painting wheels

Just found an old thread on this, sounds like its best NOT to use hammerite.

Richard

On or around Wed, 29 Nov 2006 15:45:19 GMT, "Richard" enlightened us thusly:

Hammerite is famous for its ability to fight with other paint.

"Richard" wrote

What ever you use make sure you clean any oil off them before you start and rub them down well, the previous owner of my 90 sprayed his white spokes silver and now it's all coming off in sheets.

I have heard that hammer will crack (cos it has lots of glass in it?) and let water under it.

I have a set of wheels with hammer on them and still look fine after 4 years, no bubbles no peeling.

Nigel

Aye but if you spend the time on the preparation and take care getting the get the two coats on in the required 6hrs(?) it's blooming good stuff.

Did some wrought Iron gate hinges here with black gloss hammerite about 5 years ago, they still look as if they where done yesterday. Prep was wire brushing to remove the last few flakes of old paint and the rust (leaving nice rounded pit holes on the rear faces). You do have to be careful with the application by brush as it has a propensity to get bubbles and the bubbles end up as pin holes in the paint film.

Not sure how bog standard hammerite would take the heat, wheels do get warm to hot depending on how much braking you do. Maybe one of the engine type hammerites would be better?

I have painted an engine and brake drums with normal hammerite and it has stuck perfectly. The metal heat shield bolted to the exhaust manifold on my saab turbo prooved too much for it and it burnt it off - but since the turbo sometimes glows red after a good thrash i am not too surprised!.

I have been painting wheels with hammerite for years and never had any problem with it. It will chip a bit and get the odd spot of rust back after a while but so will any paint over rusty metal unless you prep it carefully.

On my 2A's 8 spokes i prepped them with a wire brush. I got the wire wheel on the grinder on the 101's wheels and that has given a better finish and looks like it will last better.

I've done many sets of wheels with it and on the vehicles i still own it is still there!

is it? I've not seen it fight with owt before and i am quite expert at slapping the stuff onto things

hammerite is pretty much a celulose paint (judging by the xylene in it and the fact it works with cellulose thinners).

On or around Thu, 30 Nov 2006 00:09:30 +0000, Tom Woods enlightened us thusly:

maybe it's changed - it used to fight with cellulose and not thin with cellulose thinners, ISTR - you had to buy special hammerite thinners.

Xylene is what the tractor enamel I get has in it.