Do-it-yourself car polishing

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

At the first glance at the car evaluate its appearance. First of all, bright elements attract the eye - this applies to rims. The condition in which they are depends on how highly the car will receive in terms of attractiveness. In fact, the condition of the wheels will tell not only about the beauty of the car, but also about the quality of the wheels in general. Let's see how do-it-yourself polishing of discs is done at home.

Why polish?

New wheels always make owners happy. But their appearance remains the same beautiful and shiny only a few months of operation. And then various defects will begin to appear. Disks are highly susceptible to corrosion processes, and they corrode especially quickly in harsh climates and due to poor quality roads. Therefore, the owner needs to periodically clean them and get rid of scratches, as well as traces of corrosion.

The alloy from which thewheel rims, most often coated with paint. However, in order to get rid of the shabby appearance, painting is not enough. The discs also need to be polished. This process is not easy, but it is quite doable on our own.

Effort estimate

The first step is to determine if you really want to perform this operation. Indeed, in the process it will take several hours to inhale the vapors of chemical compounds, polishing dust. You will also have to get your clothes and hands dirty. In addition, polishing car rims will require financial investments. And all this in order to reflect the puddle near the garage in the disks.

If the car owner agrees to this, then you should buy protective gloves (preferably rubber). Experts also recommend using a respirator. After all, beauty is good, but he alth is more important.

Preparatory procedures

Alloy wheels, according to factory technology, are covered with a special protective lacquer film. When it dries, it becomes hard. The hardness coefficient is equal to the index of the alloy itself. It is unlikely that this film can be removed mechanically. Therefore, to remove the protective layer, you need to apply a paint remover.

When buying a wash, you should definitely check with the seller what it should be used for and what basic components are in the composition. Paint removers are non-toxic, but may be useless if the disc has been previously powder coated. But if the element has not been painted, then using a lacquer remover, according to the attached manufacturer's instructions, the protective layer can be accidentallydelete.

Then you should wash the disc well from the liquid - it can sometimes cause corrosion. It is also recommended to thoroughly clean the element from dirt. Sand can further seriously spoil the appearance of the part if it suddenly gets into the processing zone.

Sanding

Polishing discs should begin with grinding. It is possible not to grind, but only when the element is already polished and there are no serious defects on it. In this case, you just need to update them. In all other cases, grinding is mandatory.

Grinding technologies

You can grind discs by hand without using any tools. This is a slow, inefficient way. Hand sanding is used only for hard-to-reach places.

You can also grind with various hand tools that transmit torque to the abrasive nozzle. As for the type of drive, it does not matter at all. You can even use a regular hand drill or pneumatic tool.

In addition, grinding is used on machines. This method is the fastest. But there is a minus - it is very difficult to find special equipment. Some craftsmen try to make such machines on their own. The most important thing is to give the disc rotation, while the grinding element must have certain abilities to access hard-to-reach places.

One more way can be distinguished - this is grinding directly on the hub of the car. Here the machine is simulated. Desired wheel withjack or lift is hung out, and then torque is supplied from the motor. The grinding process can be carried out manually with a hand tool, or you can use a pneumatic or electric tool at low speeds. The main thing is that such a tool works at low speeds.

If the rim has the correct configuration, then you can do without grinding. In this case, processing is done by turning the disk on a lathe.

How to grind?

There is nothing special or supernatural about grinding discs. There are general principles at work here. Initially, the rim is treated with coarse-grained abrasive materials. As for the type of abrasive, it is selected according to the type of defect that needs to be removed. Then materials with finer grains are used. Finish processing with each material after removing traces of processing with the previous abrasive.

It is important to consider the following points:

• During processing, it is recommended to constantly remove the mixture of metal powder and abrasive from the surface. All this secondarily scratches the surface of the disc.
• When the transition to a finer abrasive material is carried out, the treated surface of the disc must be wiped with a cloth.
• Grinding is carried out at the lowest possible speed to prevent overheating.
• It's not worth the effort. The process must be monitored visually. If necessary, grinding can be stopped for a while. Using forcoarse-grained abrasive, you can not calculate the effort and break the profile of the disk.

Tools and materials

A variety of drill attachments are used for grinding. Shelves of discs and flat areas are ground using flat nozzles with replaceable emery discs. For places where the circle cannot reach, small cylindrical tools are used. Unfortunately, there are always areas where no tool can reach. There are no alternatives in this case - you will have to work only manually.

Very often when polishing discs, the following kit is used: abrasive with sizes P240, P400, P600, P1000 and P1200.

Polishing and finishing

After grinding, the discs are polished. The process is usually carried out using the same tool that was used for grinding. But softer tools are used instead of an abrasive nozzle.

Felt nozzles proved to be excellent for polishing alloy wheels. They perfectly hold polishing pastes on the surface. Felt nozzles are also used. Cloth nozzles are great for treating difficult areas. Experts recommend using fabric stitching circles. They are produced in a variety of designs. They are designed for initial polishing as well as finishing work.

Materials for work

Do-it-yourself polishing of discs can be done using absolutely any materials. Now the choice is huge. The main thing is consistency. Start with coarse-grained pasta and finish with smaller ones.

For example, GOI polishing paste, popular in Russia, is produced in various forms. So, coarse-grained from fine-grained differs visually. The darker the paste, the finer the grain. For polishing rims, you should buy light green and black-green.

If it is decided to carry out polishing with diamond paste, then it needs two types. One type - with a grain of 100 to 40 microns, and the other for finishing - from 14 to 5 microns.

It is important to consider the following features:

• When applying polishing pastes, it is necessary to carefully rub them into the treated surface, while watching for color changes.
• GOI paste requires preheating or it can be diluted in kerosene.
• Before proceeding to the final polishing of car rims, they must be thoroughly cleaned with a microfiber cloth.
• If the disc overheats and black streaks appear on it, the polish should be immediately removed from the treated surface, and then all work starts again.
• The paste is applied to the circle and sprayed slowly over the entire surface. Over time, it will become visually visible that the surface becomes a mirror.
• Be sure to remove excess paste from the disk.

Finish polishing

When the main work is finished, you need to wash the disc well and then wipe it dry. If you don't want to do that kind of work againafter the next rain or wash the discs using special shampoos, then immediately after the work is done, cover the parts with a protective varnish layer.

Polish to a mirror finish

This technology is completely identical to the one described above. You need to polish the elements with felt to the desired result. When polishing the disc to a mirror finish is completed, a little composition is still rubbed into the surface. It will not only improve gloss, but also protect against corrosion. This protection will last for a couple of months. Then you will need to repeat this procedure.

Conclusion

Thus, you can give the rims a new life. After polishing, the wheels will shine like after the factory. All car owners will look back at the car, and pictures of the car will collect a lot of likes.