Technical Painting a new Banjo wheel questions...Answered!!!

So awhile back I bought a new never installed Bob Drake Reproductions 39 Banjo steering wheel from a another HAMBer to use on my 39 sedan. I am coming to the point of needing to paint it to wrap up all the little bits to put the car back together, and painting the banjo wheel is one of them.

So I have a few questions. The rim appears to be a hard durometer rubber, so my question is, what is the process for prepping this for paint? I would assume that some type of release agent was used in the molding process, so I need to make sure that that is all removed. Do I just wash it with Dawn detergent real good to get the rim clean? is there a special chemical wash that needs to be done to it? basically what is the best method to get it clean to prep for paint? Obviously once its washed don't touch the rubber with your bare hands.

Also, what kind of prep needs to be done to the rim? does it need light sanding at 300, 400, 600 or what ever grit? Do I need to use an adhesion promoter on the rubber rim? Is there a special primer to use on the hard rubber for the paint to bite into? Or do I just clean it, spray it and hope for the best?

What kind of paint works well? I was planning use some of the single stage PPG Pitch black on it that I used a while back to paint the wheels on the roadster. Its is an Acrylic Enamel single stage, I prefer a single stage over base coat clear coat, since to me anyway, it just looks older. Is this a decent Option? or should I source another paint to use.

I have exhausted looking on the internet and on here to the answers for painting the rubber rim, so I ask you in the HAMB universe for experience doing this.

Also if you have any tips or tricks for masking please share. I'm not too worried about getting the spokes at the center tapped off good, but they are awful tight together at the rim side. Thanks for the help in advance.

 

Anyone....Anyone...

 

So, I guess I should have looked a little more. Found this on the Macs website. They list the new banjo wheels as being in stock and low an behold....they had paint instructions attached to the listing. Crisis averted...

https://www.macsautoparts.com/ford_mercury_early/steering-wheel-banjo-style-ford-deluxe.html
https://www.macsautoparts.com/assets/pdf/macs/steering_wheel_restoration_instructions.pdf

 

Painting:
clean the wheel 1st with some detergent and warm water. Dawn is a good choice. Use a red scuff pad and be sure to clean it all. The mold release can get imbedded in the pores. Once that's done and dried look it over good to see it all got scuffed, scuff anything that looks like it needs it. Clean well with wax n grease remover and be sure to wipe the residue. This might be best done after taping, just before spraying.

Taping;
1st, don't sweat it being "detail taped" as in every spoke covered at the wheel side. All you need to do is flat tape 1 side across all the spokes (the face is better) then flip it over and tape the opposite side on the bar, to the tape, on the bar, to the tape...make sense? And also. just get it real close. Even if there's a 1/32 edge showing on a spoke, don't swaet it. "Pick it off" once it's all dried.

Ok, you're washed, scuffed and taped. Clean it with wax n grease remover as indicated above and also as indicated be sure to wipe dry too. For adhesion I like "Bulldog" adhesion promoter. Comes rattle can or in quarts. Follow label directions for coating and dry time, then paint it. Like anything, don't get too much build. Too thick it's gonna crack and peel off in short order. Just spray enough for coverage and finish and no more. Depending on what all you want to do a light coat of epoxy primer isn't a bad idea if there's any nicks or production flaws to sand, and the epoxy my help ensure good adhesion but the Bulldog does a good job of that.


I did a repro wheel in woodgrain for pal in Canada. That was 11 years ago and last year he said it still looked like the day it was done. I was worried about film build but so far so good. Soft materials expand and contract, usually a lot more that cured paint does especially if the paint is thick. This one of those jobs where you'd rather "pet the sweaty" than "sweat the petty."

 

See that's what I needed! First hand experiance. The red scuff pad is a great idea for sure. I will be following your recommendations to a T.