Painted wheels

In keeping with my last post, here is the progress on the wheels. I am using Duplicolor wheel paint, which they say has good staying power. I half expect the entire paint job to crack and flake of on my first ride. Kind of like a cartoon... vroom, bump, poof. We shall see.

Here is the front wheel already painted and dry. It took a can and a half for the one tire. The rear tire has been sandblasted to get ride of what was left of the clear coat and road grime. I still need to wash it to get rid of the sand.

Here is the rear wheel taped up. I used a coffee can to cover the bolts in the center while I was spraying. The rubber repels the sand, so you don't need to tape the tire when you are sandblasting. You do need to tape the valve stem though.

I still need to clean the tires, but I will wait a week or two before attempting to use any chemicals on the paint. Apparently the best tire cleaner is engine degreaser and elbow grease. I don't know if I am brave enough to try that.