Cyclist0094

My painting skills has lately risen a notch or two above Earl Schieb quality, I am going to repaint a couple of earlier frames from my rattle can period

A couple of questions:

1 What is the proper blasting media to use to remove paint from a bicycle frame with a sandblaster?

2 How do you make a good matching touchup paint for nicks and scratches from 2 step paint (base/clear)?

NoReg

Walnut or almond shells.

Dr.Deltron

1A) If the frame is steel, #60 mesh Lapis Lustre sand works very well. Kind of depends on the type of blaster you are using. If you are using a syphon feed (home) blaster, I would suggest using Jasco paint remover first, clean that off, then use the blaster to finish cleaning the frame. PRIMER IMMEDIATELY! Rust will start developing almost immediately. If you are using a pressure blaster, just blast w/60 mesh. Or you can spend some money on special blasting media, but that isn't really crucial.
On aluminum, the 60 mesh will work fine, just blast enough to remove the old paint. Or do the Jasco, then a light blast to clean and give the frame a texture that will be good for the primer to adhere to.
Carbon frame; I would NOT blast it. Hand sanding w/wet 320 grit sandpaper will give you a good foundation for primer/paint/clear. Removing ALL the old paint is not necessary. Just sand the decals off and scuff the rest of the frame. Clean with wax & grease remover, then primer etc.

2A) Using base/clear then all you need to do is save some of the base coat color in a baby food jar. Most basecoat colors have a long pot life,i.e.; Sikkens. Using just the base coat color on touch-ups will match, but should be cleared over for durability & protection. You can clear over touched up areas with a good airbrush. After spraying the clear over the touch-up area, spray some compatible reducer along the fuzzy, dusty edge to blend it into the rest of the paintjob.

If any of that isn't clear (no pun intended), e me and I'll explain further.
Good luck with that,
Dr.D