Does anybody out there have a bead / sand blasting cabinet?  I've got three 12" steel trailer wheel rims which need to be taken to bare metal.  

Already cleaned them off as much as possible; now what remains of the paint needs to go.  Dimensions are 12" dia x 4" wide and one (with tire still on) is 22" dia x 5.6" wide.  I'll come prepared with the tire and valve stem pre-masked.  I'm happy to either DIY or, if you prefer not to have others use your cabinet, will wait while you do it.  Payment can be arranged in beer, ammo, etc.

I'm in SE WI but am willing to travel if necessary.

I have used U-Spray in Butler before. They are at 4907 N 124th St.

…huh.  I didn’t know such a thing existed.  Thank you!  Just emailed an inquiry to check on prices.

I used to use them all the time for both bead blasting and sand blasting. This is several years ago, but at that time it was $1.25 per minute. And that is based on actual time that the spray gun is active. So if you need to inspect or move the item, or take a break, open the cabinet door and the timer pauses.

ETA: If I recall correctly, if you mask something off, they want you to use duct tape and not masking tape. It had something to do with masking tape coming off too easily and clogging the nozzles, or so they said.

Thank you.  I’ll be sure to ask them about that.

I assume you have a drill?  Just go to Harbor Freight and get the pack of wire wheels.  Just do it yourself.  This is a clock I made from my race car's old pressure plate.  

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Nice clock!

I've tried with wire brushes and only succeeded in running out my battery and overheating the drill.  There were also nooks and crannies the scouring brushes couldn't reach.  The results weren't all that great either.  Media blasting gets all areas and is just more effective.  The only time I dig out the brushes and drill are for very limited small areas which are easily accessible.

@mpdphil and @jrpett - Thank you again for the recommendation.  Their rates have changed, but it's still worthwhile.  $2.00/min and there's a 15 min minimum.  That's still worthwhile with doing all of the prep work before I arrive.  They also don't ban specific tape types but officially recommend three layers of duct tape.

Wouldn't it be easier to just pull the tires and valve stems?  Might also save you time in the booth if you were just working with the wheels.

Two are pulled.  One is not, but the tire and stem are fine.  I'll just pre-mask.

So you’ve started taking the trailer apart?
I can come by this week, (don’t have the kids this week), to check out the welding and what needs to be done.

Do you own an air compressor that will produce 90psi?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/XtremepowerUS-30-lbs-Polyethylene-Portable-Abrasive-Air-Sandblaster-with-5-ft-Hose-Blast-Gun-65095-H1/319944354

no no no...we don't allow semi-reputable equipment here. Go Hazard Fraught or go home.

https://www.harborfreight.com/portable-abrasive-blaster-kit-37025.html

dupe..

LOL...

I've got one that sucks sand out of a 5 gallon bucket, or whatever container you have it in. I bought it at Home Depot a dozen years ago, when I rebuilt my dad's old steel snowmobile trailer. I used the real fine "sugar" sand I saved when we had a new well drilled, and I strained it through a copper window screen.

I blasted that whole trailer frame down to bare metal on one saturday. I parked it over a big tarp, so i could save the sand and re-use it. I wore the goggles that came with it and a full face mask I fabricated from an old neoprene snowmobiling face mask designed for use with a helmet and goggles. Wore leather work gloves too after the first 5 minutes...the blow back stung like a bitch if you got too close with the gun. My compressor couldn't keep up with the air flow volume, so i'd have to pause every few minutes so it could catch up. But it got the job done very nicely, and was far easier and more thorough than sanding or wire wheels. I've used it numerous times since on smaller projects. Well worth the $30 I paid for it.

Naylor's Custom Metal Cutting has a Facebook page that states "the blast room is available to rent on a self-serve basis for $50/hour.  This includes the media and use of an OSHA approved blast helmet with a reasonable number of tear-off lenses.  All you have to do is show up with enough cash to cover your time and clothing to cover 100% of your body with the exception of your head as the helmet will cover that.  If you'd rather have us do the work the rate is $120/hour for full-service blasting".

I have never used them, just found them after reading this thread.