Chip in paint remedy?
09-08-10, 12:06 PM
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Chip in paint remedy?
So I just bought a mountain bike that was formerly a rental--which I now realize may have not been the best idea. Anyway, it has a few small chips in the paint on the aluminum frame. My first question is: should I be concerned about corrosion of the exposed aluminum? Secondly, is there a way that i can use touch up paint and keep it looking alright? or should I just leave it as is?
09-08-10, 12:24 PM
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Go to an auto parts store and find some touch up paint that matches the color. I doubt that corrosion of the aluminum is a problem but it certainly won't hurt anything to put some touch up paint on those spots and it will look better.
09-08-10, 12:35 PM
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clear fingernail polish or just live with it , Corrosion on a bike, will take a long time
in salt air a little less.
in salt air a little less.
09-08-10, 03:45 PM
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I like the idea of matching the black paint. I have seen touch-up paint on cars before and it seems to go on kind of globby. Does anyone know of a way to apply it so that it looks good?
09-08-10, 05:53 PM
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I thought mountain bikes were supposed to have chips, scratches and gouges in the paint.
09-08-10, 07:21 PM
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I am not corrosive...just sayin.
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"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
09-08-10, 07:57 PM
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The auto touch up paint goes on pretty smooth, shake it up good first and use the brush that's in the cap. Brush it on once and leave it alone. The brush marks will disappear as it settles and dries. If you go back over it before it's dry that's when you get it messed up. Try to position the bike so the painted area is level so it doesn't drip down.
09-08-10, 08:45 PM
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Way back when I had a new bike and I cared, I had some success using model paint to touch up scratches and gouges in the paint. You can get the paint in a variety of colors and mix up a pretty good match to the bike base color. Flow the paint on with an artist's brush. I didn't bother with trying to go over the patch with clear coat to match the sheen of the factory paint. Result were good enough. These days, I proudly display the dings and marks of a well used bike.
09-08-10, 09:02 PM
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It's a bike, it's SUPPOSED to look like you ride it. And the next person who starts a post with "So" is going to explode, so watch that.
If you can't stand not to touch it up, though, you can often find matches in the nail polish section of a large chain drug store near a middle school. Comes with its own brush and dries in about a minute. Back when I used to care about that, I found a near-perfect match for my metallic orange Rambouillet at CVS. And the model paint Testor's makes for the interiors of Russian military vehicles is perfect for my Atlantis (the Testor's web site lists hundreds of colors you'll never find in stores).
One trick that helps get a smooth finish is to lay the bike so the chip faces up, then fill the gap with paint (several light coats are better than a big gob). When it's really, really dry, rub it out with FINE sandpaper, polishing compound or whatever seens appropriate. But it's not worth the trouble. The aluminum isn't going to corrode enough to matter before it fatigues and falls apart, and if you spend too much time thinking about this, your bike is riding you.
If you can't stand not to touch it up, though, you can often find matches in the nail polish section of a large chain drug store near a middle school. Comes with its own brush and dries in about a minute. Back when I used to care about that, I found a near-perfect match for my metallic orange Rambouillet at CVS. And the model paint Testor's makes for the interiors of Russian military vehicles is perfect for my Atlantis (the Testor's web site lists hundreds of colors you'll never find in stores).
One trick that helps get a smooth finish is to lay the bike so the chip faces up, then fill the gap with paint (several light coats are better than a big gob). When it's really, really dry, rub it out with FINE sandpaper, polishing compound or whatever seens appropriate. But it's not worth the trouble. The aluminum isn't going to corrode enough to matter before it fatigues and falls apart, and if you spend too much time thinking about this, your bike is riding you.
09-09-10, 10:24 AM
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Just keep in mind that with paint matching there's "perfect match" and there's "not exactly".
Perfect match looks - well - perfect.
Not exactly looks worse than the untreated chip.
Perfect match looks - well - perfect.
Not exactly looks worse than the untreated chip.
