Alcyon

Hey all,

Hope this is the right place to post this... I'd really like to paint my Kona Dew Deluxe matte black. Not really a fan of the copper colour. Is this even remotely a good idea? What paint could I use that won't chip or flake off? And how should I protect the components? I don't really have enough expertise or trust myself to take everything off in order to paint it, so I was going to wrap everything I didn't want painted in newspaper and tape it.

Am I a total idiot who should not be allowed anywhere near a can of paint?

Thanks guys.

Fissile

Yes.

The frame has to be stripped of all components if you want a good paint job.

"Durable" and "spray can" don't go together. You can get a nice finish with a rattle-bomb, but it won't be very durable. Bike manufacturers use catalyzed auto paints for their frames. Novices should not mess around with catalyzed paints.

Alcyon

Could I spray over it with some kind of a lacquer or finish after painting?

Fissile

Sure, but anything that comes out of a spray can will not be anywhere near as durable as the factory finish.

Thurnau

If you have a spray gun and an air compressor, use a basecoat followed by a 2 part urethane clearcoat. Go to a local car paint supply or try www.automotivetouchup.com

Fissile

Without the hardener, it'll be no more durable than a spray can job. Hardener is deadly toxic and should not be handled by a novice.

Sledbikes

this paint job is 6 years old and its all rattle can, its all in the prep work i would sand it down with 600grit just enough to scuff the finish. take the wheels off and tape off the rest use blue masking tape. stick to car laquers flat black in itself is not durable so add flat clear itll gloss a little bit but it looks good

Artkansas 

Check out some of the car painting books in your local bookstore or library. Most of the techniques are pretty much the same. Some people have even gotten their bikes painted by car painting companies.

Blais

If you do strip it down, you may be able to locate a place near you that will give it a flat black powder coat. I've seen the results of just such a venture and it was pretty nice.

heyjaffy

The last time that I painted a frame I removed all of the components I could, taped off the ones that I couldn't, and used a paint remover, wire brush, and sandpaper to take the frame down to bare metal - I would never do that again. Paint remover sucks, actually, it burns, even the organic environmentally friendly stuff I bought, and, it turns out that the original paint would have made a much more durable base coat than the primer I used. I painted the first time with flat gray, covered with matte clearcoat. total of about 8 layers, and let it dry in the sun, and my basement for about 3 days before I touched it..... That paint chipped off like crazy. This brought about a couple of benefits:

* A willingness to paint it again a different color/shade (the next time I didn't strip it first, and painted with a ceramic engine paint)
* A lack of caring as to the appearance of the bike, and a lot more general enjoyment of just riding it and not worrying if I dinged it up.

All that being said, there's a couple good, long write-ups here that you can search for that will explain how to get the very best out of a rattlecan job, and why that's just about the worst choice you can make if you want a good, durable paint job.

squirtdad

there is a stick in Classic and Vintage on frame painters...it also has a lot of hints for painting.

Another option is to get it powder coated the desired color

taking part of is the way to go for a neat job.

veganboyjosh

has anyone had any luck going to an auto body shop and piggybacking a bike/frame paint job onto a regular car paint job?

like, getting your bike frame/fork to the painter, and when they have a car to paint, get your bike painted at the same time...hopefully on the cheap...

Blais

That's a fantastic idea. I bet they'd be willing to do it for pretty cheap since they'll have the paint already mixed and prepped. If you had the frame adequately stripped down and maybe primed, all they would have to do is hang it up and spray it. I'd look into it.

Fissile

Some auto body shops will do that, provided that you do all the prep work. You also have to settle for whatever color they are painting cars that week. $50 to $75 bucks should make the painter happy.

Blutarski

I just restored a 28 year old Schwinn Cruiser. I had the frame powdercoated for $100.00 at a shop I found in the phone book. Look under powdercoating in the phone book, and get prices! Spray painting looks good for a while, but soon will start chipping, or peeling. Throw down a few bucks, and get a good paint job that will last!

Rollfast

I always put several coats on myself and I'm going to clear coat it. Yes, I'm going to get the crank and handlebars OFF. Still this is want I'm doing this weekend and if you go to page SIX on Tempest-the grey bike grows up in this forum and you aren't spraypainting DaVinci, then this is the non Leonardo approach, which I will be happy with and isn't a typical example of anything Me and spraypaint know each other.

Since the "copper" color is some kind of tinting and it's NOT MADE OF COPPER, yes, you can disassemble it and strip that tinting and do whatever...I'd bet it's worth a lot more coppery though. Think about that and see if another bike or an actual NON-COPPER BIKE of that make is available. It may be one that hauls in enough for two-three bikes, you never know some daze.

PS For good, bad, ugly or indifferent information I'm using Dupli-Color automotive colors in at least three coats, mostly the D-C 500F ceramic engine enamel. topped over by D-C clear acrylic enamel. I hope to be finished before the week is out if you want to follow my fables and foibles in my thread.

Rollfast

You had much the same idea I did. I'm learning the things you're speaking of also.

griftereck

if you want Matte black


then you put clear laquer over it...surely it will be shiny then

PDXJeff

+1
Powdercoating is much more durable, but it is thicker and should be done by a powdercoater who has experience with bikes.

Sledbikes

i have painters ADD otherwise i would have gone that route on my bikes but for a one time finish youre stuck with powdercoat

PDXJeff

Sled, I'm not exactly sure what your saying, but powdercoat can be media blasted off.(?)

limeylew

I have painted several bikes over the years with Rustoleum, although I am certainly not what one would call a 'bicycle painter'.

Recently, however, I painted various parts of a frame (braze ons that I had added, etc.) with 'plasti-kote' industrial enamel, which comes in a spray can. It's a total mystery to me where the can came from, or how long I have had it, since it is 'Osha Green', a color that I have never, ever considered using in the past.

The bottom line is that this paint worked REALLY well for me.

It has a 'Guaranteed not to clog nozzle' and will 'Spray in any direction'.

The paint dried quickly (1 hour) and had a decent shine to it. Also it didn't 'bleed' under the amaturish taping job that I had done.

Hope this helps.

Rollfast

Learning, indeed, as you can see...still I will get it as close as I can with the striping and call it genuine. I'm not Rembrandt but I'm not Jackson Pollock either!

It gets one more white stripe and touch-up then the fender is done! One Columbia repro split red reflector wil; be added.

RicerX

I did it with my bike, and I only put 2 coats on (mainly cause im cheap and ran out of paint)

it chips super easily but as long as you're careful with it and don't go around dropping it everywhere it'll look decent. i sprayed my bike a pink/black mix, looks good not perfect, but good.

mastershake916

Well it can, but it takes a really really really long time and you can't touch it up.