I spray all of my wheels using canned spray paint, shellac or lacquer. As long as you spray several light coats I have no problem with drips of runs. I lay them flat on a piece of chip board and spray one side and as much of the edge as possible. As soon as the coating is dry I turn them over and give the back and edges a coat. When that dries I turn them over again and finish coat the outside. All of the products I use are very fast drying and I can finish the whole process is about 2 hours.
From: "Finishing" <Finishing@ciww.org>
To: "Moore, Keith" <bkmoore01@comcast.net>
Sent: Saturday, November 1, 2014 4:00:13 PM
Subject: re: [Finishing] Finish on small wheels <<$117820351025$>>
Paul.
I dip the wheels in a Minwax water based finish and hang them them on a dowel rod to dry. I use a plastic storage container to hold the finish and dip the wheels into. I use part of a metal coat hanger to put eight wheels onto for the dipping process. I roll off the excess finish onto a paper towel. (I've heard that others roll their wheels on a drip board to recapture the excess finish.)
The sealable lid on the plastic container keeps the finish useable for about a year.
Call me (407-9228) if I can be more helpful that way.
Mick
From: "Finishing" <Finishing@ciww.org>
To: mkeller02@comcast.net
Sent: Saturday, November 1, 2014 3:17:28 PM
Subject: [Finishing] Finish on small wheels <<$117818312605$>>
What is tr best way to finish the small wheels on the toy projects? I'm not having any luck with a brush. I thought about spray but I'm worried about runs. I'd like a smooth finish with the least sanding. Any thoughts?