Paint vs. Powdercoat

[exeric]

I was painting wheel rims this weekend and was sort of wishing I had taken them to a powdercoater. Of coarse I'm a bit of a cheapskate so I feel like I saved some money doing it myself, but I'm also a bit lazy so it would have been nice to let someone else do the work. I like paint because I think it's more authentic but powdercoat is very durable which is good for things like wheels because of the enviornment they get subjected to. I've seen powdercoated frames and castings and I think that looks awful so I would only consider powdercoat on certain parts. I guess I'm looking for positive reinforcement because I'm still wondering if I should have the rims powdercoated.

[jww]

Eric,
I've had good luck powdercoating rims. A few words of advice that i've learned the hard way. Caution will still be required when lacing the wheel, powdercoating does scratch. Be sure to scuff the powdercoating off of the back side of the dimples.....the point of contact with the nipple. The powdercoating being so slick combined with heat build-up can cause the nipples to become loose over time. Scuffing resolves this potential problem. If you are dealing with clincher rims (and Cokers) be sure to remove the powder coating from the bead contact area of the rim. Makes for an exciting event when the tire doe not travel at the same rpm as the rim due to slippage. johnny

[Tom Lovejoy]

I painted all my rims, dont know though which is best. The powder coat has come along way and now comes in pretty much any color. Also I seem to always chip my rims when putting the tire on, maybe my paint is not hard enough. It has held up pretty well, but its sure dissapointing to chip em when their still fresh. I tried to be carefull as possible but always have chipped em atleast alittle, had to touch em up. Might of been that I had to build em up quite a bit, to hide rest pits - making it chip easier?

[exeric]

I painted two old Kelsey Hayes 16" rims that had been chromed but were pitted and krusty. I spent a lot of time sanding and wire brushing them to get to a rust free condition. Of coarse I should have taken them to a sand blaster but that seems to be another dying profession. I shot the rims with an epoxy primer and then painted them with black Centari with a hardner. I know what you mean about putting tires on. It's like putting a prophylactic on a gorilla, which is another job I'd rather let someone else do. Unfortuantely, I always get elected. I try to minimize using any tire spoons but you always have to use something for that last little tuck and that's where I always screw up the paint. Now I'm wishing I had the rims powdercoated.

[bmh]

Eric,
I bought these cheap little plastic things that snap on the edge of the rim and then you use the spoon on top of them. Haven't used them on a painted rim yet, but they worked well on the cast magnesium rims on my late modle dresser wich are also notorious for getting bunged up if you mount your own tires the old fashioned way. They were cheap enough, a couple bucks if I remember, worth a shot since the rims are painted now and not powdered. I probabally won't have anything powder coated any more, had too many problems with the stuff over the years and I still think paint looks more "alive". So for me powder coating is for doughnuts not motorcycles.
My prep for painting over old chrome has always been a real good bead blast and a complete cleaning with denatured alchohol right before shooting the primer. Sand blasting seems a little harsh and can actually let paint solvents and such get between the plating and cause the chrome to start to peal under the paint after awhile. Bead blasting gives a nice texture for the paint to grab too without tearig into the layers of plating. Thats always worked for me so thats how I do.
Brian

[exeric]

Thanks Brian, I needed to hear someone say they prefered paint to powdercoat. Not because I have already painted my rims, but because I think there is a difference in the look and powdercoat is a modern finish. Last night I dropped in on a friend who is restoring a 1935 Chief. He painted his rims with Centari and they look great and are hard and durable. He got a few scratches when he laced them but that would happen with powdercoat too. I'm going to look for those plastic rim protectors.

[bmh]

If all else fails, J&P has the rim protectors. would most likely be cheaper to have a local shop order some from drag spec or something though.
Brian