Anyone ever respray Bicycle Frame
 

Hi,
I brought my 87 Peugeot racer to a bicycle shop that my brother told me was the best around. The guy there was very knowledgable. I wanted to get the pedals, crank arms and other bits taken off so I could respray the frame. I was hit with quite disturbing information. The guy said that the frame could only be done in a temperature chamber as that was how it was done initially. This is what is used by car bodywork shops. He said that if I attemted to do it myself with a spray gun or aerosol can that it would only last a few weeks and would chip off. I would end up making the bike look worse. I have used aerosol cans on cars in the past touching up little bits and it has held up just fine. Could someone confirm if what was said to me is true or not. If anyone out there has resprayed a bike how did you do it.

Thanks.

The secret is all in the prep. I rattle canned a bike in 1980 and it still looked good in 2005. Some chips, sure, but pro jobs chip too.

Use the search function - you'll find lots of threads about painting of all kinds, from diy rattle-can jobs to professional refinishes to powdercoat. If you want a durable, affordable finish powdercoat is probably the best option. On the other hand, it is possible to do a credible job yourself with spray cans. Just don't expect pro quality, and plan to wait several weeks for the paint to cure before you re-build.

Paint needs to be dry before putting the components on. With heat lamps that is a matter of hours, without them it is a matter of weeks. Before the paint dries all the way through it is tender, but once throughly dry even rattle can paint is pretty tough. If you have the patience to leave it hang a month before you as assemble it, you ought to be fine.

A note, if there is no rust bleeding through the paint I would not strip the frame just lightly sand it and fill any nicks with body putty. The factory primer is usually a lot better than we can do with rattle cans.

Another point, you can get spray can caps that give a lot better pattern than the stock caps, unfortunately I lost my link to a place that sells them so if someone would post one I would appreciate it.

since you don't give your location, we don't know the weather outside. I have painted a number of bikes, the temperature of the paint is fairly important. I don't know if that is what the bike shop guy was trying to tell you. I don't like to spray inside, so I'd probably wait for spring.

Prep and patience, as those above have stated, are the biggest keys. I resprayed a Centurion I picked up when I was first getting into cycling a few years ago. I did it over at a friend's place which I only got over to after work about once a week so the entire job (prep, primer, color and clear) took me over a month and then let it sit for another month before doing anything with. Held up decently well, but I was very careful with the painted surface. I've seen far more poor rattle can / DIY paint jobs than good ones. What may I ask is the problem with the paint as it is now that you are wishing to respray it?

I just sprayed the final clear coat on a Varsity frame yesterday. Right now it looks like it is encased in plastic and looks great. Some of the coats were sprayed under conditions that some would say were bad (like outdoors with temperature about 31 degrees). Well I took a chance, by taking a frame that was really at room temperature and a can I had warmed in water directly out and sprayed as soon as the frame was hanging. It was very dry out. Then I brought the frame right back in and hung it in a 60 degree garage. I used lacquer and it dried very fast. I did this a total of ten times over 3 weeks.

The frame was stripped and buffed to a mirror-like shine before painting and lightly sanded between some of the coats.

I used this same method on a Radio Flyer wagon 8 years ago, but without clear coat. It hasn't chipped anywhere except where the handle rubs against the wagon box, no rust-through nor flaking either.

I guess I'll have to wait a few weeks, or months or years in order to attest to the durability of this job. Here are some picture before the clear coating.


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3184/...17a6f2.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3192/...df4c88.jpg?v=0

The way it was when I first started. Wish I would have taken pictures of it when I first got it-it really looked sorry.


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3282/...4a5ced.jpg?v=0

Fork: After applying dart decals, but before clear coating:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3284/...a30563.jpg?v=0

Fork: After final clear coat. I just took the next picture a few minutes ago. Quality of image could be better.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3036/...cf5770.jpg?v=0

This bicycle renovation is planned to be a fun winter project.

It is destined for the rollers in the basement for my wife to spin on. If the finish turns out to be fragile, well, at least it won't be encountering any of the hazards of the highway.

I plan to reassemble (carefully) in a few weeks.

Sounds like the bike mechanic probably had a bad experience or two with paint chipping off during the rebuild:crash: Just like the others are saying "it's all in the preparation before painting". I would spray the frame without hesitation and not worry about the paint chipping off. I’ve used Dupli-color automotive touch up spray cans and the results were great. Just make sure you give the paint ample drying time befor the rebuild.

JR.

+1 for Duplicolor. Bonds well.

Just don't choose a frame with fancy chrome headlugs for you first attempt or you may end up painting it twice like I did. The paint is automotive urethane.

I have to disagree about Dupli Color. It's lacquer and lacquer paints are not very durable at all. An acrylic enamel would be better. Dupli Color wheel paints are acrylic enamel, but there are only three or four colors to choose from.

http://inlinethumb48.webshots.com/45...500x500Q85.jpg

I repainted this non-vintage Specialized Hard Rock below with rattlecans. I did not follow most of the rules. I washed the frame with detergent to remove all grease, but did not sand it. I used Rustoleum Lacquer, not enamel, for both the black and white paint. Both the frame and shock were repainted after masking off all the decals. Rules I did follow: I painted it in warm weather and allowed over one month for curing.
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/m...ardRock001.jpg
The results are mixed. The black paint came out beautiful, if you look close you can tell it's a repaint but only if you look close. The white paint did not come out well. You can almost see the mottled effect in the white paint in the pic. The autoshop I used to work at called that mottled effect "orange peel". After building up the bike, I gave it to my son who uses it on trails. We've had zero problems with paint peel or chipping. But if I had it to do over again, I would use enamel.
The Raleigh Record below was touched up using Duplicolor. The top seat tube lug has been repainted. I was lucky, it's a perfect match. It came out very good, no peel, no chipping. I agree with RobbieTunes, Duplicolor is designed to work on metal surfaces that recieve abuse. I would not hesitate to use it again.
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/m...ghRecord87.jpg
If you're going to use a rattlecan, buy one of those spray heads that allows you to hold a spray can like a spray gun, well worth the $10 investment.

I thought that I would add, that you can go to an automotive paint supply dealer and they can color match and put the paint in a spray can for you. If you want to use a two part urathane enamal they can even do that but you have to use it right away.

Thanks guys for your input. I was thinking last night the the bike shop guy must have attemped to do a respray himself and it went wrong. As some of you said it is all in the prep and of course patients.

To answer some questions, I live in Ireland and it is about 10 degrees C here so it is too cold to spray outside. I can use a heater indoors I suppose.

I am repainting the bike as It has rust on it and lots of scratches. It isn't bad but I like the bike and want to bring it back to 100% if I can.

Gerry.

I'd say go for it. Experiment.
All paints get chips.
If you got a rough/rusty painted frame you can only improve it.
Careful preparation will pay dividends.
There is a lot of prejudice against hand/brush painting, but a lot of fine, quality cars were painted this way in the past.
Remember, all paint chips.

The first thing I need to do after the frame is stipped is to sand it down but with what grit sand paper do you recommend, would 1000 grit be okay or would I need finer.

After the frame is painted I need to leave it for a month as recommended. Do spray the paint and leave it or put on decals, clear coat it and then leave it. But If I clear coat will the paint underneath be able to dry fully.

I have so many questions.

I spent many hours lovingly prepping my Raleigh Professional, and did a pretty good job with the primer. The paint though... I was so disheartened with the result, I put out a distress call to Dr. Deltron. That was the smartest move I made in the entire process. :)

Way back when, I bought a rusty Raleigh, and decided it needed a repainting. I was a dorm student with limited resources, but I sanded that poor frame to bare metal, and sprayed it in the dorm room's bathtub (hung from the shower rod). I did multiple coats, and used a hair dryer between each coat, and sanded between primer coats. When I painted the final color, I discovered that the "purple" was actually pink when on the bike! Unfortunately for me, that paint job survived too well. ;-) I got lucky, though, when a friend repainted his father's 280z. We stripped the paint off of both, and then painted them together. I have seen recent pics of the bike, and after 18 years, that paint job hasn't survived too well in some areas. But then again, 18 years sitting under the open sky and in garages and sheds is hard on a bike. ;-) In any case, I think you can expect that if you take care, a rattle-can job can survive some years--just pick your color carefully. ;-)

I try to look at it this way, rattlecan spay jobs are cheap... if you don't mind imperfections. Once you make the commitment to really do it right costs can add up quickly; Decent primer, paint, clear, various grades of sand paper, polishes and rubbing compounds. Unless you have some of this stuff I would imagine it can be pretty easy to spend 40.00 on a spray job. Plus when learning usually make costly mistakes.

Plus add in labor, a lot of waiting, uncertainty and worry both while your working and afterword concerning durability. Powder Coating cost about 80-100 dollars in my neck of the woods and I think the benefits are worth the extra cost.

+1, what is wrong with the original paint, how far gone it it? Decals are an extra expense that may not even be available for some bikes.

When I did the repaint of my (now sold) Cannondale I bought both paint and spray caps from Art Primo, the North American distributor for Molotow paints.

For Art Primo's Molotow only site:
http://molotow-na.com/catalog/index.php

Or for Art Primo's main site that includes paint from other manufacturers:
http://artprimo.com/catalog/index.php


Here is how the C'dale turned out; paint is Molotow Traffic Red; not for everybody but I liked it. :) If interested, you can see photos of the process here)

http://gallery.me.com/rockyshores/10...G_3934/web.jpg


stan

You don't want to use 1000 grit on the frame before you prime. The surface will be too slick for the primer to get a grip on it. I wouldn't use anything finer than 350. You want a surface that is rough enough for the prime to adhere to it, but not so rough that the primer can't fill the scratches. I use self etching primer first and then a primer-surfacer.

Have you tried a search? You should find lots of information here if you do.

respray a frame
 

You could use a compressor and two pot paint.
It has a catalyst to harden the paint.
All paint finishing is improved by heat.

The heat book is to bake it eg baked enamel.

If you are going that far.
Photograph all your decals and get a photo vynl shop to make you new decals [ unless they can be sourced ].

Strip the frame completely to bare metal.
Etch prime it, undercoat, then about three coats of top coat depending on what system you use.
Translucent candy type finsishes over metallic bases are more done by eye.

if you bead blast to improve paint adhesion before etching strip all bearings out. Don't get it sandblasted as it can dent the frame and leave marks.
Monumental masons somethimes have good grades of granite dust they use for blasting headstone fonts. tape up anything you dont want ruined as the sand or glass beads bounce off the tape.

I use blasting to remove rust, same as dentists fixing cavities. I also remove everything from the frame before blasting/painting.

I suppose that's true...if a Cro-Magnon using #20 mesh sand at 150 psi is doing the work. :roflmao2:

I use #60 mesh sand at about 40 psi in a PRESSURIZED blasting unit. Syphon feed blasters are WORTHLESS! The unit I have is $89 at Harbor Freight. #60 mesh sand is $8 for 100 lbs. (1-2 frames worth)

That kind of blasting is usually done with finer grits and would easily cut right through your frame. I did monument blasting for a couple of years before I went back to painting bike frames.

That statement is a bit misleading.
First, and just for that reason, I remove all extra parts, like headset races, etc.
I then use good quality painters tape and then add 2-3 layers of duct tape.
One layer of cheap tan tape and it's gone on the first pass with the blaster.
(contrary to what you might think from derailleds comment.)

Hope that saves y'all some headaches. :thumb: