MJH100

I want to paint my aluminum track bike. I don't have anough money for powdercoating, and I want it to be light, and not flake so much. Suggestions?

Nessism

I suggest you use the search function. There are dozens of threads on how to perform a rattle can paint job so all the info you need is already in the archives just waiting for you to find it.

Servo888

Pic ***** time! :-) . Rustoleum Professional Primer + Paint + Clear. I will never paint another frame by myself. To get a good job, you need to do a lot of prep work, and have the right tools. In the end, I don't think it's worth it. If I was in your shoes, I would just polish the aluminum to a mirror finish.

MJH100

If I rattle can paint it, say primer-paint-clear, how much weight will it add. Also. If I don't like it, can't I just wire brush it off?

I took welding and fabrication at a tech. school in high school.

MJH100

I guess no one gets on this forum any more

JohnDThompson 

Trek?

Servo888

Depends on the paint, and how much your put on. In the end, very little.

Servo888

Yup! '84 760

JohnDThompson 

Nice!

Nessism

We're here but find your question silly thus no answers. You going to the nationals on a rattled can'ed track frame?

unterhausen

Doesn't look like they sell the clear other than in a rattlecan. Thinking about painting my commuter with rustoleum because I'm not currently set up for the good stuff.

MJH100

Never been a velodome Nessism. What tool to polish the aluminum, wire brush?

Scooper

If your aluminum frame is anodized, you don't want to polish it, much less use a wire brush on it. Ewww!

MJH100

well its got no paint, with clear coat over decals, so how do i take the graphics off.

I have the dawes sst-al from BD.

Ronsonic 

I ride a GT mountain bike in raw aluminum. To remove the clear coat I used the spray on "Airplane Stripper" from my FLAPS. Very effective stripper and only moderately evil as paint strippers go. Still, wear gloves, eyes and have a bucket or hose handy.

After stripping I scrubbed it down with scotchbrite, I forget what grade, probably the standard green hardware store scrubby. You could use a polish on it if you are very patient and want it shiny. Me, I like that raw aluminum patina. There are mediocre pic's on my deficient blog. Scroll down til you get to the big ugly bike. Okay, the big ugly bike with a suspension fork. That's what raw aluminum will look like without a clear coat or regular polishing.

I don't think the stripper will hurt it if it is anodized under the finish. I sorta doubt it's anodized.

I'm in the middle of a DIY paint job and cannot recommend it. If you just strip and spray, it won't suck too bad, but won't be great looking either. There's a lot of hand work in getting a really nice paint job, no matter what type of paint.

meanwhile

Foam brush rustoleum or hammerite might work better than a rattlecan:

https://www.bikeforums.net/framebuilders/545685-paint-dummies.html

MJH100

I rattle canned a frame of mine today, made me relize the potential for the bike to look bad.