Bicycle Mechanics - Painting a frame?

Hi, I'm working on a fixed gear machine and was toying with the idea of getting the frame bead blasted and then painting it.

If I decide to paint it, what do i need to do to make it stick. What type of paint do I need to prime the chrome frame, etc. Then, what paint, etc, etc.

Thanks for the info as always.

Although I might just have it powdercoarted or leave it chrome...I have no idea.

PJBAZ

I think going to a car paint place and get them to do the job would work ( you say chrome- chrome plated steel? or chromoly steel?) if chromed steel, why not buff, polish and a few coats of diamondcoat varathane? anyway- i'm gonna do the car paint thing- get in on a car job- no paint reload- whatever they are spraying (well, not hot pink) - the thing you are or should be considering is these types of enamel paints you need are set up by heat- baked on- I've read that you can do yourself- got a pizza oven? dupont Imron seems the big one- poisonous of course, wear a REAL canister mask with the right chem filter- good luck.

search "diy paint" or just "paint" and you'll get a lot of good info including my own project.

jeff

congrats on the settlement

i always use urethane paint. you can get this by the liter at any paint shop. BTW, you also have to use a catalyst for urethane paints.

If money is a little tight, you can use acryllic paint. I have never used enamel on the bike, they tend to be not so tough against the elements and the petrol products you use on your drivetrain.

here's what I do.

strip the old paint (you already did)
spray on the primer (urethane -- its green) apply 2-3coats. Sand with #1000, #1500 grit sandpaper between coats.
spray on the paint, apply 3-5 coats. sand with 1000 or 1500 grit sandpaper between coats.
spray 2-5 coats of (urethane) clearcoat (optional)
apply rubbing compound, polish, then wax to shine.

refer to the paint instructions for proper drying time/period...

hope it helps..

I used the procedure above to paint most recent project(below).

I have seen some powder paint jobs that look very good and hold up extremely well.

Check around your area for someone who can powder paint. They usually do not charge much for painting bicycles. I have heard of some shops that will do it for around $25.00. Others charge more than $100.00, so shop around.

Hi, I'm working on a fixed gear machine and was toying with the idea of getting the frame bead blasted and then painting it.

If I decide to paint it, what do i need to do to make it stick. What type of paint do I need to prime the chrome frame, etc. Then, what paint, etc, etc.

Thanks for the info as always.

Although I might just have it powdercoarted or leave it chrome...I have no idea.

PJBAZ

I have good luck with the Fred Flintstone approach: sand or blast the frame, then go to the local hardware, Farm/Home/Fleet, Tractor Supply, etc. and buy a spray can of auto primer and some high peformance Rustoleum or the paint for farm implements (my new trike has a fade scheme of John Deere yellow and green). This has held up fine for me, and my trike spent many nights outside and travelled through rain and hail last summer, which included a couple thousands of miles of touring/camping.

I also have a local shop where they will blast and paint a frame for $125.

I've searched a long time for such info and it always seems to end up that if you want nice looking results, you'll have to spend some money. At this point, powder coating looks to be the best idea, particularly for durability. If you snoop around, you'll find powdecoating places that'll sandblast and powdercoat, in a fairly wide variety of prices. DIY paints, for decent paints, can be pretty pricey themselves. On top of that, it really helps to have facilities/equipment to do the job properly. Not to mention skill. On the cheapest end, if you're less picky and just need some coverage, you can get a few cans of primer and paint for less than $20. Which is what I did to my kid's bike. Looks ok, nothing to write home about, not terribly durable, but looks better than the prior color/rust. If you lack a painting facility, winter might be a tough time to do outdoor spraying.

I have the ability and some of the knowledge to make it work whatever method I try...but I'm going to look around for the best option. I don't want to spend a ton of $$$ - it's my first fixed gear machine.

I have a friend that runs a body shop...I'm going to talk with him about shooting the frame.

Although, I did buy a rotary tool and stripping paint is kinda fun, so maybe the chrome frame hiding underneath that paint it is...

Decision, decisions!

Thanks,
PJBAZ