I have a 1925 express truck - inherited from my father - he had the wood spokes painted white - why - who knows, but, I am giving the wheels a quick clean up and inspection - I am going to paint them Black - anybody have any input on what the black should really be as far as sheen goes? Gloss, Satin, Flat??? I am thinking gloss might be too much?? I did paint the hayes rims silver (Cadmium color) But im talking more specifically about the wood spokes and steel felloe.

I do believe that they were painted the same as the body, I used semi gloss oil based house paint, and they look nice, in my humble opinion!!

John, I bought my truck with a 10 year old restoration. The wheels were epoxied and are very shiny as is the rest of the truck. I'm sure they are over-restored. I've often thought if I would have had it done, I probably would have toned it down a little. On the other hand most guys, including myself, are constantly shinning, polishing and cleaning trying to make it sparkle. I suppose you need to decide which type of paint you want to polish and shine.

thnaks guys, Im just wondering if the higher glosx would be too much - Semi Gloss might be the trick on the wheels.

Shiny is nice!

I stripped / scraped my wheels by hand. Sprayed them with high build primer, and painted with PPG DAR9000 enamel.

If you want it painted, you want it shiny! You can quote me on that.

Wheel done with the PPG DAR9000, primered with PPG DP90. This was 5 years ago, and they still look like this!
Note elaborate painting fixture

And one wheel in DP90, one awaiting primer

David, That's exactly how I held mine to paint! I think I used 1 broom handle too. Glad to hear the PPG DAR 9000 holds up. Mine hasn't seen any use yet.

I took the wheels apart and hand dipped twice each spoke. I used an automotive urathine paint. I screwed a cup hook into the end of the spoke to hang the spoke to drip dry. Came out smooth and shiny.

Here are front and rear wheels for my 1924 TT project. Based on the durability of the rattle can epoxy enamel I used on another vehicle twenty years ago, I did these with spray cans of appliance epoxy enamel from the local Ace Hardware store. Yes, I know real epoxy enamel is a two-part thing, but that's what they call this stuff, and it has held up very well for twenty years on that other car.

Grant,
Ah, brilliant minds think alike!
Notice the masking tape on the wheel hub--that's because I found the dried paint on the tubing would peel as I turned the wheel and fall into my fresh paint!! AAAUGH!!! so a little extension of masking tape on both sides kept that from happening.
School of hard knocks at work! Note the inside of the rim is a little duller, that's because that's where I would spin the wheel with my fingers. Heck, no one ever sees it once the tire is on!
T'
David D.
PS Steve, nice wheels. I have some mint rear TT wheels, but no rims!! (I think the folks who cleaned up the farm where I got them thought they were modern "trailer" rims and tossed them--again AAAUGH!!)