Painting matte silver plated wheels

[TDanny 146]

Hi Guys,

I wonder if somebody has some idea for painting wheels.

I bought a set of Tamiya Race Truck matte silver plated wheels for my LB mini. I want to spray it with Tamiya TS-31 Bright Orange paint.

Can I apply the paint directly on the matte silver wheels? Or do I need to sand the silver from the wheels? I guess that the paint would stick to the matte silver surface but not sure.

Also if I have to sand it, is there a way to sand the rims correctly? I mean there are a lot of fine details on the rims like nuts and bolts as it is a truck rim. Seems impossible to use sanding paper.

Thanks in advance if you have any idea

[Busdriver 6209]

Have you got a picture of them. Shiny plate is the devil to paint but if its matt then a light coat of grey pimer then orange top coat should do it. Obviously any paint finish you do on wheels is liable to chip

[TDanny 146]

They are matte silver thats sure, not shiny.

[max69vk 708]

Lightly rub the wheels down with 2000 grit wet & dry, or use a scotch/Brillo pad to rough up the surface & give the paint something to grip to.

1st 2 coats should only be a light dusting & you should leave at least 5 mins dry time in between each coat, 3rd coat go heavier with the paint but don’t aim for total coverage (you’ll most likely get runs), leave this coat at least 20 mins to ‘flash off’ then hit them with a final 4th coat to get total coverage.

Allow 24hrs to fully cure/harden before even attempting to put tyres anywhere near them 👍🏼

[TDanny 146]

Thank you max69vk, I'll try it this way :)

[Bromley 681]

I have these on my euro race truck. The finish is painted I believe, as it rubs off quite readily after a few rounds! I'd suggest give them a good wash with dish soap and let them dry thoroughly.  You should be good to go with some primer then.

[TDanny 146]

 Not good, not terrible...

Will do it for a runner. Yes, the rims were painted silver. 

[Superluminal 3750]

If the orange paint all falls off you can soak the rims in bleach over night which will strip the chrome plating off the plastic and allow you to prime them properly before spraying.

[TDanny 146]

I think it will be fine as it seems to stick quite good. The rims are quite deep so the tires will protect them. 

[Shodog 1835]

Jagermeister liveried mini lunch box?

[TDanny 146]

3 hours ago, Shodog said:

Jagermeister liveried mini lunch box?

Well my plan is to build a Mini Lunchbox Grave Digger but as far as the clear body comes out I had to do something with those silly wheels...

The Bright orange matches the color of the flash stripe on the sides.