Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - SS conversion rattle can paint job

The conversion is nearly complete. Good news. The rattle can paint job (sometimes referred to as a ghetto paint job) can look pretty good. I found great advice in the forums. Here is the result. The Velo thing looks a little cheesy in the pic but it came out really nice and shiny. I tried to do a cool logo with little circle but it looked terrible. I was gonna do three little stick people but decided to go for a retro tacky frenchy thing.


http://static.flickr.com/50/108497305_343571aa07.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/47/108497307_96313bf8e0.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/42/108497310_b152e9a97b.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/51/108521767_8374dfdbae.jpg

If anyone cares, this is going to be the all-around SS grocery-gettin' **** weather-mobile.

nice paint job, from my experience the most important part of the rattle can job is the clear coat! i put 5 coats of clear coat on my old MTB and it still scratched... will have to find a better clear coat next time.

nice paint job, from my experience the most important part of the rattle can job is the clear coat! i put 5 coats of clear coat on my old MTB and it still scratched... will have to find a better clear coat next time.


No man, surface prep is the key. The paint has to stick first. Then it resists scratching off better.

That paint looks super smooth, the close up really shows it.
My rattle can job has lasted for four years, and had so much handling that the paint has gone from flat to a low shine, but it is still all there.

I used about a can of the clear coat, I hope it's enough. Honestly, I don't mind if I gave to repaint it in a year. It was a good time. I think the next one will look better though.

I used about a can of the clear coat, I hope it's enough. Honestly, I don't mind if I gave to repaint it in a year. It was a good time. I think the next one will look better though.

i think i used a couple of cans of clear coat, and i also stripped the whole thing, primed it, wet sanded the primer, painted it, wet sanded the paint and it still chips and scratches, not easily, but i've put the bike through hell.

why were the braze ons left on?

No man, surface prep is the key. The paint has to stick first. Then it resists scratching off better.

+1

I've done a lot of rattle can jobs in my time, and the ones that keep the best are always the ones I put the most work into starting!

the spraypaint job I did on mine chips all the time, but then again, I just paint it again, it only takes one minute...

No man, surface prep is the key. The paint has to stick first. Then it resists scratching off better.

That paint looks super smooth, the close up really shows it.
My rattle can job has lasted for four years, and had so much handling that the paint has gone from flat to a low shine, but it is still all there.

Yep, a good hit and the primer should still be there and no flaking around the overcoats. Adherance of the primer to metal and then coats outer, and waxes. Clean the metal before primer....hands are oily, bikes are greasy.

+1

I've done a lot of rattle can jobs in my time, and the ones that keep the best are always the ones I put the most work into starting!

POR-15's Metal Ready primer rocks...I've used it on coil springs (for a Jeep) and had zero issues over years. Just primed it with the POR-15 primer, rinse, dry and shoot with krylon. I didn't expect it to last like it did....unreal. http://207.97.241.136/PRODUCTS/CleanersDegreasers/MetalReady/tabid/80/Default.aspx

POR-15's Metal Ready primer rocks...I've used it on coil springs (for a Jeep) and had zero issues over years. Just primed it with the POR-15 primer, rinse, dry and shoot with krylon. I didn't expect it to last like it did....unreal. http://207.97.241.136/PRODUCTS/CleanersDegreasers/MetalReady/tabid/80/Default.aspx

Thought I read the 'paint' needed clearcoat. Not UV stable.
Neat company, they have suff you could clean the inside of rusty chromo tubing with. ;) Etch.

why were the braze ons left on?
I'm devising a use for them. It may be practical, or it may be completely superfluous. Either way, I know that the moment they are shaved off I'll want them back. As you might have noticed, this isn't exactly a sleek speedster.

Yep, a good hit and the primer should still be there and no flaking around the overcoats. Adherance of the primer to metal and then coats outer, and waxes. Clean the metal before primer....hands are oily, bikes are greasy.

I sanded it first with 60 then 250, although I heard that it isn't necessary to do the rough grit sandpaper first. I used a few coats of primer, waiting about 10 minutes between coats, and went straight on to the purple before the primer was totally dry. I did touch-up and the silly 'Velo' logo/Keith Van Horn socks about 5 days later, quickly followed by the many layers of clear coat before the touch up stuff dried. The key is to take your time, and have several beers during the painting process. Oh yeah, and having a good painting area is nice too. I have a little storage closet on the patio. I hung the bike from the head tube using a big u-bolt thing. The bolt was looped over an old metal pole of some sort. I used a hand clamp on the bolt to get the bike to stay in one position. I think pictures are required to describe this...

I still need to:
-run new brake cables...they don't exactly reach with the new handlebars
-get rid of rear cassette, ad spacers, etc.
-dremmel unused chainwheel. I might just remove the teeth on the outer crank, but I was thinking about making a cool design but I would just end up with an extremely sharp cutting device next to my foot (I already have a nice line of 12 chainwheel teeth up my calf).
-attach racks and other assorted goodies

-dremmel unused chainwheel. I might just remove the teeth on the outer crank, but I was thinking about making a cool design but I would just end up with an extremely sharp cutting device next to my foot (I already have a nice line of 12 chainwheel teeth up my calf).


Grinder and diamond files. Not sharp, but good for getting over rocks.
I was trying to do a 'wave' pattern. Bikes original 46T ring.
Still hasn't busted..close to2 yrs.

Thought I read the 'paint' needed clearcoat. Not UV stable.
Neat company, they have suff you could clean the inside of rusty chromo tubing with. ;) Etch.

yeah the actualy coating will flatten in UV light but it won't degrade...the primer is a different animal altogether. In fact you can buy a starter kit with their Marine Clean, the Metal Ready primer and the POR-15 coating. We used to coat our rock rails and bumpers with their system as instructed and then (as per a conversation with POR-15 folks) we'd apply rattlecan paint when the POR-15 was just tacky...made for a bombproof coating.

RJ