cedricbosch

Would a completely bare frame provide more durability than a painted one? With what would you finish a bare steel frame?

Thanks

Mchaz

A bare steel frame will rust through in no time. At least clear coat it. I don't know what you mean by "more durable".

operator

Powdercoating is very durable.

Stacey

It would be interesting to see a frame painted with that truck bed paint that's used for the spray/roll on bed liners.

Talk about durable.

Coyote!

Mchaz noted and suggested. . .

>>>A bare steel frame will rust through in no time. At least clear coat it.

Agree about the Speed of Rust. The POR-15 folks make a coating for bare steel for use by car restorers who want to showcase bare frame steel, called Glisten PC. https://www.por15.com/PRODUCTS/Primer...3/Default.aspx This stuff is Hard as Chinese Arithmetic [ain't nuthin' harder].

I have no affiliation. That said, I swear by POR-15 products. Pricey, but arguably the best stuff out there. [Mind you, there are some products I'll still get at Home Depot for the better price and equivalent function, like JASCO rust converter.]

Eatadonut

I was just discussing this with my friends, but we decided they'd probably charge the same price they charge to do a truck bed.

Then we thought about Plastidip. Protection AND comfort. I might plastidip my next handlebars.

pmseattle

I believe you can buy the truck bed coating from JC Whitney, although since I have never bought it I can't guarantee that it is exactly the same thing as Linex, Rhino Hide, etc.

slim_77

How would you strip the old paint? That is a heluva task...(and only possible with steel frames). I must say I like the idea though...

HillRider

It certainly would if the frame were Ti.

waunderin

it is sold at wal mart and probally auto parts stores. i bought a can and used it on a pellet gun stock. worked great. about $8 a can. did two stocks with 3 to 4 coats. john

kendall

parkerizing or phosphating works great on bare steel, leaves a nice black finish, same technique used on impact sockets and some guns. very durable and light weight

Experimented about 4 years ago on my old Honda 750, every paint I tried for the headers baked off in a very short time, (less than a summer) was using a rust conversion coating on a car I was working on, figured I'd give the headers a try with it, scrubbed them down, let them sit overnight to get a very light rust coat, then sprayed them with the conversion coat, been 4 years and they still look great with no rust showing anywhere, one spot is thin where I scrubbed some bushes on an unplanned offroading adventure.

the spray on stuff does work best if the steel is allowed to get a light and even powder coat of rust, otherwise it looks blotchy, and doesn't seem to last as long.

Ken

skeeter

Try some of this stuff called "Aircraft remover" from your local auto paint supply.
Careful not to get any on your skin though *burns like hell*
no fuss...no muss , brush it on & paint nearly comes off by itself.

Dr.Deltron

Enlighten me! How does adding paint to a Ti frame make it LESS durable?

jamesdemien

I think they mean less prone to scratches and whatnot...

orange leader

Be careful with the plastic coatings. I'm not sure how thick the stuff goes on, I know bed liners in trucks are pretty thick. But you may not be able to re-attach frame mountings if the plastic clogs things. Anything like cable guides, water bottle bosses, Clamp on deraileur, even the headset might be taller by a smidge, same with the bottom bracket. and the wheels may not want to go into the dropouts if the paint was thick enough to effectively lessen the spacing. But, definitly durable, especially if you can't ride the bike because it has not wheels, headset, or anything else.

ryanparrish

Isn't the paint, stronger if it is baked

Dr.Deltron

Aaah, less durable....FINISH!

Quite right! Even epoxy primer & top quality auto paint won't stick very well to titanium. Best to start with a powdercoat (done by someone who knows the difference between a bike frame of ti & a bridge girder!) From there you can add an auto paint fade/graphics/lettering/decals etc, and clear the whole thing. Great because the PC adheres well and the auto clear is super shiny/polishable.
Just recently did that to a Litespeed and it's GORGEOUS!

Akadis

Silicone wax. You will have to redo it once or twice per year, but who doesn't? The special patina on my steel mtn bike handlebars comprises old black paint, an even coat of rust showing through, lightly sanded to a mixture of black, rust and bare metal is perfectly preserved with silicone wax!

Cyclepath

How about this?:

https://www.metalifeind.com/

Dr.Deltron

Welll, that's the most insightful idea I've seen posted on the subject. I'm gonna have to do some product testing in that realm. Thanks, Dr.D

Dr.Deltron

Yes, but the prep work to achieve a good DURABLE finish using their process will kill ya!
It's still sounds like chrome plating, and prepping for chrome is tedious. If you have ANY pits, the chrome will not fill them, and that's where the chrome finish will most likely begin to fail by filling and holding moisture.

...but I guess if that happens, you could try silicone wax!?

Phatman

I've got a cannondale with no paint on it (clearcoat, maybe) and its awesome becuase it never looks dirty. and I dont have to worry about the paint on it.

Dr.Deltron

Is that a scar from a Great White and you lived to tell about it?

barba

What do you mean by "durability"? Clearly there would be no paint job to get scratched, but do you mean structural durability?

Dr.Deltron

Probably NOT! Ever wonder why they paint cars?

Almost anything!....

To maintain the "upainted" look, I would powdercoat. It comes in plain clear and tinted (candy apple) clear. Top that with quality automotive clear paint and you should get many years of worry free beauty.

Or you could "rattle can" a good finish, as long as you primer, color and clear. Wait a month to assemble bike for best results. Baking by some means will speed this process.

Or you could just paint it using again, quailty automotive primers,colors & clears. DON'T just clear paint the frame. Even quality auto paint clear by itself is NOT designed to adhere to bare metal.

Or if the frame is is in A1 shape, you could go the chrome route, possibly by MetaLife. That was the website mentioned above in this thread.

Good luck & have fun with that. Let us know what works for you.
Dr.D