Which type of paint to choose?
 

Continuing on the DIY Repaint brush thread, but a little different:

Rattle can: easy but not durable at all. -> no option
Powder coat: nice and durable. Hard for DIY and paint can chip off on edges
Solvent or water based paint: Harder to get a good surface finish...
2-component paints: I have no experience with these. Are they any good in therms of surface finish?

Question: Enamel paints seem not to be available in Europe... Or are they?

Try Spraymax 2K paints.

Rustoleum applied with a brush and this is how I do it...
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...56e5503d77.jpg

Enamel paints are very durable, they just need a long curing time, and you get better results with heat application during curing. It's a less-expensive way to go. Rattle can enamel paint is quite common, but I don't have any idea about availability in Europe.

Not sure what is or isn't available for you locally. It could be a different name is used, as the term "enamel" is really a misnomer, see Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enamel_paint

I used to spray it on thick, thinking it was supposed to go on that way, but got only runs, weeks-long drying times, and very poor adhesion. Not helping the situation are environmental regulations banning various chemicals that have made consumer-grade paint "safer", but much harder to work with to get good results.

If using the above method (rattle can with 2x) would one leave the old paint on or try to get down to metal via sanding?
my supercourse has no rust so I dont need to sand it but the paint job it has, which was a repaint of the original colors tragically, is chipping.

Thanks for the information. I am considering the 2K rattlecans, but need to have some additional protectional equipment (gloves, mask,...)

About enamel paints: I have one old can and it is still good after 30-ish years. The end result is wonderfull.
Enamel paints are oil based if my information is correct, and that would be the reason why it is banned in Europe.... ?

My humble experience says I would sand the parts where the paint is chipping. If the paint is OK, I would risk it and just sand it lightly before respraying. But if one part is in bad condition, the whole frame is at risk.

Always best to keep the original paint, of course. But there comes a point where paint and decals (and rust) become such an eyesore, that unless the bike is a museum piece or rare enough that condition does not affect value much, it comes down to either "sell" or "repaint".

Another possible reason to repaint is, great bike, but awful color, like the Los Angeles CL Colnago I saw this morning. If I bought this frame, a repaint with decals would definitely be in the works:

https://images.craigslist.org/00v0v_...M_1200x900.jpg

I think this frame would be worth the all the time and patience, and money involved, but this is not a decision to made lightly. Does a mid-range Schwinn, Miyata, or Univega deserve all this effort? IMO, probably not. Unless you're bored and need something to keep busy, but you won't be adding much if any value, just eliminating an eyesore.

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/la...693734583.html

To each their own... I think that Colnago looks fabulous!

You have to sand down to bare metal and then apply primer.

I'd ride the crap out of that.

Why not use a Chemical Stripper?

+1

I used to worry about stripper somehow affecting the metal, but the amount of time it's actually in contact with the metal is really negligible. Sanding takes ages, scratches the metal, and you will never get the last of the paint out of nooks and crannies without using stripper (unless you sand blast).

I have a Torelli Pista, which is made in Italy, but they receive their paint in California. They use DuPont Imron paint which is an automotive paint I believe, and it is just outstanding. I have never seen a better paint job on any bike. It looks thick, glossy and wet and is very durable and scratch and chip resistant. I look at that bike and wonder why every bike manufacturer isn't using it.

Not sure if it comes in a spray can, but its definitely worth looking into.

...Imron is a two part paint, and once mixed with the hardener, you have a limited time to spray it out before it solidifies. It's similar in that respect to the Spraymax 2K that was mentioned earlier. It's also relatively damaging to breathe the stuff, although I guess you can say that for any spray paint product. Just Imron might be a little worse in that regard. It is, indeed, a wonderful paint finish.

Has anyone here used Imron with a brush?

Do you have products that work?
I used paint removal. After hours, the paint was just the same.
Then tried diet coke without result.

I once tried to clean chromed parts in a bath of bleach. After some hours, there was a residue of rusted metal, and the metal was being eaten away.
So my steering wheel was ready for the scrap yard. Turns out you cannot thrust everything you find on the internet...:crash:

I use a product called Dads easy spray. Not sure if it's available in the States though.

https://www.homehardware.ca/en/378l-...over/p/1650305

Bleach = chlorine, the second most corrosive species on the planet,... indeed the universe!.

Once on your metal parts, it's almost impossible to remove all the chlorine.

Here is the frame I'm getting ready to paint.
I need to clean the rusty bits off a little more with some tin foil and then pick up the paint.
I've roughed it up with a very fine grit sandpaper.
two tone paint job orange on the top tube army green elsewhere. (Inspiration pictured below. Obviously different because I dont have chrome lugs sadly)
I'm still not entirely sure wether I'm going to get brush on or spray. I'm leaning towards spray.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0a12b26b24.jpg

Inspiration pic from a thread on this forum.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...910a9e8287.jpg

Frame to paint
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b40a3420c8.jpg

Chips and rust
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8c02bfcacd.jpg

More

I'm cookin' up a new build so naturally I'm thinking paint . Usually I go the rattle can / Krylon then cc . When I was 12 or so a few of us kids had mini bikes and once we wore out the stock paint it was time to kustomize . Back in those days there was a wonderful paint store called Standard Brand Paints ( I think I got that right ) anyhow they had a candie paint kit . It consisted of a can of silver base and a can of color . Not to many colors mainly blue , green and red . Also the paint turned out a translucent , no flake . For little dumb ass kids we were doing some awesome paint jobs . I did notice that House of Kolor now has rattle cans of Kandie paint , but I think their paint has metal flake in it (I'm not sure) .
House of Kolor- the Official Site for House of Kolor Custom Finishes - House Of Kolor

I used this stuff, got it at Walmart for like 10 bucks.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Klean-Str...Quart/17208791

I believe they have in spay form at the stores. I found that more convenient, because brushing the stuff on evenly is very difficult. Let it sit like 5 minutes, get some heavy duty rubber gloves (this stuff is very caustic on bare skin) and wipe the old bubbled paint right off with a scouring pad or a wire brush. The stuff works amazingly well, but you need to apply it pretty generously if you want the old paint to bubble up good. You will probably need several applications. And several wire brushes of different sizes.

Some people put plastic wrap over the stripper to put it more direct contact with the old paint. I tried that but did not have much luck. If you are stripping every trace of paint off a frame for clearcoating, you will probably want a wire brush attachment for your drill for cleanup of tight spots. And maybe an extra can of stripper.

Imron is indeed a tough paint. Trek used it on the early 80 bikes. One of the reasons you can find decent finish on them. When I worked at Freightliner back in the same time frame, The cabs were all Imron. A slight scratch could be rubbed out when it was still soft.

If you are going to use a wire brush, I would suggest it be of brass and not SS. I stripped a Trek 610 using AirCraft stripper. The nooks and crannies still have Imron in them. It is really tough to even remove in some places.