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Ever paint a whole bike with nail polish?

Old 02-15-12, 12:56 PM
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Ever paint a whole bike with nail polish?

People always are recommending touching up frames with nail polish. Anyone ever paint a whole frame with the stuff. Could get really artsy with it.
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Old 02-15-12, 12:58 PM
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They used to paint cars with nail polish in the old days of customizing.

only problem is that it will get expensive. I wonder about durability too. It would be a pain to buy enough bottles to fill up a spray jar before spraying your bike.
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Old 02-15-12, 01:25 PM
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Go for it and post up pics.
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Old 02-15-12, 02:16 PM
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Trolling?

My wife just got her nails done with some new high end stuff that is super strong - no chips for 3 - 4 weeks and then you have to get it professionally removed.
maybe use that kind of stuff.
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Old 02-15-12, 02:36 PM
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Nail polish is just enamel, and not that great of enamel at that (which is why you can remove it with acetone a week later). Just purchase any name brand automotive paint, it will be more durable, comes in litrally 1,000s of colors, at a fraction of the cost by the ounce. If you have the ability to spray two-part urethanes they will hold up as well as the paint on any car or pickup truck but even one-part enamels can be pretty tough. Emron was the toughest of automotive paints, I think it is still available, but good luck finding anyone to spray it. Big regulation by OSHA and the EPA.
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Old 02-15-12, 02:41 PM
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Imron.
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Old 02-15-12, 02:48 PM
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i have a bike that i have owned for a long time and have been using nail polish, as you mentioned, to touch up the nicks and scratches. my intent was not to repaint the bike with the nail polish, but looking at it closely, i think i'm almost there!
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Old 02-15-12, 03:27 PM
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Imron.
That's the stuff, a catalyzed paint, like epoxy , it cooks on in a chemical curing process.
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Old 02-15-12, 04:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Myosmith
Nail polish is just enamel, and not that great of enamel at that (which is why you can remove it with acetone a week later). Just purchase any name brand automotive paint, it will be more durable, comes in litrally 1,000s of colors, at a fraction of the cost by the ounce. If you have the ability to spray two-part urethanes they will hold up as well as the paint on any car or pickup truck but even one-part enamels can be pretty tough. Emron was the toughest of automotive paints, I think it is still available, but good luck finding anyone to spray it. Big regulation by OSHA and the EPA.
Beware that two-part urethane paint is nasty, nasty stuff and you need proper equipment to spray it. Don't set up in your garage with just a paint gun from home depot. You'll want a respirator at the very least and probably a full body paint suit and head sock.
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Old 02-15-12, 04:54 PM
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Originally Posted by Myosmith
Nail polish is just enamel, and not that great of enamel at that (which is why you can remove it with acetone a week later).
If you can "remove it with acetone a week later", it immediately means that it is isn't an enamel in the first place. It is lacquer.
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Old 02-16-12, 01:28 AM
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"Ever paint a whole bike with nail polish?"

This was the OP's question. Why can't you just answer the question rather than let us know how little you know about painting?
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Old 02-16-12, 02:47 PM
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No. I never have.
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Old 02-16-12, 06:17 PM
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Originally Posted by goatalope
People always are recommending touching up frames with nail polish. Anyone ever paint a whole frame with the stuff. Could get really artsy with it.
No; but I have painted entire home-made fishing lures with it. The best part is the look on the face of a young teenage female cashier at Wal Mart when I ask them if they think the dark green is really my color or not. hehehe.
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Old 02-16-12, 11:24 PM
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Originally Posted by goatalope
People always are recommending touching up frames with nail polish. Anyone ever paint a whole frame with the stuff. Could get really artsy with it.
Not nail polish, but model paints, I think you could say I got artsy with it:









I prefer model paints for touch up as well.

As far as durability goes, I haven't had any problems yet, but it's seen less than a year of service and usually gets parked indoors. When I finally finish all of it, it'll get clear-coated as well, probably from a spray can.

Last edited by Medic Zero; 02-16-12 at 11:31 PM.
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