Bicycle Mechanics - Nail Polish (Painting Bicycle)

There's a small area of my bike from which paint is missing, and I wonder if it's idiotic of me to consider filling it in with nail polish... There's no chance this could do any damage, is there? I've read, on-line, that painting a bicycle involves disassembly, removal of old paint, sanding, using primer, etc., but I imagine all this is for people who wish to re-paint an entire bike. The patch missing on mine is probably about a square inch (less, maybe), though, of course, it's a very irregular shape.

Thanks.

If it's a steel or aluminum frame, go for it!
If it's carbon fiber, ask the manufacturer.

At my shop we generally use a little bit of Testor's enamel model paint if all that is needed is a little bit of touch up. Its waterproof and fairly durable. They also offer quite a few different colors so you should be able to find one to match your bike fairly well. The paint can be found at most hobby stores and shouldn't cost more than two dollars for a small container.

At my shop we generally use a little bit of Testor's enamel model paint if all that is needed is a little bit of touch up. Its waterproof and fairly durable. They also offer quite a few different colors so you should be able to find one to match your bike fairly well. The paint can be found at most hobby stores and shouldn't cost more than two dollars for a small container.

I think this is a better option than nail polish too. So many colors, so easy to mix to get a better match.

For REALLY painting a bike* - both Testor's and nail-polish fail. Wrong stuff. Bot for touch-ups I'd suggest nail-polish. The nail-salon here has a zillion colors. And I mixed them for a good match for a very weird pain on my PUCH.

The best thing about n-p paint? It can be easily removed - totally - with acetone (finger-polish remover), whereas Testor's is very hard to try, try, again with.


* - Use the Search function in these forums for suggestions on painting a frame.

Aluminum (maybe steel, where I want to paint). I've never heard of "Testor's enamel model paint," but I thank you for the suggestion. Do you have any recommendation of where to look for it? Is it something a typical bike-shop would have in its stock?

Thank you.

*The color I need is black.

Find a store(s) that sell models, etc. Like model airplanes, Dinosaurs, so forth. Call and ask.

Aluminum (maybe steel, where I want to paint). I've never heard of "Testor's enamel model paint," but I thank you for the suggestion. Do you have any recommendation of where to look for it? Is it something a typical bike-shop would have in its stock?

Thank you.

*The color I need is black.

For small touch ups, go look for touch up pens at an auto parts store. Paint adheres better than nail polish. Testor's would also be better than nail polish.

Nail polish is enamel. Testors paint is enamel. Touch up paint is enamel.

Regards nail-polishes - a good nail-salon will have a whole wall of different colors*. There's one in my small downtown-mall. I love scaring the old women there - long-haired Yippie strolls in and starts playing with the paints... The owner likes me though. I must be a taste of fresh-air. Muahahahaha!!


* Each little bottle contains a fine brush attached to the cap. Pick up the remover, too. It's a good source for acetone - cheap.

Most Wal-Marts have a huge rack of nailpolish in a tremendous variety of colors, most of which are unknown to nature.

Testors model paint is available in an equally bewildering array of colors at any well stocked hobby shop. When I wanted to match the paint on my Co-Motion, I wheeled it into the local hobby shop and parked it next to the Testors display rack.

Nail polish is enamel. Testors paint is enamel. Touch up paint is enamel.

House paint is enamel also but I doubt you'd want to use it on a bicycle:rolleyes:

Not all nail polishes are enamel. Many are nitrocellulose dissolved in an acetate solvent. They aren't meant to be as permanent nor as durable as enamels or other polymer resins. Testors enamels are meant to be used on plastics and thus have issues with the type of solvent they could use...dissolving the polystyrene or polyurethane of the model would be bad:rolleyes: Adhesion to the existing paint may not be as good as automotive paint that uses more aggressive solvents.

I have a black bike and I use a black Sharpie for touch up. Seems to work fine.

Perhaps on my next foray to the mall, I'll stop into the nail-salon and pick up some pink nail-polish. What do you think? A red Trek custom-hybrid with pink polka-dots? I'll at long last have a name for the machine: Measles.

Nail polish is lacquer, not enamel.

I'll try to get either nail-polish or Testors. Thanks, all.

Do this test, find a test piece for paint, like a soup can. Lay down a stripe of each:

1. nail-polish
2. touch-up paint
3. Testor's model enamel

wait for them to dry and rub the stripes with alcohol, mineral-spirits, acetone, lacquer thinner. That'll tell you which type of paint you want to use.

Well the acetone will take out nail-polish. That's why they use it. Not sure about the Testor's though. Because of acetone taking out the nail-polish, this makes the stuff perfect for touch-ups as if you make a mistake - it's easy to rectify. So one might wish to start with nail-polish to hone your skills as a touch-up artist. Once you're satisfied with your work, you can remove it and go for the more permanent Testor's paint. Or not.

Regards nail-polishes - a good nail-salon will have a whole wall of different colors*. There's one in my small downtown-mall. I love scaring the old women there - long-haired Yippie strolls in and starts playing with the paints... .

At our local nail-salon, the staff and the clientele scare me! More tattoos and piercings than I ever thought possible (and those are only the visible ones....)

if you're worried about removing the testor's enamel, they do make a paint thinner sold along side the actual paints that works well to remove paint from unwanted areas. I use it for some of my hobby modeling projects. Unfortunately, I have no idea what this thinner is made out of so I'm not sure how it would affect the original paint on your bike. Does anyone know?

Without pouring it into a paper-bag and huffing it - can you say what it smells like? The chemist's way is to hold it away from you and use your open hand to waft the vapors towards your nose. If it has a pronounced odor, we can probably pin-point the main ingredient. If it has little odor - it's likely "mineral spirits" such as lighter-fluid. See if it's marked as flammable, too.

Don't do what the French chemist Lavoisier did when he discovered hydrogen gas - take a deep breath of it and exhale on a lit match. He wrote his report on his discovery from his hospital bed. Boom!

That is ridiculous advice. I hope no one actually tries any of that.

Lacquer dries but does not cure (polymerize), so it remains soluble in acetone forever.

Enamels, like Testors modeling paints, cure (polymerize) upon drying, so once dry they are no longer soluble in paint thinner (mineral spirits). You may be able to remove it with acetone but , methylene chloride (paint stripper) will get it off for sure (along with everything else).

I'd have to recommend lacquer (nail polish) for small touch ups.

Nail polish is lacquer paint that has been formulated for brushing. It is relatively thick and has retardant added to slow drying. The retardant is a solvent that evaporates more slowly than acetone to allow the brush marks to level out before it hardens. This is good for brushing application.

Just be careful working around a tube. The slow drying time will allow the paint to run down the tube and/or around the tube before it dries. Go slowly. You can also thin the nail polish wil acetone. Thinning it will mean a thinner coat that dries faster. You may need more than one coat. You have to experiment to get it right.

That is ridiculous advice. I hope no one actually tries any of that.

:thumb:

MM seems to know what he's talking about.

For me, if it needs "touch-up", it's ready for all new paint.:p

But I did do some touch-up on the Merlin, ... with a black Sharpie.:eek:

Agreed: Mike Mills sounds to know what he's talking about. I'll try to had out to a pharmacy soon to see which nail polishes are available. If it turns out none can be had very cheap, I might just go for the Testors. I do like the idea of being able to remove the former with acetone (or, "nail-polish remover") even after it's dried, and I'm pretty sure nothing floating around in nature will strip it off, alone.

Don't forget to do a compatibility test in an inconspicuous area. We have no idea what type of paint was used on your bike. You want to be sure the touch up paint won't dissolve or damage the base coat(s). do a test in a small, inconspicuous area before committing to repairs on a more conspicuous location.

Clean the area before applying the touch up paint. 90+% isopropyl alcohol would be a good cleaner. It'll remove any wax or road tar/film that might impede adhesion between the paint and the frame. Again, start with a test in an inconspicuous area first.

I hope this helps in some way.

I'd like to see the faces of the security guards watching you on the monitor as you go over to the nail polish counter and try to find the right color. They are just NOT going to understand. You'd better explain the situation to the cashier during check out. She'll set them straight. Better still, wheel your bike in with you and color match against the actual frame. :-)

Heya Mike:

I just did some touch-up in my left-fork. Looks great! Older bikes also show no problem. But DO check first.

I got some paint (nail-polish) where it did not belong. Being I had run out of acetone, I tried some 91% Iso-Propyl Alcohol (rubbing alcohol) - drugstore - and it removed the nail-polish immediately.

Don't forget to do a compatibility test in an inconspicuous area. We have no idea what type of paint was used on your bike. You want to be sure the touch up paint won't dissolve or damage the base coat(s). do a test in a small, inconspicuous area before committing to repairs on a more conspicuous location.

Clean the area before applying the touch up paint. 90+% isopropyl alcohol would be a good cleaner. It'll remove any wax or road tar/film that might impede adhesion between the paint and the frame. Again, start with a test in an inconspicuous area first.

I hope this helps in some way.

I'd like to see the faces of the security guards watching you on the monitor as you go over to the nail polish counter and try to find the right color. They are just NOT going to understand. You'd better explain the situation to the cashier during check out. She'll set them straight. Better still, wheel your bike in with you and color match against the actual frame. :-)

Thanks. Actually, the spot I need to paint is in a pretty "inconspicuous" area, itself. I was thinking of just leaving it alone, but I'd like to "seal" out any dirt and moisture, if that can, in fact, be considered to be a serious concern.

Lol. It's simply black, though. I doubt there's an assortment of "shades" when it comes to black (although, I haven't exactly been following the advances in the nail-polish industry, so, maybe there is).

Heya Mike:

I just did some touch-up in my left-fork. Looks great! Older bikes also show no problem. But DO check first.

I got some paint (nail-polish) where it did not belong. Being I had run out of acetone, I tried some 91% Iso-Propyl Alcohol (rubbing alcohol) - drugstore - and it removed the nail-polish immediately.

I suppose the isopropanol wouldn't have worked had the nail polish been dry.

I suppose the isopropanol wouldn't have worked had the nail polish been dry.

It had dried. Do note thought - most iso-propyl alcohol is the 70% kind. I used 91%, and have not tested the 70%.

Most pharmacies (near me) used to carry 91% and 70% in about equal quantity. Since maybe 2008, they've almost entirely abandoned 91% (and the places that did carry it, had jacked up their prices). Recently, the stronger stuff seems to be returning to shelves. (One can also track down close to 100% concentration isopropanol, though it's costly and uncommon, and usually unnecessary for "typical" tasks).

Transporting the 91% is the cost-factor. A spill can be grounds to evacuate a neighborhood due to possibilty of explosion/fireball. So it has to be packaged as a hazardous material. That's why it may be difficult to locate. At me pharmacy, I need to ask for it. They keep it out back.

The 70% does not pose a hazard anywhere near the magnitude of a tanker-car full of 91% falling off the tracks.

No Smoking.

At most chain pharmacies (e.g., Duane Reade, Walgreens, CVS), at least, the stuff, if it's in stock, is kept on the shelf right by the "rubbing" (i.e., 70%) variety. At "private" stores, I've found, yes, it might be kept in the back and have to be requested specifically (the shop might even have to order it especially for you).

You can get 91% IPA or higher at Home Depot and good paint stores. You can even buy/use denatured alcoshol (97% ethyl + 3% methyl alcohols). This has very little (none) water in it. It is used for dissolving shellac flakes to make brushable shellac.

I wouldn't advise using anything with methanol (wood alcohol) in it as a cut. It can easily be absorbed through unbroken skin. The result is methanol-poisoning. This can go from feeling like every bone in your body is being wrenched around backwards - to permanent blindness - to death. If you do use this, wear Neoprene gloves and work outdoors. Breathing the vapors can do the same thing. I wear a respirator when working with it as a chemist.

I'm sure that what you say is true about methanol poisoning and the advise to use gloves when working with this or any other solvent is good advice.

However, denatured alcohol is the flammable ingredient in Sterno and alcohol lamps. It is used as the solvent in all shellac. We are talking about a 3% dilution and very limited use as a solvent on a rag to remove road grime prior to touch-up painting an very small area. In this context, I'd say your comments are overly cautious to the point of being incorrect.

Remember, the other 97% is ethyl alcohol, ... andth we all knowth whaad hoppenz when you getz too mudge of thad stuf in ya. Dar ar har har. :)

Ethyl alcohol can be "denatured" using a variety of other things instead of methanol. And often is. Sterno has been a fallback position for alcoholics. Called "squeeze" it is squeezed through a rag, or similar, to remove the gel material. And they don't die. So it's a different cut.

Regards my being overly cautious - I happen to be a chemist, with an extensive background in toxicology - and a slew of other 'ologies'. My caveat stands. And, I once didn't know the fume-hood in my lab was not working right. And I had been boiling methanol as a solvent for some organic chemicals. If you ever went through methanol-poisoning I endured (and this was a light toxic-problem, you'd be singing a way different tune.

I'm sure it was unpleasant, bordering upon deadly. Still, a little denatured alcohol on a rag, wiped over the surface of the frame to clean just prior to painting won't hurt you. We are not talking about boiling off methyl alcohol as part of an extraction or as an industrial or chemical process. We are not talking about high exposure levels or repeated exposure.

Wear rubber gloves and work in a well ventilated area and you will be fine. This is good advice whether working with denatured alcohol, acetone, IPA, MEK, ... whatever, heck even with nail poish. :)

A good read. I myself have thought of doing these touch-ups with nail polish, but it seems other alternatives may be better suited for use.

But, can Tester's stand up to limonene (citrus) solvent?

Agreed about the methanol. I feel there's no reason to go for the ethanol–methanol 97:3 solution for this sort of job, but, at that concentration, it shouldn't be too dangerous if handled wisely (I'm not a chemist, but I'm minutely acquainted with chemistry).

Where I'm living (Munich, Germany), I couldn't buy IPA* off the shelf pre-bottled. Instead, I had to go to the counter. "What percent?" The lady asked. "Uh... 100%?" A minute later, "Here you go, anything else?"

*I meant Isopropyl Alcohol, but I guess I could have meant India Pale Ale. In fact, I just found the ONLY brewery in Munich that makes (made) IPA... and I bought two bottles of their final batch.

Holy resurrected thread, Batman.

Well, since the thread has been resurrected, I thought I'd mention that one of the most reliable treatments for acute methanol poisoning is to consume ethanol (vodka, tequila, Scotch, whatever). Both methanol and ethanol are metabolized by the same enzyme, alcohol dehydrogenase, which converts methanol into formaldehyde, and ethanol into acetaldehyde (one of the compounds responsible for hangovers). The idea is to slow the metabolism of methanol by saturating the enzyme, in part with ethanol. This is still a fairly toxic situation, but allows the body enough time to process the methanol without accumulating deadly levels of formaldehyde (and formic acid).

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1306022/

Well, since the thread has been resurrected, I thought I'd mention that one of the most reliable treatments for acute methanol poisoning is to consume ethanol (vodka, tequila, Scotch, whatever). Both methanol and ethanol are metabolized by the same enzyme, alcohol dehydrogenase, which converts methanol into formaldehyde, and ethanol into acetaldehyde (one of the compounds responsible for hangovers). The idea is to slow the metabolism of methanol by saturating the enzyme, in part with ethanol. This is still a fairly toxic situation, but allows the body enough time to process the methanol without accumulating deadly levels of formaldehyde (and formic acid).

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1306022/

It's also advisable not to indulge in moonshine brewed up by your Ol' Uncle Hank.

I believe that Walgreens will accept returns on any cosmetics, including nail polish, even if they're opened (or maybe it's CVS). A lady friend of mine bought nail polish to touch up a purple metallic frame. The first shade she bought didn't match well so she took it back and tried a different one and it matched pretty well.

I used pink nail polish on one of the link pins to tell where to start stop when lubing my chain. It's lasted a couple years so far.

I used pink nail polish on one of the link pins to tell where to start stop when lubing my chain. It's lasted a couple years so far.

Why not just start/stop at the point at which the chain locks?

Find a store(s) that sell models, etc. Like model airplanes, Dinosaurs, so forth. Call and ask.

Should have read date be for adding to this resurrected thread.