Framebuilders - Paint Durability
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Frank Carroll
04-12-06, 03:48 AM
I painted a bike frame with Rustoleum and it looked beautiful for a short while, but you could practically scratch the stuff off with your fingernail. I'm interested in knowing about the durability of different sorts of paint I can get in a spray can.
Hobby shops carry spray cans of epoxy paints that will be about the most durable paint you can get in a can. You can buy an inexpensive spray gun from somewhere like Harbor Freight and learn to paint with automotive paints that are extremely durable.
It seems like paint from spray cans takes forever to cure. I painted a reflector for a light, and I could smell the paint fumes coming off because of the light's heat for a month. And that was with heat. Imagine how long it takes for the paint to cure without heat.
Professional paints probably cure faster because the hardening is a chemical process.
Sorry I can't offer any advice about what paints would be good. People seem to love powdercoating.
But if you do decide to go with professional paints, Peterpan1 recently said something which caught my attention...
"I sure depend on my lungs a lot more than the average person why would I risk them just to have a coating on my bikes that is the equal of the best industry can produce. Sounds like a bad trade."
jemoryl
04-13-06, 09:22 AM
Paint quality aside, a huge factor in paint adhesion is the quality of the surface prep work that is performed prior to painting.
fesslercw
04-13-06, 08:52 PM
Paint quality aside, a huge factor in paint adhesion is the quality of the surface prep work that is performed prior to painting.
Should you fine sand/ wet sand the final paint coat before clear coat?