Diamond cut alloys are becoming increasingly popular as a way of creating a distinctive, luxurious look and feel for a vehicle. Essentially a diamond cut alloy is a wheel that has been cut with a special, diamond-tipped lathe to achieve a highly polished look. As you can see from the photos on this page, the effect of diamod cut wheels can be stunning.
Diamond cut alloys have become more and more popular over the years. Initially they were limited to the higher end of the market but not anymore. It is now commonplace to see diamond cut alloys on many makes of cars. Even small cars, such as the Citroen C1 and Fiat 500 can come with these wheel finishes.
Here at Alloy Care Centre we have invested in the latest state of the art diamond cutting lathe to provide the best quality of diamond cut alloy refurbishment for you.
Take a look at this short video where you can see the process in action.
First the alloy wheel is stripped of all paint and primer, and then dried and prepared for painting. The whole of the wheel is then powder-coated and painted in the desired colour.
The diamond cutting lathe is then used to cut very thin layers of metal, typically just 0.2mm for each pass over the wheel. This is repeated until all damage is removed and a “like new” appearance achieved.
The photos on the right show a “before-and-after” of typical damage and repair on a diamond cut alloy wheel. As the machined surface is only protected by a layer of lacquer, small stone chips or scuffs can result in water penetrating beneath the lacquer, causing this cloudy or milky look. If left this way, moisture will eat into the bare metal causing corrosion.
Take a look at other wheel finishes here
We use a special barrier which is applied to the alloy wheel after it has been cut. This provides an added layer of protection before the powder lacquer is applied. This helps to prevent moisture from getting under the lacquer as a result of stone chips.
Whilst we use a clear barrier coat on all diamond cut alloy wheels, there is also the option to apply a tinted barrier to really make your alloy wheels stand out from the crowd. The picture here is of a alloy wheel we refurbished recently using a copper tinted barrier. The photo does not really do it justice; you really need to see it to appreciate the stunning colour, especially with the sun on it.
