RhodeRunner

I've been rebuilding a bike with a fair amount of rust and chipped paint. Here's my plan:

1. remove everything that i don't want paint on
2. strip old paint
3. tape over threads, stuff tubes w/ paper etc.
4. coat of primer
5. 2-3 coats of paint
6. 2 clear coats

As far as stripping is concerned, I planned on using a drill w/ fine sandpaper. I plan on using spray paint.. any brand suggestions?

As long as I am careful with my prep, will this work?

AEO

the spray paint in a can variety just doesn't have the same durability as a factory coat.
so no matter how well you do all the prepping, painting and final touches, it tends to chip very easily.

Ex Pres 

By spray paint do you mean rattlecan or spray gun?

AEO

if you have a paint baker, now that is a different story.

RhodeRunner

rattlecan is more in my price range..

i guess it comes down to whether or not my paint job will look worse than the current rust and scrapes. i don't know if i would rather ride around with an old-looking bike or explain to people that i suck at painting bikes

Fissile

A properly applied rattle-can will look just as good as a factory finish when it's fresh. Unfortunately, the durability of rattle-can paint is no where as good. If you want a real pro finish, you need spray equipment, and catalyzed auto paint.

Lostfreight

2-3 coats with a spray can would be bare minimum. Recommend 5-6 coats and two coats of clear coat. Even then, It's going to be hard to make the new paint job stick. But if it's currently a mess, go ahead, do it and have fun. But for the first few weeks, unless you can bake the finish, it will be very prone to scratching and peeling. So try to leave it alone for a while before rebuilding it after painting.

Ex Pres 

Don't know if anyone still has it, but at one time they made 2-part paint in a spray can. You'd have to shake it hard to break the inner membrane, and you had a limited time to spray. Also limited in the color selection. I haven't seen them recently, but I haven't been on the lookout either.

neil0502

It seems like lots of people have made a deal with the local body shop to have their (already prepped) frame painted for fairly cheap.

I think this is the route I'd try to take if I were looking to paint a frame.

rs1101

can i tell you, ive done a few rattle can jobs including my old rx7 (it was a bet).. first. dont bother stripping the paint yourself if you love your frame, get it professionally strip cleaned. im doing that next time. just too much mess using paint stripper. this will remove rust and contamination. buy good spray paint. actually the stuff kragen checkers schucks whatever sells is pretty good it has a good nozzle. go light on the primer, spray evenly. i actually wait like an hour between coats on a warm, dry day. paint in a dust free environment (old bike boxes make good paint booths) my setup uses a cheapo mobile closed from target to hang the frame from. Clearcoat tends to run more, so be careful. oh and it took 3 weeks for the paint to finally cure to a durable finish. thats the key. i know because i hung it in a closet for 2 weeks and forgot about it, when i came back the closet still reeked like paint.

if you strip it yourself its still gonna cost money for supplies, paint cost me like 30$ last time, plus supplies were another 30$ also consider most powdercoaters will do basic colors for 100-130$ complete job

edit: two rattlecans i did

Fissile

Available, but at $40 per can, not cheap.

https://www.alsacorp.com/products/kil...ndy.htm#2ktech

w98seeng

Don't strip the whole bike. Only sand down scratches, chips and rust. Leave the original paint intact as this is the best undercoating/primer you will get. For bare spots, use a self-etching primer available at any auto body supply store or most large auto parts stores.

As for the paint, use an automotive paint, again available at any auto body supply store or most large auto parts stores. They will be a bit more expensive, but well worth it.

Cheap paints tend to be thinner and will drip a lot more if painted in heavy coats. Paint 3 to 4 light coast of paint, then two or three coats of an automotive clear and wet sand before the last coast using 800 grit wet/dry paper with plenty of water.

If you want a high gloss finish, wait a day after the last clear coat and wet sand with 800 grit wet-dry paper, then 1500 wet-dry paper and then 2000 wet-dry paper (using plenty of water and wiping the areas sanded often for each grit used) . Use a rubbing compound then an automotive wax on it after the 2000 grit and it will shine like a mirror.

Retro Grouch 

A whole lot of the advice you've just been given is contrary to my personal experience. I rattle can spray a bike frame every year or two. I'm satisfied with the results that I get and my paint jobs definitely don't chip any worse than a factory paint job. The bike that I ride most often has about a 5 year old rattle can paint job and hasn't chipped. I have no special training and I don't claim to be unusually knowledgable, but I am satisfied with the results that I get.

1. Strip off all the old paint. Whenever I've tried to skip this process, the result has been rapid chipping. I use a chemical paint stripper that I get at the hardware store. It's messy and takes about 2 or 3 hours to do a complete job. Wear rubber gloves.

2. Sand the frame, spray a coat of primer, then sand the whole frame again until it's as smooth as you want the top coat to be. Spray primer it again and give the primer time to cure. 2 or 3 days is good, I think that a week is better.

3. Spray the color coat. All colors don't spray exactly the same. Red and yellow are harder to avoid runs. Satin black is, by far, the easiest to get a nice smooth finish.

4. I've not had good results when I've used a lot of coats, multiple colors, or cleared over the top. I suspect it has something to do with the timing. Maybe I'm trying to recoat too soon, maybe I'd be better off recoating within an hour or so. What has worked best for me has been to use 2 or 3 color coats so that I get full coverage and quit.

5. I wait AT LEAST a full week before reassembling the bike. Spray can paint takes a long time, maybe a month, to reach it's full hardness.

Many folks have posted about having bike frames powder coated for around $100.00 or so including stripping. That sounds like a pretty good deal to me but then you don't get the satisfaction of having done it yourself.

Booger1

You can also go to a automotive paint store and they can put automotive paint,hardner and all,in spray cans for you.Not the cheapest route,but you will have a nice paint job when your done.