Best Way To Sand Aluminum Rims

The level of difficulty involved in sanding.

Best way to sand aluminum rims.

For deeper scratches on bare aluminum wheels you need to sand the damaged area. Then remove sanding marks with higher 600 grit paper and then move to 1 000 grit and 2 000 grit. The best tips i can give are first always polish in the direction of the grain of the aluminum. If you have it baking soda is a very mild abrasive and leaves a very nice finish the question is what are you wanting to put on the wheels after they are cleaned if paint then you want a smoother finish since it will show through if you are going to powder coat which is thicker then just go with the glass beads.

Always remember that your first grit is the bulk of your work. Glass will give you a better matt finish than sand which will be coarser. If the goal is to strip an aluminum surface to achieve a polished look glass beads or soda will be your best choice. The finish is protected by a top coat that has to be removed before you can sand and polish the rims.

I use 180 320 400 and 600 grit aluminum oxide sand paper. Before sandblasting aluminum it generally is a good idea to clean it to ensure all the imperfections are visible. There are many different sand grades and picking the right grade will ensure the aluminum is not further damaged by the sandblasting. I could easily spend 500 00 to find out.

Second always start from the bottom and work your way up chasing that black product residue line going side to side in a slow and even motion. These will leave a anchor profile which will allow the new coating to grip to the aluminum substrate. It is cast aluminum so it is soft and easily sandable. Prepping and sanding aluminum is the secret to a deep clear shine.

Okay what is simply the best abrasive paper for my festool ro 150 3 to sand raw plate aluminum after a fine drum sanding. Aluminum rims are more easily scratched and damaged than metal rims and so require a little more care and attention. So whether you start with 180 grit when rims are bad or 320 when rims are average that first grit will take most of your sanding time. Aluminum rims come in a variety of shapes and styles.

Start with heavy grit sandpaper around 300 or 400 grit and sand the scratched area including the surrounding inch or so of wheel. There are so many mirka products for sanding aluminum my head is spinning.