MTFCA Forum

We are installing new spokes in our wheels in a 1926 Touring. What prep and paint should we use. All will be black when finished.
Nick

An oil base like alkaline prime and paint on the wood, and an acrylic enamel or urethane on the steel. You can paint them all the same but the paint on the spokes may only last ten years.

Just Sayin'

Hank

It depends on how nice you want it. You can use West System epoxy on the wood spokes (sand and recoat to desired level of grain filling) and then an automotive grade epoxy primer over the spokes and bare metal all in one shot; or you can West the spokes, etch prime the bare metal, and then automotive urethane prime the whole unit; or you can even use automotive epoxy primer direct to wood and it will last, but it doesn't fill well and takes a few cycles to slick it up. After all of that, then topcoat with a quality automotive acrylic urethane. It's a bunch of work but ensures a long lasting result.

Or you could use a best quality household enamel, over the correct primer, on both the spokes and steelwork. It's not rocket science.

Allan from down under.

Paste wood filler to fill the grain, then appliance epoxy enamel. It needs no primer.

This was eight years ago. They still look the same.

On one set of wheels, I just used some flat black water based house paint and it turned out ok. On the other set I used some oil based paint and it turned out much better.