For All You Frame Painters
 

I thought I'd share a few ideas I came up with when painting my frame.

I constructed a quick-and-dirty "paint booth" in my basement with four sheets of rigid insulation I had laying around. I tacked two upright sides to the ceiling joist; the horizontal top back panel to a 2x2 I nailed across the joist. The bottom back panel sits on the floor and is attached with duct tape. This took all of 15 minutes to slap together.

I also made a swivel mount to hang the frame on. I took a 34" piece of 2x4, drilled a half inch hole in the center and put a screw eye in either end. I put a washer on either side and used a 3/8" lag screw to mount it to the ceiling joist. I ran a length of heavy-gauge insulated electrical wire throught the seat tube, up the down tube and out the head tube, then threaded the ends through the screw eyes. This gadget was really helpful, allowing me to spin the frame 360 degrees while I was painting it.

There are pictures of the gadgetry and my shiny frame.

Great idea. I'll have to make one for my next restore/rebuild, a $20 1980 Trek 412.

awesome! I have been wondering about building a spray booth myself too.. I even have some of that rigid insulation that has been laying around for 10 years in the garage! Now they have a purpose! hehe

Thank you for sharing!

With what are you spraying? With rattle-cans, you're prolly not gonna overspray much, but if you're using an air compressor I'd be careful about where that paint will end up. I'd also consider the aroma. I hate the smell of paint & wouldn't want the house filling up with the stench. Otherwise great idea! :) (I'm planning one in the garage (detached))

Not that I'm some kind of expert but PLEASE take into consideration any heating type appliances that have a standing pilot light. I realize that they are old technology but some people still have them in thier houses/basements. I've seen the results of paint fumes and standing pilot lights. A neighbor (not the sharpest knife in the drawer) painted his classic Corvette in his garage and when he finished he went inside to take a shower. When his water heater fired up.......well, let's just say the result was pretty impressive. Neither the Vette nor the garage could be found.

I highly doubt that story about the guy blowing up his garage because of paint fumes. Paint fumes aren't combustible. I've painted in my garage many times with the water heater turned on and the pilot fire burning at the same time. I'm still alive and haven't blown up the garage.