner you can pit the aluminum.

[jola]

Originally Posted by WildBillyT

If you use too harsh a cleaner you can pit the aluminum.

Is it too tough of a job for someone who has never used chemical strippers before? Or would I need to just pay close attention and follow directions?

[WildBillyT]

Originally Posted by jola

Is it too tough of a job for someone who has never used chemical strippers before? Or would I need to just pay close attention and follow directions?

It's not too hard but you just need to be careful in selecting a chemical stripper. Make sure it's safe for aluminum. Also, do it when it's relatively warm outside- as with other chemical reactions temperature has something to do with how fast the reaction happens.

You might want to try giving the guys at Eastwood a call and see what they recommend.

Example: http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?i...emType=PRODUCT

Note it specifically says that it won't harm aluminum.

[jola]

Thanks! The clear on my wheels looks terrible.

[97ws6]

OK heres what i did, i bought aircraft stripper from Lowes, brushed it on, within 5 minutes it came right off, cleaned it up with enamel reducer, and buffed it with an aluminum buffeing kit that i bought, the rims look like new now, it is a lot of work though.

[jola]

Have any before and after pics?

[97ws6]

No pix, but i can post some if you really want me to.

[jola]

Originally Posted by 97ws6

No pix, but i can post some if you really want me to.

No need to go out of your way. I was just wondering in case you had them. Glad you like them!

[jims69camaro]

my wheels had paint on them under the clear, and the paint is not a color i would want on any car (almost a pinkish color). i used the sandpaper method, though i started with 36 grit. it's very abrasive, but with a light touch and power tools (backup batteries FTW), it all came off.

the 91Z wheels have grooves in them, and natch, they had paint down in the grooves, so i had to come up with something to get down in the groove and not take forever and not beat the hell out of my fingers/hands/arms/shoulders (you get the idea), so i put some 100 on a paint stick and slid it back and forth in the groove until the paint came off of all three surfaces. sounds like a bitch, but i guess it all depends on how badly you want you rims to look good. i am never afraid of a little hard work and am always up for learning a better way.

anyway, the surface of the wheels is so slick, an egg would slide right off of them - i ended with 2000 grit, wet, after running the gamut: 36, 80, 100, 220, 320, 400, 500, 600, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000.