Letter 40017

The best way to paint an aluminum ultralite wheelchair [North Carolina] 

March 23, 2006

I am disabled and have 2 aluminum ultralite wheelchairs. The one I am working on now is a Quickie XTR. I want to go on the beach this year but there are no wheelchairs designed to go through sand, so I made one. This one has big mountain bike tires on the back and ski's on the front. My question is, what is the easiest way to strip off the existing paint, what do I use to repaint it, and what can I use to protect it from the sun, sand, and salt water? will a simple coat of clearcoat do? what if I dont want to paint it, how do I keep it shiney and protected? I will post pics when its done if u guys are interested

Jerry Errico
i make "special" wheelchairs - Castle Hayne, NC, USA

Aircraft Stripper [link is to product info at Amazon] is noxious stuff, Jerry, but it's made for removing paint from aluminum. But if the existing paint is adherely well, it's better to paint over it than strip it.

Clearcoating will not be anywhere near as successful as painting because you can't do proper preparation under a clearcoat because the prep steps will color the aluminum, they don't leave it shiney. Considering the corrosive environment, clearcoating will not hold up. If it must be shiney you would need to send it to an anodizing shop for anodizing. Good luck.

Ted Mooney, P.E.  finishing.com Brick, NJ

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