Always remember that your first grit is the bulk of your work.
Best way to sand aluminum rims.
Aluminum rims come in a variety of shapes and styles.
Glass will give you a better matt finish than sand which will be coarser.
There are so many mirka products for sanding aluminum my head is spinning.
There are many different sand grades and picking the right grade will ensure the aluminum is not further damaged by the sandblasting.
Start with heavy grit sandpaper around 300 or 400 grit and sand the scratched area including the surrounding inch or so of wheel.
It is cast aluminum so it is soft and easily sandable.
The level of difficulty involved in sanding.
Okay what is simply the best abrasive paper for my festool ro 150 3 to sand raw plate aluminum after a fine drum sanding.
If you are stripping aluminum wheels to add paint or powder coating aluminum oxide or crushed glass are good choices.
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.
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.
The best tips i can give are first always polish in the direction of the grain of the aluminum.
Prepping and sanding aluminum is the secret to a deep clear shine.
Sandblasting aluminum to remove the imperfect parts is one way of fixing rust or other damage to the metal.
Then remove sanding marks with higher 600 grit paper and then move to 1 000 grit and 2 000 grit.
The finish is protected by a top coat that has to be removed before you can sand and polish the rims.
If the goal is to strip an aluminum surface to achieve a polished look glass beads or soda will be your best choice.
Before sandblasting aluminum it generally is a good idea to clean it to ensure all the imperfections are visible.
I could easily spend 500 00 to find out.
For deeper scratches on bare aluminum wheels you need to sand the damaged area.
Diy how to sand and polish aluminum wheels rims in is video i show how to sand and polish wheels or rims links below to all the products i used in this vid.
I use 180 320 400 and 600 grit aluminum oxide sand paper.