Bicycle Mechanics - Painting Vintage Bike

I have a Basso frame that is rather old and needs a paint job. Does anyone have any experience in painting? I was thinking of shooting it with lacquer. I have an artist air brush and think I could do a pretty good job with it. Any suggestions on how to do this would be greatly apprecitated.

Dupont Imron If you can find it, wipe the metal down with Acetone, handle with gloves and if you can bake the frame 125- 175 for 20 min the paint will set really hard.

I don't know nothin'. Use the search function, will link you to many bike paint posts. ignore mine.

goodluck>jef.

My wife does all the paint work, so i am talking out of my butt, but a detail/model brush doesn't put out much volume. It would take forever to get a good coat on.
If you want to do it on the cheap, go to a auto parts place (Like AutoZone) and pick out a close match in a rattle can. Often you can use the original paint as primer, so just scuff it with fine sandpaper, make sure it is clean and lay down a couple of coats with the can. Probably three or four coats depending on how it covers, allowing 20-30 minutes between coats(Depends on how quick it tacks up, I hit it again as soon as it quits being tacky.) I did my fixed this way and it has held up for about three years now. If you have a trouble getting the paint to dry, try using a couple of the Halogen work/shop lights. I just used that on some strut housings and it made the paint rock hard in just an hour or two.

If you have money send it off to someone like Kellog :)

I repainted a frame about 20 years ago. Used rattle-cans. Took it down to the bare metal, used five coats of primer, then about six coats of something based on Imron (geez, forgot the brand). Waited a half-hour or so between coats, went with a very light touch, kept the spray head clean to avoid runs/drips. That paint was tough! Only got to ride the bike about 800 miles, though; later that year I had it on a bumper-rack when I got rear-ended by Fred Sanford driving a Chrysler the size of the Queen Mary. Bent virtually EVERY component of the bike, and all four stays on the frame. Didn't crack the paint, though.

I have a Basso frame that is rather old and needs a paint job. Does anyone have any experience in painting? I was thinking of shooting it with lacquer. I have an artist air brush and think I could do a pretty good job with it. Any suggestions on how to do this would be greatly apprecitated.

I've recently completed a repainting project on an '84 Fuji frame using a Badger dual-action airbrush. While a spray can will cover quickly, you won't find as large a variety of colors as you will using artists/ modellers enamels or acrylics. I chose acrylic paint because it's non-toxic and cleans up without solvents. The process did take a little longer because each coat wasn't very thick, but the end result was worth the extra effort.

I used medium and fine grit emery cloth to remove surface rust, nicks and scratches, and other surface imperfections from the frame. Even if the paint was pristine in some areas I still roughed it up with the emery cloth so the primer would adhere more easily. Two coats of Rustoleum Clean Metal primer covered the frame, curing for about 3 days until the first coat of paint. I used Testors True Blue Pearl acrylic as my basecoat. It took about four separate applications to get full coverage, using a heavy flow needle in the airbrush. Regulator pressure was around 32psi. Make sure you have at least one water trap on your hose, or you'll be kicking yourself in the bootay :mad: Between coats use a very fine wet/dry sandpaper to allow best adhesion, using a light touch. I waited a day between each color coat. You don't have to wait a day between each coat, 'cause acrylic dries very quickly. Once the final coat is on, you really should wait a good 48 hours until you apply a clear coat. I chose Rustloeum specialty lacquer(4 coats) as my topcoat, but in hindsight I should've gone with a clear epoxy enamel or polyurethane. The lacquer took FOREVER to cure properly. I waited 3 days to begin assembling the bike...should've waited at least a week. But I wanted to ride! :(

How much time you want to spend is totally up to you. I had the time so I used every bit of it. The overall cost for paint, thinner, sandpaper, and clear coat was around 40 bucks.

The pearl shows really nicely in this shot:

I've recently completed a repainting project on an '84 Fuji frame using a Badger dual-action airbrush. While a spray can will cover quickly, you won't find as large a variety of colors as you will using artists/ modellers enamels or acrylics. I chose acrylic paint because it's non-toxic and cleans up without solvents. The process did take a little longer because each coat wasn't very thick, but the end result was worth the extra effort.



Nice job. It looks a lot like the color I had my Trek painted. Where did you find the colored brake cable?

Where did you find the colored brake cable?

The SLR cables I won on Ebay from Icycles.com.

Dupont Imron If you can find it, wipe the metal down with Acetone, handle with gloves and if you can bake the frame 125- 175 for 20 min the paint will set really hard.

I don't know nothin'. Use the search function, will link you to many bike paint posts. ignore mine.

goodluck>jef.
I wouldn't go near Imron. Really nasty stuff
From a recent Classic Rendezvous posting:
"Imron and its ilk rely on a really nasty class of neuro-toxins. This is
the class of "stuff" that caused some significant problems when a tank
leaked in Bhopal, India. "

If you want an Imron like finish use Chromabase, smoother finish than
Imron and much less toxic to env. and people.

Marty

I've recently completed a repainting project on an '84 Fuji frame using a Badger dual-action airbrush. ... The pearl shows really nicely in this shot:

Beautiful paint job, LittleGinseng.

Is the acrylic paint like what you get at an Artist Supply Store those small 2 oz ones?

I want to thank everyone for the advice on painting. Now I have to decide which way to go. I was thinking of a hand rubbed Lacquer but I got no posts on that so I guess its not too good on bikes. I know it was great when we used to repaint our Custom Cars years ago.

Is the acrylic paint like what you get at an Artist Supply Store those small 2 oz ones?


Testors Acryl paints come in 1/2 ounce bottles. They're the same paints I use for airbrushing WWII aircraft models. It took a total of 6 bottles + 1 ounce of thinner to get the job done. If you decide to go with acrylics, make sure you finish the job with quite a few coats of clear. I'd go with a spray can of polyurethane. It's more durable than what I used.

John E. and Halfspeed...thanks for the compliment. :)

Here's another pic for your viewing enjoyment:

I wouldn't go near Imron. Really nasty stuff
From a recent Classic Rendezvous posting:
"Imron and its ilk rely on a really nasty class of neuro-toxins. This is
the class of "stuff" that caused some significant problems when a tank
leaked in Bhopal, India. "

If you want an Imron like finish use Chromabase, smoother finish than
Imron and much less toxic to env. and people.

Marty

Ya. "Cross ventelation is not adequite" means body suit rubber and Niosh face cannisters.

Testors Acryl paints come in 1/2 ounce bottles. They're the same paints I use for airbrushing WWII aircraft models. It took a total of 6 bottles + 1 ounce of thinner to get the job done. If you decide to go with acrylics, make sure you finish the job with quite a few coats of clear. I'd go with a spray can of polyurethane. It's more durable than what I used.

John E. and Halfspeed...thanks for the compliment. :)

Here's another pic for your viewing enjoyment:

What kind of airbrush did you use? Is it something you'd find at a hobby store? I'm considering painting my next project frame but I've never done any air brushing. Is it too ambitious a first project? I've got a couple of old frames I can use for practice.

What kind of airbrush did you use? Is it something you'd find at a hobby store? I'm considering painting my next project frame but I've never done any air brushing. Is it too ambitious a first project? I've got a couple of old frames I can use for practice.

Halfspeed, I used a Badger 150 dual-action airbrush, along with a Paasche compressor. I bought both items at my local hobby shop years ago to paint camoflage schemes on 1/32 scale aircraft models. This was the first time I ever painted a frame in this manner. I was curious to see how it would work out. It went surprisingly well. Purchasing a decent airbrush and compressor can set you back a few hundred bucks, so if you plan on using it often it's a great investment.And it's quite enjoyable to see it all come together :)