# Alloy wheel refurbishment Aberdeen



## rf860 (Jul 24, 2011)

I'm looking for somewhere in Aberdeen to get one diamond turned alloy wheel refurbished. Unfortunately my work car park wasn't gritted last night and the inevitable happened....

MUST be somewhere guaranteed to get a good job done. Cannot be bothered having to go back and forward to get things done properly. Been there done that!


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

Very few places do diamond cutting. 

All the ones that I know who advertise it up here ship them down south.


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## rf860 (Jul 24, 2011)

Kerr said:


> Very few places do diamond cutting.
> 
> All the ones that I know who advertise it up here ship them down south.


Great. Why do I bother trying to keep a nice car lol.


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

Not a recommendation, but I can see there is a place in Dundee who claim to be the first one stop place in Scotland for diamond cut wheel refurbishment. 
http://www.diamondwheelstech.co.uk/about-2/

Still a two day process.


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## taylor8 (Mar 26, 2010)

Kerr said:


> Not a recommendation, but I can see there is a place in Dundee who claim to be the first one stop place in Scotland for diamond cut wheel refurbishment.
> http://www.diamondwheelstech.co.uk/about-2/
> 
> Still a two day process.


Yes it says 2 days but he cant guarantee it, so they told me.

I looked at getting all four of mine done in October, but TBH i dont want my car off the road for a week and no one could supply wheels that I could run on for the week it would take to get re-furbed, 20" VXR Insignia Alloys are hard to replace so im told!

But yes everyone up here sends away for diamond cutting.


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## rf860 (Jul 24, 2011)

Look decent from what I can see in there gallery. 

Might be my only option. I'll see if any companies offer it in Aberdeen first.


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## taylor8 (Mar 26, 2010)

rf860 said:


> Look decent from what I can see in there gallery.
> 
> Might be my only option. I'll see if any companies offer it in Aberdeen first.


they dont just send away i've been round everyone mate, that place in Dundee is your closest, if you do find one, let me know though:thumb:


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## rf860 (Jul 24, 2011)

Will do. The next problem will be that I bet all the places are closed on a Saturday lol. Pretty much the only time I can visit


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## taylor8 (Mar 26, 2010)

rf860 said:


> Will do. The next problem will be that I bet all the places are closed on a Saturday lol. Pretty much the only time I can visit


they will want iy for a few days anyway, but most places are open at nights or sat mornings for drop offs id think?


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## taylor8 (Mar 26, 2010)

did you find anywhere??


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## rf860 (Jul 24, 2011)

taylor8 said:


> did you find anywhere??


Least of my worries right now pal tbh lol.

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=328476


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## johanr77 (Aug 4, 2011)

If you give motorwerks a shout they are the local agent for Pristine who refinish diamond cut alloys 01224 313399

They're on Forest Avenue lane so not far from town centre.


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## taylor8 (Mar 26, 2010)

rf860 said:


> Least of my worries right now pal tbh lol.
> 
> http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=328476


yeah i noticed that aswell, just wondered if you found anywhere local that didnt send away, hope you get it all sorted:thumb:


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## Callummarshall (Oct 19, 2012)

Diamond cutting (or facing the wheel) is a time consuming process and the machine is expensive with a relatively small uptake hence why its not widely available as very few places have a machine capable of doing it. 

personally Id just get your wheels powered coated for ease due to the fragile nature of the wheel will protect the metal better too.


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## rf860 (Jul 24, 2011)

Callummarshall said:


> Diamond cutting (or facing the wheel) is a time consuming process and the machine is expensive with a relatively small uptake hence why its not widely available as very few places have a machine capable of doing it.
> 
> personally Id just get your wheels powered coated for ease due to the fragile nature of the wheel will protect the metal better too.


My car is a lease car, they wouldn't accept that unfortunately.


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

Callummarshall said:


> Diamond cutting (or facing the wheel) is a time consuming process and the machine is expensive with a relatively small uptake hence why its not widely available as very few places have a machine capable of doing it.
> 
> personally Id just get your wheels powered coated for ease due to the fragile nature of the wheel will protect the metal better too.


In Aberdeen with countless machine shops, we have hundreds of places who could do the matching part.

You could pick up a CNC lathe and plotter for not that much money. I'm surprised that not many more companies have jumped on the bangwagon.

Loads are willing to send them away for their cut of the profit.

Diamond cut wheels look good. You do they and preserve them for as long as you can. rf860's car is only weeks old. Not at the powdercoating stage yet.


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## Callummarshall (Oct 19, 2012)

Kerr said:


> In Aberdeen with countless machine shops, we have hundreds of places who could do the matching part.
> 
> You could pick up a CNC lathe and plotter for not that much money. I'm surprised that not many more companies have jumped on the bangwagon.
> 
> ...


I work in a machine shop, and know roughly the charges they apply and money they make, machining the face of some alloys is way more hassle and not enough money for what it is. The shops aren't really tooled up for that sort of thing up here either it could be done but it would be more hassle.

Especially when you get a machine which is built to profile turn and mill the wheel in one opp, you cant compete with it.

Yeah i agree that they look good but i dont think i could own a set due to the nature of them.


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

Callummarshall said:


> I work in a machine shop, and know roughly the charges they apply and money they make, machining the face of some alloys is way more hassle and not enough money for what it is. The shops aren't really tooled up for that sort of thing up here either it could be done but it would be more hassle.
> 
> Especially when you get a machine which is built to profile turn and mill the wheel in one opp, you cant compete with it.
> 
> Yeah i agree that they look good but i dont think i could own a set due to the nature of them.


They don't mill the wheel. They only fill and face it.

The cost to do a wheel is about £100-130. I don't imagine the lacquer will be too expensive. You could do the machining part in 15-30mins.

I can tell you exactly the cost and margins of quite a lot of shops.

You can probe the wheel on the machine if you have the gear or use a CMM to make a program off the machine mbut that is more effort.

Either way with a lot of wheels to do, it's not hard to cater for.

Any good on the tools? Want a job?


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## Callummarshall (Oct 19, 2012)

Kerr said:


> They don't mill the wheel. They only fill and face it.
> 
> The cost to do a wheel is about £100-130. I don't imagine the lacquer will be too expensive. You could do the machining part in 15-30mins.
> 
> ...


Thought some of the newer designs had milled slots 

Yeah the machining part is the quick bit! Setting up And filling properly fubbared wheels would be a PITA

I'm sure I read about a machine which loaded, probed and would minimum skim a wheel with minimal user input was basically designed to be worked by monkeys can't for the life of me find the article!

I'm alright at what i do, depends which mob it's for, where abouts and what it's doing :lol::lol::lol: PM me if you wish.


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## taylor8 (Mar 26, 2010)

I have a Insignia VXR and i have thought about powder coating but just dont think it would look as good TBH


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## rf860 (Jul 24, 2011)

Nice car Taylor. The wheels make that car. Don't change them


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## taylor8 (Mar 26, 2010)

rf860 said:


> Nice car Taylor. The wheels make that car. Don't change them


Thanks yeah its not a bad car TBH, nice to drive and has a good few horses!:thumb: Just a shame the previous owner who didnt do many miles couldnt keep the wheels away from the kerb! aggh! :wall:


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## gaz_vxr (Dec 29, 2012)

taylor8 said:


> I have a Insignia VXR and i have thought about powder coating but just dont think it would look as good TBH


I've got the same wheels on my astra VXR. Got a tiny scuff on my passenger side alloy at the weekend. Was trying to get as close to the kerb as possible as it was a main road.....

Not really noticeable unless you are close up, but annoying nevertheless!

I saw the wheel specialist to Diamond cut but think they send them away too.

Was contemplating powder coating them black (red car) but think it would detract from the look of the car.


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

Lone_Par said:


> I've got the same wheels on my astra VXR. Got a tiny scuff on my passenger side alloy at the weekend. Was trying to get as close to the kerb as possible as it was a main road.....
> 
> Not really noticeable unless you are close up, but annoying nevertheless!
> 
> ...


The Wheel Specialist do send them away. Read their ridiculous and illegal terms of the deal.

http://www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk/wheel-finishes/diamond-cutting/

They take the money, but want zero responsibility for the shipment and no warranty.

If you pay a company and they subcontract the work, they are still fully responsible.


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## gaz_vxr (Dec 29, 2012)

Kerr said:


> The Wheel Specialist do send them away. Read their ridiculous and illegal terms of the deal.
> 
> http://www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk/wheel-finishes/diamond-cutting/
> 
> ...


That was another reason for not going ahead. Still toying with getting them powered coated. Will need to trawl VXR online to see if anyone else has done it!


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## taylor8 (Mar 26, 2010)

Turriff tyres send them away but will give you wheels to run about in, prob easier to get for your astra than my Insignia give them a buzz, the brembos are the issue with mine


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## gaz_vxr (Dec 29, 2012)

taylor8 said:


> Turriff tyres send them away but will give you wheels to run about in, prob easier to get for your astra than my Insignia give them a buzz, the brembos are the issue with mine


It's the same with the astra mate. 20inch wheels and brembos! I've got 18s BBS wheels in the garage but the won't fit!


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## taylor8 (Mar 26, 2010)

Lone_Par said:


> It's the same with the astra mate. 20inch wheels and brembos! I've got 18s BBS wheels in the garage but the won't fit!


he did say he was looking for some though, so might be worth giving them a buzz? 
fair chance i'll be selling mine on soon, so will wait till spring to see what my options are


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## Grumps (Sep 27, 2012)

I had all my alloys refurbished by Diamond wheels in Dundee and they did a great job.

I had problems with the lacquer on my alloys when my car was only 14 months old but Vauxhall agreed to refurbish them so the dealer sent them off to Diamond wheels.

I must admit I wasnt happy about it but when they came back they looked like new.

Unfortunately after 6 Months 2 of them developed hairline cracks in the lacquer but i went back to Diamond wheels and they agreed to redo them no questions asked. 

How long they last only time will tell.


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## taylor8 (Mar 26, 2010)

Problem I have is my car would be off the road something I just can't do


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## gaz_vxr (Dec 29, 2012)

Same here. How long did they have the car for Grumps?


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## Grumps (Sep 27, 2012)

Lone_Par said:


> Same here. How long did they have the car for Grumps?


I dropped the car off at the dealers on a Monday and picked it up again on the Thursday afternoon. Because it was a warranty job I had a courtesy car. A nice 1.2 corsa LOL.The dealer took the alloys off and sent them up to be done. To be honest I wouldnt want my car sitting outside Diamond wheels unit so it was better to get the dealer to keep it. I have been to the place and its okay but not very secure.

When I had to get the two alloys redone they said they would do them in a day but I left them with them for a couple of days I was in no hurry as I have a set of alloys with winter tyres on fitted just now and I didnt want them rushing and making a hash of the job.


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