DIAMOND CUT ALLOY WHEEL REFURBISHMENT
Diamond Cut Wheel Refurbishment
Diamond Cut alloy wheels, also known as polished rims, are a premium design, first released in the 1980s and were super rare until the early 2000s. Diamond cut wheels are particularly noticeable by the two tone finish, see the picture to the right.
When getting diamond cut wheels refurbished, the standard alloy wheel refurbishment procedure is followed, where the wheel is dipped in acid, sandblasted and then fully painted. Prior to applying lacquer, the wheel is placed in a Diamond Cut machine, where the machine is programmed to profile the angle and shape of the wheel.
The machine then runs a diamond tip past the face of the wheel, whilst the wheel spins. See a video of a wheel being placed in the diamond cut machine being refurbished below.
Once cut, the wheel is then given a final coating, using a lacquer clear coat which can be either matt, satin or gloss!
At the Alloy Refurb Centre, we use state of the art diamond cut machines, designed and manufactured by engineers here in the UK. Our machines are super precise and use laser-technology to profile wheels. We specially trained in the operation of the machines so that our staff have the skills needed to produce factory level finishes.
Diamond Cut Machine
diamond cut FAQs
Can Diamond Cut Wheels be Refurbished Unlimited Times?
No, in general you’re looking 3-4 times maximum. This is due to the design of most diamond cut wheels not having enough lip on top of the face of the wheel. When you refurbish a diamond cut wheel too many times you risk cutting into the ‘non-diamond’ elements of a wheel. Some diamond cut wheels are able to be cut many times (more than 5 times) although this is rare. Where there is excessive damage on the rim, welding is possible, therefore, you can re-cut as necessary, this does incur additional costs.
How long does it take to refurbish diamond cut wheels?
min 4 days for a set of 4 wheels. Whereas a one colour powder coat set of four wheels takes 2 days, diamond cut wheels can take 4-5 days to complete. The additional time is due to the time spent in the diamond cut machine as well as extended baking times to allow for higher and repeated de-gassing requirements of diamond cut wheels.
My diamond cut wheels have lacquer peel, can you fix this?
Is there a difference between powder coat and diamond cut?
No, powder coat is the method of painting, whereas, diamond cut is the method used to achieve a two tone finish adding a metal look to the face of your wheel. Therefore, the two terms are acutally completely different. When diamond cutting a wheel, the wheel has to be fully painted before entering the diamond cut machine, the paint is applied using the powder coat method. Once the wheel is cut, the wheel is then lacquered, again using powder coat method. This means diamond cut wheels are also powder coated.
