Have you ever seen an alloy wheel that’s almost impossibly shiny? If you’ve jealously wondered how your alloys can achieve the same look then read on: our diamond cutting service is all you need.

Diamond cutting is a very simple process to understand, but one that takes years for technicians to perfect. At the heart of the process is the act of putting a painted wheel on a lathe and machining off a minuscule part to leave a shiny finish. The only way to achieve this is by using a diamond drill, which is hard and sharp enough to achieve such a precise finish. To put it simply, without the diamonds the finish cannot be achieved.

Although the cutting part of the process is complex, the true finish can only be achieved by painstakingly following a series of steps both before and afterwards.

At Diamond Alloys we start by removing the wheel and aqua blasting it, something which removes all the layers of paint to be replaced along with any corrosion and detrimental brake dust. Once this is done our technicians examine the wheel to check for any damage that needs to be removed, and perform and repairs or further cleaning processes necessary. This is just one of the many times throughout the process that the wheel is examined in detail – by the end we know the wheel better than you do!

From here the wheel is painted, diamond cut and then covered in a state of the art scratch proof laquer. Because we aquablasted at the start, the layers of paint and laquer stick perfectly to the wheel, giving you a perfectly smooth finish. The wheel is then baked in an oven to set the lacquer before, you guessed it, more inspections and a final refit.

We believe that diamond cutting offers a truly premium finish, and as it can be done in 48 hours there’s really no excuse not to upgrade your look this summer! Prices start from £55, please call us on 0845 370 8881 for details.

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We’re often talking about the beautiful finish that you can achieve on your alloys by powder coating them – in fact we will passionately argue that powder coating delivers the best possible finish on alloy wheels.

Seeing is believing, however, and if you’d like to take a look at just how special the powder coating finish is then check out our very short YouTube film (11 seconds to be exact):

Here you can see up close just how shiny and smooth the powder coat finish is, and how it looks exactly like a brand new wheel, with no trace of damage or denting.

If you’d like your wheels to look just as splendid, regardless of what state they’re in at present, then please get in touch with our experts today.  You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel to ensure you don’t miss out on future alloy-related videos and other exclusive content.

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Britain’s bad roads have struck again, this time on a Range Rover. This car sustained kerb damage to its wheels that not only caused unsightly marks, but also put them at risk from corrosion and further damage.

This is the kind of thing we deal with every day at Diamond Alloys, and our experts could probably repair kerb damage in their sleep! In all seriousness, however, just because it is a common process does not mean that we take a laid-back approach. Instead, we scrutinise and test at every step of the process to ensure that the repair and new finish meets our strict quality standards.
On these wheels we used our diamond cutting technique, pictured above a set of Range Rover wheels after painting and before the cut is applied, and below another set after the cut have been applied. This starts with a thorough clean of the alloys, using a specialist aqua jet machine. This ensures all dirt, even the hard-to-remove brake dust, is removed from the alloys. After this, our experts examine the wheel to determine exactly what repair processes are needed, before powder coating the alloy in preparation for the cutting.

Diamond cutting uses a high-strength precision tool that allows us to make smaller and more frequent cuts than any other method – ensuring the cleanest repair and the highest quality finish. After the wheel is repaired, we coat it with a scratch proof lacquer and bake it in our alloy oven.

Following this all that’s needed is one final quality inspection before the wheels are refitted and the tyres are inflated to the correct pressure and re-balanced. We hope these pictures of the finished wheels will reassure you that, should Britain’s bad roads strike, there is a quick and cost-effective solution at hand!

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Aren’t these wheels pretty? They’re from a VW Caddy, and in these photos you can see that our repair work has restored them to their original finish, enabling the beauty of the star shape design to shine through.

They weren’t always so shiny, however, as the alloys had suffered from an extremely common problem – kerb damage. If you’re lucky enough not to be familiar with this phenomenon yet, it’s simply the damage that occurs when alloys come into contact with kerbs or abrasive surfaces such as potholes.

It’s not something that occurs just as a result of bad driving: kerb damage can happen simply through pure bad luck. Potholes, for example, are incredibly common on the UK’s badly maintained roads, and can sometimes be almost impossible to avoid.

However you incur kerb damage, it’s important to remember that all is not lost. As you can see from the photographs, it’s entirely possible to repair your alloys and have them looking as good as new. Could you have ever guessed that these alloys had ever been anywhere near a kerb? We hope not!

Repairing is a simple and cost-effective alternative to replacing your alloys, and our team of experts can have you back on the road in as little as 48 hours. The repair process will depend on the damage and the type of alloys you have,  but in general terms it involves stripping them back completely to ensure all the damage is removed, then repairing the damage with a process such as diamond cutting before applying a high quality paint and finish.

As an extra bonus, our technicians can also change the aesthetic of your alloys during a repair, so if you’ve been thinking that you want to change your alloy colour or style, it’s a great opportunity to kill two birds with one stone!

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Don’t be alarmed by these photographs, even though they look like we’ve abandoned alloys to rot in an alleyway! These are actually alloys which are being prepared for diamond cutting, so they’re guaranteed to get the best treatment in the business.

These wheels, which are from a Triumph Stag, have been chemically stripped to remove every single trace of previous paint, dirt, brake dust and any other corrosive substance that might have attached itself to the alloys during their life on the road.

Chemical stripping, like aqua blasting, is a process we use to ensure that the wheels are a completely blank canvass before we go onto rebuild them. This process is something you should look for from any company who repairs your alloys – it may take longer, but it’s the only way to ensure that all the damage, and anything that might cause further damage such as corrosion, is completely gone. Companies who simply
patch up your alloys might give you a quick service, but you’ll end up having to take them back to the repair shop before you know it.

If you’re still not sure about the benefits of chemical stripping, watch our short film to see the process in action. This should reassure you that it does no damage to your actual alloys, but does efficiently remove everything that’s coating them.

Once the stripping process is complete the alloys will be inspected, powder coated and then diamond cut for a sublime finish. This owner may well decide to update the aesthetic of his wheels and go for a different paint finish, or perhaps some coloured inserts – the possibilities are endless!

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We’re delighted that more and more customers are coming to appreciate the excellent quality finish afforded by diamond cutting. So many customers want the benefits of this service for their alloys, in fact, that we’ve had a week of doing nothing but diamond cutting! The results, as you can see from these stunning photos, certainly prove the wisdom of customers’ choice. We’re particularly proud of the excellent finish on these beautiful AMG alloys, which brings out the elegant curves and all the coveted AMG detailing.

If you’re not familiar with the diamond cutting process, here’s a quick guide:
Diamond Cutting, we believe, is the crème de la crème of alloy repair services. This is because it uses a precision cut to remove only the part of the rim required, with absolutely no excess. In short, this provides a tighter, cleaner cut that allows us to ensure the end result has the finest finish possible.
Before we start cutting, however, we aqua blast the alloy to remove any remaining dirt or brake dust – not always visible to the naked eye –, give the alloy a thorough inspection and then powder coat it to ensure an even surface. Only then do we make the cut, a process which can only be carried out by our trained technicians who have been repairing alloys for decades.

Once the wheel is repaired we coat it in scratch-proof lacquer and bake it in our alloy wheel oven. After a final quality check, the wheel is re-fitted and the tyre is inflated and rebalanced.

Not only does diamond cutting give you an outstanding finish, but it also offers many opportunities for creativity – the quality of the finish means that you can combine it with painted inserts or other unique aesthetic touches to ensure you get the look you want. Simply call our technicians for a chat about the many possibilities.

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Ok, it’s a cheesy blog title, but we just love our diamond cut alloy finish. This premium service provides the crème de la crème of finishes, and is highly recommend for anyone who truly loves their wheels.

Our trade client M&A Coachworks certainly fall into this category, as they take meticulous care to ensure that all of their vehicles are maintained to the highest standard. In these photographs you can see wheels from one of their Mercedes A Class cars, which had sustained the kind of kerb damage associated with normal everyday driving. This can’t be helped, but should be repaired before the damage to the protective coating encourages corrosion to set in.

Diamond cutting is a great way to repair kerb damage because it is a precision cut which employs the incredible strength of the diamond cutting equipment to remove precisely what is required – and absolutely nothing more. This creates a much finer finish than any other method of alloy repair.

The cut is only applied after our experts have used our aqua jet wash to remove all traces of dirt, tar and grit from the wheel, both allowing the technicians to examine every inch of the alloy and ensuring that the alloy will be entirely protected from corrosion after the process. The clean alloy is then powder coated – the most corrosion resistant form of primer, and then precision cut.

You can see the results in this photograph, which shows the A Class wheels diamond cut and ready for their new coat of protective lacquer. Once this completely scratch proof lacquer is applied, the alloys take a trip into our oven, where the coat is set. From here there is a careful quality check, followed by the refitting of the tyres and adjustments to ensure that the pressure and balance are correct.

One of the other benefits of diamond cutting is that it gives you great aesthetic freedom to redesign your alloys. We can, for example, create a bespoke look using painted inserts of custom rim styles. Just give us a call on 0845 370 8881 to discuss your idea – our seasoned experts have seen pretty much every style of alloy, so they can advise you on how to get exactly what you want!

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If you’ve ever been tempted to cut costs by buying ‘cheap’ alloys from the internet, then you need to watch this video. Filmed in Australia by Mercedes Benz, the video depicts a pothole test between two sets of alloys. One is a genuine set provided by a reputable dealer, the other is a set purchased from a mysterious outlet on the internet. The results are terrifying.

At only 50 KM/H, the experiment’s high speed cameras capture a section of the fake wheel, fitted to a Mercedes Benz CLA shooting brake cracking and breaking away. Given that this speed is just over 30MPH, this is truly frightening – not only could fake wheels prove dangerous for those inside the car, but with fragments flying off they also pose a risk to those outside the car.

The video’s presenter sums it up nicely. “It’s a matter of public safety”, he says. Furthermore, it’s not always easy to tell which alloys are real, as the imitations can often be very convincing. In fact, “It’s only when you turn it around that you can see what’s the real deal”, says the commentator, demonstrating where the criminals have ground off the part numbers on the fake wheels.

This video really drives home the fact that saving a few pounds is not worth risking someone’s life. Please do watch and remember to always use recognised alloys from reputable dealers, or simply get your current alloys repaired, it’s a whole lot cheaper too!

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