GolfGTIforum.co.uk

General => Cosmetic and bodywork matters => Topic started by: andc1 on 12 August 2009, 22:25

Title: polishing alloy wheels
Post by: andc1 on 12 August 2009, 22:25
ok got how do you get your alloys to come up polished like this

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://images20.fotosik.pl/327/cfb380ce02992ac9.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.clubgtiderby.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php%3Ff%3D13%26t%3D1944&usg=__FAL1-luFszi5vqhpHwUY3rTpo2Y=&h=480&w=640&sz=64&hl=en&start=10&um=1&tbnid=-xPzT5fN-AhmmM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmk3%2Bgolf%2Banniversary%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1

is it a case of some polish stuff and polishing away or is it more costly?
Title: Re: polishing alloy wheels
Post by: spunkymonkey on 12 August 2009, 22:53
If its the alloy thats polished then you need to strip the paint right off, then make sure the alloy is blemish free then using sand paper rub them back using a finer grade each time until its really smooth. Then metal polish.

not easy.
Title: Re: polishing alloy wheels
Post by: shepgti on 12 August 2009, 23:16
use sand paper and polishing mops http://www.thepolishingshop.co.uk/acatalog/Standard_Polishing_Kits.html
Title: Re: polishing alloy wheels
Post by: wag,en,volks on 27 August 2009, 13:33
by the time you have bought everything you need (which still wont really be up to the job!)
and then spent hour after hour sanding them it will have cost you more in time and effort than just sending them to a polisher!,

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v712/wagvr6/wheels%2001/workequip004.jpg)
Title: Re: polishing alloy wheels
Post by: weazgti on 06 September 2009, 20:23
Sorry to re start old thread but im having bt of a dillema with mine.
Mine r like a chrome effect with painted black inners but the laquer on the chrome bit is cracking from underneath
Can i get away with cutting back the laquer,you cant feel the cracks but they r white.
Title: Re: polishing alloy wheels
Post by: wag,en,volks on 08 September 2009, 18:17
post some pics up (or pm them )
some of the chrome finishes are a b!tch to do!
Title: Re: polishing alloy wheels
Post by: weazgti on 09 September 2009, 16:06
How do i post pics? heard its something to do with photobucket?
Title: Re: polishing alloy wheels
Post by: wag,en,volks on 09 September 2009, 19:07
join photobucket (free) upload pics to it and then just copy and paste the link to the picture,
Title: Re: polishing alloy wheels
Post by: Mr.Tom on 09 September 2009, 19:07
by the time you have bought everything you need (which still wont really be up to the job!)
and then spent hour after hour sanding them it will have cost you more in time and effort than just sending them to a polisher!,

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v712/wagvr6/wheels%2001/workequip004.jpg)

:o They look invisible (can something look invisible, or is that an oxymoron?)
I likes.
Title: Re: polishing alloy wheels
Post by: wag,en,volks on 10 September 2009, 09:20
Cheers mate, they where a bit of a labour of love :smiley:.
oxymoron is a seriously great word.. :wink:
Title: Re: polishing alloy wheels
Post by: bored_Welsh_lad on 12 September 2009, 07:40
by the time you have bought everything you need (which still wont really be up to the job!)
and then spent hour after hour sanding them it will have cost you more in time and effort than just sending them to a polisher!

not really true..especially as once you have all the soaps and mops you can polish so much more.. its the patience and time thats the issue..

i would say strip the wheels with a good strong paint stripper first, then look to sand through the grades working 90 degrees to the last grade.. all the way up to 2000 wet n dry then get on the mops...
Title: Re: polishing alloy wheels
Post by: wag,en,volks on 12 September 2009, 10:55

not really true..especially as once you have all the soaps and mops you can polish so much more.. its the patience and time thats the issue..

Serious contradiction mate ????

i would say strip the wheels with a good strong paint stripper first, then look to sand through the grades working 90 degrees to the last grade.. all the way up to 2000 wet n dry then get on the mops...
[/quote]
Blimey i never realised it was so easy  :rolleyes:
how to mirror polish in one sentence ! 



Title: Re: polishing alloy wheels
Post by: bored_Welsh_lad on 12 September 2009, 11:07
you said it was a rip off.. i said not really, as once you have the initial products you can do pretty much anything.. the mops and polish only cost about £20 ..

as for the "polishing in one sentence" comment... its a general overview.. forking out 3-400 quid to have a set of wheels polished compared to a max of 50 quid and lots of man hrs ...

if the OP wants to do this then he can work from the guide posted in my DIY thread..

http://www.vaglinks.com/Docs/VW/VW_VR6_Intake_Manifold_Polishing_DIY.pdf (http://www.vaglinks.com/Docs/VW/VW_VR6_Intake_Manifold_Polishing_DIY.pdf)

http://www.clubgti.com/forum/showthread.php?t=82922 (http://www.clubgti.com/forum/showthread.php?t=82922)

Theres soo many guides out there that if the OP wanted to do this all they had to do is search..
Title: Re: polishing alloy wheels
Post by: wag,en,volks on 12 September 2009, 14:03
I never said it was a rip off ?
I said that if you added up the hours taken (put your hourly wage into it) and even the most basic equipment ,then you will end up with a ££figure far above what a polisher would charge you to do a MUCH better job,
(an average set of wheel dishes by me is about £100,and that is done with proper equipment not a drill!)
i have "finished off" enough wheels for other people too know exactly what happens when people think that its an easy process :smiley:
 :smiley:

Title: Re: polishing alloy wheels
Post by: bored_Welsh_lad on 12 September 2009, 14:30
I wasnt trying to take anything away from what you do, i too have mops attached to a proper motor unit for polishing...

I dont think anyone looks at the number of hours in terms of wages, but as a love of the hobby, its like brake pads for example.. you can buy them and sometimes take 1-2hrs fitting them,the cost would probably be cheaper but people do it to learn...

I can imagine the number of dishes you see half polished with sanding marks in them haah.. i myself have been halfway through an inlet and thought f**k this haha..each to their own hey.
Title: Re: polishing alloy wheels
Post by: weazgti on 14 September 2009, 12:36
<a href="http://s973.photobucket.com/albums/ae214/weazgti/?action=view&current=DSC00113.jpg"
What can be done with these then.sorry took so long to post pic but took ages to work ou photobucket
Title: Re: polishing alloy wheels
Post by: bored_Welsh_lad on 15 September 2009, 05:26
(http://s973.photobucket.com/albums/ae214/weazgti/?action-view&current=DSC00113.jpg)
What can be done with these then.sorry took so long to post pic but took ages to work ou photobucket

That looks like an issue with laquer to me... although im no wheel guru lol..
Title: Re: polishing alloy wheels
Post by: MKIII steve on 15 September 2009, 18:32
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae214/weazgti/DSC00113.jpg)
What can be done with these then.sorry took so long to post pic but took ages to work ou photobucket

yep that's the lacquer peeling away
that yellow ish colour is where water has got underneath the lacquer
Title: Re: polishing alloy wheels
Post by: wag,en,volks on 15 September 2009, 20:22
your options with them are either strip the wheels and have them painted/powder coated
or if you want to keep the "shiny" bit then it may be possible to carefully remove just the lacquer and then polish,
to replicate them as they came from the factory would probably not be economical! (powder coat - diamond turned - lacquered)
good luck  :smiley:
Title: Re: polishing alloy wheels
Post by: weazgti on 15 September 2009, 21:03
cheers for the advice,not really worth spendind money on getting powder coated so ill give the polish a go.Would i need to use fine sandpaper to get the lacquer back or would compound do it?Do i need to re lacquer afterwards?
p.s why when i put the link code in from photobucket just come up with a link and not my pic? how did you do that
Title: Re: polishing alloy wheels
Post by: MKIII steve on 16 September 2009, 18:07
p.s why when i put the link code in from photobucket just come up with a link and not my pic? how did you do that

(http://i27.tinypic.com/2dw6b0h.jpg)

cheers for the advice,not really worth spendind money on getting powder coated so ill give the polish a go.Would i need to use fine sandpaper to get the lacquer back or would compound do it?Do i need to re lacquer afterwards?

i would just use wet and dry sand paper
Title: Re: polishing alloy wheels
Post by: weazgti on 16 September 2009, 23:46
ok cheers ill give that a go and thanks for putting that photobucket bit up