Mountain Biking - repainting a steel frame

i'm looking to strip down and repaint a steel frame, but ive never done it before. any suggestions on paint type or painting technique? are there any sites out there with a step by step guide or useful tips for a cold-application? thanks a ton.

Rattle-can chic was my favorite. If you've got a spray gun, shoot lacquer. Or if you are really brave, have a good respirator and want something tough, try Imron.

I just repainted a 1969 Schwinn Stingray, stripped it down to bare metal with a lot of sanding. I finished painting it this weekend. I used paint found from this site, http://www.hyper-formance.com/paints.htm they have some pointers there but not a whole lot. Basically what I used was the automotive style primers and paints, in a spray can. It came out much better than I ever thought it could. A few coats of base primer, then the high build primer which I was able to lightly sand for a really smooth primer finish. I used some "3M in between coats sanding pads" to gently sand the primer, and then the base color coat. Topped it off with clear and now I will wait 30 days or so for it to fully dry to do a wet sanding. That will bring it up really nice. The in between coat sanding and wet sanding will smooth out the highs and lows in the paint to give it a mirror like finish.

Some other tips I can give you if you haven't painted before, is to get good mask to wear, I got a really good one at lowes for a few bucks that blocked the smell and alot of the dust. Also try to paint with over lapping motions and an even speed as you pass over the bike, bascially dont start spraying right on top of the bike , it can cause runs in the paint and uneven look to it. Spray into the air for a brief second then move over the bike with a sweeping motion, till you pass over the other end. Several thin coats are better, spray it once or twice, then spray the other areas... Also before spraying any paint or primer, make sure the surface is free of any dust. Take your time and it should work out. You also might be able to find a few books in the library or book store about painting.

You dont have to go through all the details and various primers and paints I did, you can use one primer and some paint and get good results. Hope this helps.

here are some pics of my project, I hung it from the ceiling beam in my garage on a hook and coat hanger, unraveled of course.

http://home.comcast.net/~silverls1gto/fullysanded1-2.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~silverls1gto/primered1-2.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~silverls1gto/freshpaint1-2.jpg

I just repainted a 1969 Schwinn Stingray, stripped it down to bare metal with a lot of sanding. I finished painting it this weekend. I used paint found from this site, http://www.hyper-formance.com/paints.htm they have some pointers there but not a whole lot. Basically what I used was the automotive style primers and paints, in a spray can. It came out much better than I ever thought it could. A few coats of base primer, then the high build primer which I was able to lightly sand for a really smooth primer finish. I used some "3M in between coats sanding pads" to gently sand the primer, and then the base color coat. Topped it off with clear and now I will wait 30 days or so for it to fully dry to do a wet sanding. That will bring it up really nice. The in between coat sanding and wet sanding will smooth out the highs and lows in the paint to give it a mirror like finish.

Some other tips I can give you if you haven't painted before, is to get good mask to wear, I got a really good one at lowes for a few bucks that blocked the smell and alot of the dust. Also try to paint with over lapping motions and an even speed as you pass over the bike, bascially dont start spraying right on top of the bike , it can cause runs in the paint and uneven look to it. Spray into the air for a brief second then move over the bike with a sweeping motion, till you pass over the other end. Several thin coats are better, spray it once or twice, then spray the other areas... Also before spraying any paint or primer, make sure the surface is free of any dust. Take your time and it should work out. You also might be able to find a few books in the library or book store about painting.

You dont have to go through all the details and various primers and paints I did, you can use one primer and some paint and get good results. Hope this helps.

here are some pics of my project, I hung it from the ceiling beam in my garage on a hook and coat hanger, unraveled of course.

http://home.comcast.net/~silverls1gto/fullysanded1-2.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~silverls1gto/primered1-2.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~silverls1gto/freshpaint1-2.jpg


all very helpful, thank you!