Tech Tips Powdercoating for Profit (and fun) Hubcap - Emblem Renewal
This is not a full blown show quality restoration but rather a sprucing up of a daily driver. In this case I acquired 5 MGTD hubcaps which are 50 years old and put some life back in them through powder coating and buffing.
Click Images for Pop Up Enlargement
		Generally when you get an old antique part it will look like this. Dull, oxidized, corroded.
		The insides of many hubcaps are moisture traps. This will cause the chrome plating to breakdown after a number of years and will get corroded and pitted. I bead blasted the inside to get a fresh start.
		After the blasting I powder coated the inside semi-gloss black. This will insure years of "rust free" use.
		The medallions were bead blasted as well.
		I now spray a bit of black powder on the entire medallion.
		These old MG medallions have a post on the back of them. It works well for putting them in a vise to hold it. Here I take shop paper towel and roll it like a tube and stretch it very tight. Then I move it back and forth to wipe the powder off of the high areas.
		This is what I am left with and ready for the oven.
		When the medallion is through baking I remount it in the vise and use a piece of 400 sandpaper to brighten and "grain" the letters. Not to worry about scratching the surrounding finish as it is now heading for the buffing wheel.
		I buff the hubcap and medallion and reassemble. Although these are not perfect they do offer quite an improvement over the condition they came to me as.
[ Home ] [ Tip Index ] [ Powder Coating ]