Curious if a media blaster cabinet like sold at Harbor Freight is big enough to blast OEM 16" wheels. Aluminum Oxide, glass, walnut, and soda are the medias they sell. Besides Aluminum oxide, what's the next best one? Thanks!
Blasting rims at home (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter thetoyotaman
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walnut should work well I would think.
- Thread starter
- #3
Cool idea!
The glass bead they sell is pretty good stuff, but it will leave a matt finish. I have the HF cabinet, and I think a wheel will fit. You will need a significant air compressor to make it worth your while.
If your trying to remove the clear coat and paint, this stuff works great. No affiliation.
Clear Coat Remover 16 fl oz
Clear Coat Remover 16 fl oz
- Thread starter
- #6
I'm starting with a set of Toyota Alloys and stripped the clearcoat with normal off the shelf paint stripper. The wheels have a lot of splotches from salt and mag chloride they put on the roads in the winter. Wanting to clean up the splotches prior to paint.
A scotch-bright pad on a 4 or 5 inch grinder will clean up the oxidation parts really well. Not sure the blaster will do a great job of taking it off, particularly if they are pitted badly. Once you smooth it out you could media blast to even everything out. I'd use the walnut shells, the aluminum oxide might be too aggressive for aluminum wheels.
gofast
SILVER Star
I agree
Aluminium oxide is pretty aggressive on aluminum. I've used glass on aluminum with great results.
Manifold in this shot was done with glass.
Aluminium oxide is pretty aggressive on aluminum. I've used glass on aluminum with great results.
Manifold in this shot was done with glass.
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I used a hand held blaster that I bought from HF to do my gas tank. I was running two 30 gallon compressors almost continuously. If you fiddle around with the feed it can remove a lot of material in a hurry. I switched to acid for rust though.
If you are going to do this outside, get a kiddie swimmy pool to put under your horses to catch the abrasive and wear a mask for God's sake. Straight blasting sand works better than coal slag.
Prepping and installing a new gas tank, filler neck and skid plate.
I just did my wheels by hand with an angle grinder and other hand abrasives.
They turned out fine.
If you are going to do this outside, get a kiddie swimmy pool to put under your horses to catch the abrasive and wear a mask for God's sake. Straight blasting sand works better than coal slag.
Prepping and installing a new gas tank, filler neck and skid plate.
I just did my wheels by hand with an angle grinder and other hand abrasives.
They turned out fine.
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- Thread starter
- #11
That looks good! Do you mind sharing a little more detail in how you did this? Thanks!
I used one of the stiff knot cup brushes on my angle grinder with the guard removed to get the old finish off and then I used wet sandpaper to fine tune it and then used filler primer to build a smooth surface and then 3 coats of Rustoleum wheel paint in graphite. Probably 1.5 hours per wheel of prep and I didn't do anything to the back side beyond clean them.
Just a suggestion, but have you called any local sand blasting shops to see what they would charge to glass bead those wheels. They may be cheaper than you think. That is unless you just want to justified the expense of buying a glass bead cabinet to your wife, in that case i completely understand wanting to do it yourself. Ha Ha!
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Had 5 rims blasted downtown Cleveland for like 70 bucks. Didn't turn out like smooth but after paint they sure are. They blasted all sides. Wasn't a make your stuff pretty place but dark industrial working joint with a booth. Powder coated in your area can recommend where to go. That's where they send there stuff anyway. Unless of course you want the new tools, then go get 'em.
I had (4) factory LX wheels blasted for $50/wheel and they did ALL surfaces, including where the tire mounts. I am going to polish and accent paint the rims and clear coat the area where the tire mounts to seal it and prevent oxidation.
I got four aftermarket 60 series rims sand blasted at a Tractor trailer shop for $100. We discussed powder coating the rims for $250 and after looking at the rims decided that sand blast and paint would suffice. I tipped the sand blaster $20 cause she hit all the nooks and crannies of the rims after taking them out of the industrial blaster box. Really cool set up. They were working through a fleet order for 18 wheelers and squeezed me in that day.
The soda bottle attached to an air attachment looks cool too. May have to try that in the future.
The soda bottle attached to an air attachment looks cool too. May have to try that in the future.
Scott Norquist
SILVER Star
You are way more ambitious than I, haha. I just had mine professionally refinished and bought OEM center caps and lug nuts.
- Thread starter
- #18
Thanks for all of the suggestions. I’m just a do it yourselfer most of the time. I like figuring things out on my own. Depending on time due to work and weather may decide which route to go.
I had five blasted and powdercoated Galaxy Grey III for $300. That's $60 per wheel for blasting, hand sanding the really rough spots, and colored powdercoat (black is a bit cheaper). I'm all for DIY, but they turned out far better than I could've produced.
My local powder coater charges $30 per wheel to blast and coat whatever color you want 
Did a great job on the rusty junkyard wheels for my Road Runner
Did a great job on the rusty junkyard wheels for my Road Runner
