Hey guys whats up,

I just bought a set of 22" rims and tires, they are paintable aluminum and have 4 or 5 coats of paint on them, so i decided i would strip them and paint them fresh. Well after two days of spreading and scraping I've come to the conclusion this isn't working, so i went to harbor freight and picked up a media spot blaster that has a gravity feed hopper and can be hooked to a big air compressor i think the model number is 95793. But anyway I'm brand new to media blasting so I'm not sure of what to do, what media is best for rims that are aluminum and meant to be painted because they are etched for paint, and I'm going to repaint them and not polish anyways. does anybody have experience with a spot blaster or know what media is best for thick paint but not damage the rim?

 

I have heard of crushed walnut shells! works really well!

 

Will that be abrasive enough for thick paint?

 

It should work out just fine!
without damageing the Rims!

 

I've heard walnut shells as well (last I knew, Harbor Freight sell them too). You may also want to look at "soda blasting". I've heard it prevents damage to thin steel. Pre-warning, doing this out of a blasting cabinet can make a mess AND you will run through media! Try tarping an area to work in so you might be able to sweep up and re-use some media. And keep in mind, you may be able to re-use the media a time or two, but as I learned with an experience using a blasting cabinet, the media degrades with use (as it becomes finer and looses it's abrasive properties as it gets used).

 

Walnut shell will remove rust and corrosion in addition to paint. Soda will remove paint only. It also leaves a smoother surface with less prep work needing to be done prior to painting. If you need to remove paint only go with the soda.

 

Thanx ill pick up a bag this weekend