Technical Steel wheel painting

I am about ready to paint some steel wheels that have the tires mounted..I did a search and most popular way to keep over spray off the tires was to use index cards stuck between rim tire with small over overlap..Next seemed to be typical masking with tape/paper [I hate doing this!]...I tried the index cards and they don't wedge in well enough with my tire/rim combo..Masking with tape I hate and having to do 8 "sides" I am wondering if there is a masking I can brush on the tires? I will search google next but have to run some errands first..

 

Just break the seal at the tire bead, then use paper, tape or whatever you have handy to cover the tire, then inflate after painting.

 

There is a “brushable masking tape “
Never used it but have seen it at Home Depot.



Never used it but seems pretty cool
I’m thinking the clean up will take as much time as just masking the tires

I have done it in the past getting a big piece of card board and cutting out the rim diameter exactly and just laying it over the tire and painting
Takes a bit of time but you only need one to do your 4 wheels

 

I usually let the air out, and had no problem getting card stock to fit in. Playing cards, business cards, pieces cut from poster board all have done the trick.

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I used 2" masking tape and I applied it so it covered the edge of the rim a little, then used a sharp utility knife against the edge of the rim as a guide to cut the tape. Make sure your tires are clean before you start taping, a quick swipe with gasoline or lacquer thinner so the tape sticks well. Practice on the inside of a wheel for your first one where no one'll see it. Might take you 10 minutes/wheel doing both sides.

 

Hey S,
Letting the air out and breaking the bead works well. I have also used masking tape all around. Both ways did well for the black rims to turn white one time and silver the next. Those products from Home Depot or Lowe's will work, too. But if you do not want to do that and want to get started right away, get some rubber cement. It does the same as those name brands sold at the big box stores.

As a teenager, I was messing around with our steel lawnmower wheels, I used rubber cement. It brushes on and after the spray painting, peels or rolls right off leaving a solid edge and no paint on the tires. Later on I had a spare that was red and I wanted to match the black of my second 40 sedan delivery wheels. So, again, I used rubber cement and it worked just fine.

Jnaki
Finally, during my R/C car building days, I used rubber cement on the aluminum rims instead of peeling the tires off, when changing color to match the body. The tires were glued on by the bead, so that necessitated the rubber cement.

One last thing...the latest purchase and use was this liquid electrical tape. I needed it to cover some small exposed wire ends. It smelled like rubber cement, looked like rubber cement and causes cancer like rubber cement...so a warning is necessary for extended use. So, if you have some, try it on a rubber surface first.

 

Use a deck of cards instead of index cards......as they are smaller and more stiff and will wedge in there better. Wedge them in vertically so the small dimension follows the rim radius.

 

Use vaseline

 

^^^^^^^ > x2

 

Heck we all know that everything you buy is known to cause cancer in the state of California

So if you live outside California you’re fine

 

i don't know the level of finish your looking for but on tractors rims i have just sprayed them, then immediately wipe the tires with a clean dry rag. then a finish clean up with a rag with a little reducer on it.

 

I use a plastic FOR SALE sign and cut it into 3rds longways.... lodge it between the tire and rim. Thin material but sturdy and pretty well stays in place.

 

In the army we smeared grease on anything not to get painted.

 

picture by blowby, from the "how did you paint that fixtures and taping technics" thread.

 

I use 2” tape, short strips that tuck under the edge of the rim overlapping each other then paper or plastic. Takes a couple minutes a side. Used to do lots of big tires in my painting days. Small stuff I would rather dismount and paint the whole rim


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I use 3/4" tape, in strips about 3 inches long, tucked in between the tire and the rim, then put a sheet of paper over the wheel and cut it out with a razor blade. Make sure the tire is clean, so tape will stick, the valve stem too. A few quick pics with a cell phone will tell you where to reinstall the wheel weights.

 

Take a cheap brush and a tube of chassis grease and apply on tire. Paint and wipe off after. Pressure wash it if you have one. I use grease over body tags , spray and wipe off. Easy as that.

 

I cut a piece of clear plastic sheet, about 2'X2", cut a hole out of the middle about 1" bigger than the edge of the rim. and attach with some 1/2 or 3/4" masking tape, just tucking it in with the edge of a steel rule. Most times you can peel it off, and just stick it down onto the next wheel, using your steel rule.

 

bought a kit years ago that used strips of galvanized sheet metal - strips about 4" wide & more than long enough to wrap tight around outside edge of rim - used what looked like door edge protection strips about 3" long that you slide onto area at top of strip around wheel where the metal overlaps - still need to cover exposed tire with newspaper, rags, etc to protect from possible overspray mist

 

To me the liquid electrical tape smells like the self made rubber balloons from the late 70's. It was a kit with a multi color blob of rubberish stuff you rolled up, put on the end of a short straw and blew it into a psychedelic balloon.

 

This is what I do with a trash bag........or at previous jobs, plastic seat covers.

 

Great suggestions all! I had tried to wedge stuff but not dependable.. I considered brushing grease/Vaseline on but figured that would be about as hard as doing tape but with clean up after, breaking all the beads was not going to happen [I should have told them not to air up; next time]..So I thought a bit [apple pie and ice cream] and decided to try taping one side and see how long it took; first side cutting all the nubs, picking the sand out of the wheel/tire lip, cleaning with acetone and taping took 30 minutes..2 thru 8 took 18-20 minutes each while having the Triple A drags on..Almost 3 hrs but they are done so maybe tomorrow I can get them set up against the garage and prime them..Thanks to all..

 

cut a thin piece of tin to the curvature of the wheel about 10-12"long by 3-4" wide,,...hold it against the wheel edge as you paint, works pretty good, any overspray comes off easy with a dab of laquer thinner afterwards,...wipe the paint off the tin every so often so it doesn't build up and run...just another idea you mite try....I hate masking off tires also...

 

Use a piece of 6-8 " flashing metal. Bend a circle around the rim, masking tape to hold the shape.Tape where they overlap. Works on any size wheel,easy clean ,reusable, sets up in seconds. Once you use this, you will never do it another way.

 

I have used Elmers white glue for masking model car parts, there is a product called Micro Mask but you will need a shipload of it. Try the Elmers, brush it on the tire around right up to the wheel. Tape off the rest. It will either peel off or wash off with hot water.

 

I'm thinking if you hammer a cardboard " gasket " on the rim it would work perfectly.

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I used the 2-3" wide band method many times. Made one out of a piece of scrap 1/16" old paneling. Once you do this, you'll never agonize over painting tire mounted wheels again.

 

...but this leaves the outer edge un-painted...doesn't it?

 

Well still waiting for weather to be consistant for an afternoon..It figures..

 

I know similar product used at commercial shop. Never used it myself as I tape off wheels with masking tape and I have 5 sets of painted steel wheels