Framebuilders - Primer or no?

I want to paint my bike, the frame is bare aluminum and never been painted. If I buff it well with steel wool, should I need to use a primer?

Also, I want to go with a matte type finish. Are there clearcoats that arent shiny, or would I need to go wihout?

Thanks.

i would recommend a primer that closely matches the final color. white primer for light colors and grey or black for darker colors.

You dont really need a clearcoat, I would apply a clearcoat if you were going to put decals down and wanted them to be more permanent. you can get matte clearcoats, krylon carries them. the have flat clear and satin (which is like a semigloss) clearcoat. Try to get one that says that it has UV protectant in it.

jeremy

Thanks. Besides krylon, are there other major brands to look for (paint) that are tried and true and durable on bikes? Should I use something from an auto supply store?

Also, can I get an even coat with can spraypaint without spraying and sanding multiple times, as I've seen reccomended, and what works best if I want to put tape down and peel away to do designs and such, just normal painters tape?

i don't have a primer/no primer thought but i would tell you not to use steel wool on your frame. small bits of the steel will embed themselves in the alum. and then rust. you could use scotchbrite instead.






paul

Thanks. Besides krylon, are there other major brands to look for (paint) that are tried and true and durable on bikes? Should I use something from an auto supply store?

Also, can I get an even coat with can spraypaint without spraying and sanding multiple times, as I've seen reccomended, and what works best if I want to put tape down and peel away to do designs and such, just normal painters tape?

Can't help with paint recommendations because I'm still learning and am interested in what others say.

As for technique, a thick single coat is going to bead up, run and drip, dry unevenly, and be much more prone to peeling. There's no substitute for multiple thin coats + sanding.

There are a couple threads in this forum about painting technique and materials. Do a search to read about the problems in using auto paint. If you have the budget or are in a hurry, you could consider sending the bike out to be painted or powdercoated.

YOu'll want a primer specifically made for aluminium. A zinc-chromate primer will do. There's actually is a 5-step etching/conversion process beforehand that'll really make it stick, but not really necessary.

You shouldn't let the sanding process deter you. It will slow things down, but any sanding is better than none, and can significantly improve the result. Even a quick once over with scotchbrite to knock down high points.

Krylon is probably best, but it still won't hold up very long. I kryloned my commuter bike last november and it looked great. I even made a thread about it (check the forums), and by Janurary it looked like it had been through a war. Spraycan stuff just isn't chip or scrape resistant.
Once you add up the cost of paint and the huge time investment, you realize that getting a proper paint job with 2 part paint or powedercoat would have been cheaper.

Just wondering. If his bike is aluminum, then it's not going to rust. So, why the need for primer?

primer's not really about rust, primer helps the paint stick to the metal. specially formulated. some are nice and sandable. good advise look for one made for aluminum. better yet, skip it all and get it powdercoated.

have fun!
~Steve

primer's not really about rust, primer helps the paint stick to the metal. specially formulated. some are nice and sandable. good advise look for one made for aluminum. better yet, skip it all and get it powdercoated.

have fun!
~Steve


Yeah, but then what's going to help the primer stick to the metal?

I dont like krylon, it is very watery, and if you dont paint carefully it turns out like rubber. Try out auto spray paint,or another metal enamel.

also you have an aluminum frame and i heard it needs special alumite paint or something like that only available at specialty stores (thats what i HEARD)

Hi. I've paintned plenty of bikes and it can be one of the most frustrating things you can do, especially with Krylon, Rustoleum, etc. You just need to take your time with it. The prep work is key. You want an anchor pattern for the primer to adhear to. If you choose to sand instead of having it blasted, just don't sand to the point of getting it real smooth. With the spray can type primer and paint, I'd do few coats of primer then wet sand it smooth the next day. Then sand between color coats. I always wet sand the primer and the first two or three color coats. It increases adheasion and makes it very smooth. I don't know about sanding the spray can clear because I've never done it, but with the regular clear, I always sand between coats. Also, after sanding or blasting the raw frame, wipe it down with acetone or denatured alcohol to remove any body oils or such that may have gotten on the surface. Don't try to get full coverage right away. As was mentioned earlier, many light coats are better than a few heavy coats.

Good luck with it

Yeah, but then what's going to help the primer stick to the metal?

The primer is generally 'etching', it eats away the metal and then grabs hold of the frayed edges. Obviously, on a tiny scale, your bike will not be fuzzy after you prime it.

Krylon is a good choice if you're planning on repainting often. If you want a spray paint that will last a little longer, go for the automotive stuff. I use duplicolor on any bike that I care about the appearance of, krylon and colorplace (Wal-Mart's house brand) are strictly for rust protection on steel bits.

Courious: How well do you find that the Duplicolor lasts? I made the mistake of using their Metalic chrome and was very dissapointed.

Hi. I've paintned plenty of bikes and it can be one of the most frustrating things you can do, especially with Krylon, Rustoleum, etc. You just need to take your time with it. The prep work is key. You want an anchor pattern for the primer to adhear to. If you choose to sand instead of having it blasted, just don't sand to the point of getting it real smooth. With the spray can type primer and paint, I'd do few coats of primer then wet sand it smooth the next day. Then sand between color coats. I always wet sand the primer and the first two or three color coats. It increases adheasion and makes it very smooth. I don't know about sanding the spray can clear because I've never done it, but with the regular clear, I always sand between coats. Also, after sanding or blasting the raw frame, wipe it down with acetone or denatured alcohol to remove any body oils or such that may have gotten on the surface. Don't try to get full coverage right away. As was mentioned earlier, many light coats are better than a few heavy coats.

Good luck with it



Sanding between multiple coats of primer AND color?! That's going to take forever! Might as well get a pro painter if going to all that fuss. What is a good grit sandpaper for sanding between coats? How about a wire brush instead of sanding. Would make the job faster, no?

Sanding between multiple coats of primer AND color?! That's going to take forever! Might as well get a pro painter if going to all that fuss.


DING DING DING! We have a winner!

Courious: How well do you find that the Duplicolor lasts? I made the mistake of using their Metalic chrome and was very dissapointed.

Same thing - I think the chrome might be a latex-based paint, it just sorta peeled off. However, every single other duplicolor I've used has been excellent. I've gotten great results with the "anodizing" paint, it looks great and haven't had any wear problems.

As a sidenote, their glow-in-the-dark spray paint works. It's pretty cool.

Sanding between multiple coats of primer AND color?! That's going to take forever! Might as well get a pro painter if going to all that fuss. What is a good grit sandpaper for sanding between coats? How about a wire brush instead of sanding. Would make the job faster, no?

I usually wetsand using 600-800 grit on the primer and color. If there are any defects in the final clear, I'll wetsand to 3000 then a light buff. It really doesn't take that long to do. I don't know about using a wire brush. That may be too aggresive. I've used very-fine steel wool for primer, but it's not suitable for paint as it leaves it discolored.

I think the time issue is relative. I paint and mess with bikes for a living, so I see fussing over sanding and the like as part of the job. Some of the detail work you just can't rush. For good results you have to take the time to do the job right.

Just to let everyone know, I found David and Southwest Frameworks through this forum. He painted a frame for me and it looks as great as it can. A really super paint job. Now I'm just about to come up with a deposit for one of his custom frames. Listen to him, he knows what he's talking about. Check out his site. www.southwestframeworks.com