coloring/painting aluminum rims

[icyuod2]

i have a set of cheap alum rim's i want to paint/color. just wondering whats the best way to go about it.
i'm using a side pull brake, so the tougher the paint/color the better.
thought about bbq high heat paint (whats the best bbq paint on the market?)

i've also considered aluminum black
http://www.kitterytradingpost.com/produ ... rodid/5490
even if it wears off quickly, all ya need to do is wipe some more onto the surface. i have used it in the past, and it is tough, i just dont know how it will stand up to brake wear.

anyhoo, what have you guys used successfully in the past for coloring alum? (flat black)
thx

i'm hoping to get crackin this weekend.

 

[aka_locojoe]

Have you considered just painting the inside of the rims and not the sides? Obviously you wont get as much color showing but otherwise it sounds like trouble. My wife's MTB rims are done this way. I have a bike where the whole rims is painted and the brakes make a terrible noise (I assume due to the paint) and it's not so much rubbing the paint off as it is leaving rubber from the pads on the paint.

 

[icyuod2]

would changing out the brakes with harder/softer shoes help deal with the noise/rubber on the rim?

short of spokes,sprocket bars and shifter, i'd planned on blacking out the entire bike. if i dont paint the sides of the rims, i think it will loose the effect.

to be honest i wont use these brakes much. with the peddles so close to the ground i usually just drag my heel (with my foot still on the pedal)
we have a winners just down the street (out of season name brand discount store) i can usually pick up original van's low tops for approx $10-$20, so i dont feel bad ruining the shoes.

last 2 pairs i purchased even had chain's or sprockets on the heel and inside of the shoe.

 

[Quanah]

Hey icy, is that aluminum black, put on cold metal? I used Birchwood Casey browning solution on a gun barrel, and the barrel had to be heated,very hot for the chemical reaction to take place, and put off some really nasty fumes, (poisonous), had to be done outside and not in an enclosed area. If the Alu. black can be put on cold, it would make it a ton safer... still think it will wear off quickly from the brake pads, but at least it would be easy to touch up. My

 

[user 135]

That looks like interesting stuff. For 3 bucks I would try it. Easy application and touch up. I would definately apply to a bare rim as I think it would be tough rubbing around the spokes.

 

[icyuod2]

goes on cold. the wetter you get the piece the blacker it turns. i find a sponge or even piece of kitchen towel if saturated, works well enough to get a very dark result.

 

[bicycleguy]

What about powder coating them?

 

[B607]

If you paint aluminum, it helps to soak the part in laundry soap for a few hours first. The phosphates in the soap will etch the aluminum and allow the paint to stick better. How about getting them anodized? Gary

 

[icyuod2]

these are an $11 set of alum hoops/rims. it would be cheaper to purchase new painted hoops than have these powder coated or anodized professionally (i dont mind relacing the hubs)

i thought about anodizing the rims myself, but i'd require a huge tub of sulfuric acid to fit the entire rim. not sure i want gallons of those chemical's kicking around the house. pretty mean stuff and i think you gotta pay to get rid of that crap.
i've also read black is the hardest color to achieve/most expensive choice when it comes to anodizing.

gonna try the aluma black.

 

[Anonymous]

Painting the rims won't hold for long, the paint will be worn of by the brakes which makes the rim look ugly and the brakeshoes useless.
Powder coating lasts longer and doesn't ruin the brake shoes but will wear of too.
No chance to relace the wheels and use a drum brake?

 

[icyuod2]

Painting the rims won't hold for long, the paint will be worn of by the brakes which makes the rim look ugly and the brakeshoes useless.
Powder coating lasts longer and doesn't ruin the brake shoes but will wear of too.
No chance to relace the wheels and use a drum brake?

thats why i'm thinking the aluma black, even if it rubs off, it can be re applied in seconds. (back to full color, just wipe it with a saturated piece of cloth) gonna grab some today.

i could relace the rims, but there $20 each hoop for gloss black painted rims, which i imagen will run into the same problems eventually. can't seem to find flat black either (unless i order online/purchase more expensive anodized hoops) figured no sense buying another set of rims/paying shipping etc when i have these. (i'm really counting pennies as of lately)
these 24's are real narrow also. which i love with the 3" tire.

best part about the alumablack, i wont have to tear down the wheel to apply it. i'll probably just remove the tire and roll the rim in a small container of the solution.