Using a turntable/record player to repaint wheels

Hey everybody,

I decided to repaint the stock 14" steelies that came on my 2000 SR5, and I wanted to take pictures of the process to hopefully help other TW members who want to paint their wheels and get a nice, smooth and even finish.

The backstory:

A few years ago, I was repainting a set of wheels from a Thunderbird and couldn't get a smooth, even finish. I was using argent silver (metallic) and because I was using the traditional "sweeping" method with the paint can, I kept getting spotty coverage in certain areas as well as "tiger striping".

I was frustrated because no matter how many times I started over, the paint still had flaws and inconsistent coverage of the metallic finish. I discovered that due to the combination of shaking the can (or lack thereof) and constantly changing angles to cover all facets of the wheel, I would never get a good finish if I was using a spray can by hand.

My solution was to take an old record player and use it as a painting rig. The simple theory is that you can hold the paint can steady while spraying, moving it slowly from hub-to-bead while the wheel is slowly spinning on the turntable. I've discovered that this is a cheap and easy way to get a smooth and consistent paint finish.
One of those trigger gun tools for spray paint cans works GREAT for this technique. Mine is made by 3M and is very comfortable and accurate.

Side note: before anybody gets upset that I ruined a record player by painting stuff on it, just know that this was one of those funky modular units from the '70s and wasn't even a nice unit when it was new. It was a free curb find, to be honest.

For my rig, I placed an inverted coffee can over the spindle to get some clearance from the rest of the turntable.
Please note that I never had it plugged in during the painting process; I simply spun it with my free hand and used my other hand to spray the paint. With as much as a wheel/tire weighs, I doubt the motor would even have the power to spin it.

Fast-forward to this past weekend, I found that old record player in the basement and once again utilized it to repaint my steelies. This time I went with a black "hammered" finish. It worked great!

Also, I read (in another thread here on TW) about the trick of using playing cards around the bead to keep the paint off the tires, and it worked like a charm. What an awesome tip!

I hope this helps other TW members when repainting their wheels (or any other parts, for that matter). I think the tough part is actually finding an old record player.
It might be easier to just build a rig out of some wood and a ball bearing hub, who knows.

Pictures:

 

Kudos on using the deck of cards!!! That was smart.

 

That hammered look is really nice. I think I'll use that on the plates in my home gym when I get around to repainting them.

 

It's super durable paint, almost like powder coating. I use it on all kinds of stuff including brake calipers. It seems to hold up as well as high-heat paint! Amazing stuff.