Okay all you paint masters out there -

I have scoured these forums for information on stripping and repainting bikes and see a lot about aircraft remover for stripping. Is there some prep work that needs to be done first? I am trying to strip a set of handlebars and the aircraft remover has done nothing. I have used the same can on a vent cover and the paint bubbled right up for easy stripping. Is there a difference between the paints used on these two things? What am I missing?

Oh, and yes, I am aware that you only spray in one direction. I have been doing that. Still no results.

I assume you are not trying to remove stickyor dried out handlebar tape gunk, rught???. If it is color you are trying to get off the handlebar, it might be because it's colr anodized, not painted. Same thing happened to me when I was cleaning and stripping off paint from the head of my bike's aluminum seapost. Everything came off, except for the two clamping pieces at the top of the post, kept putting the stripper on it, but no cigar. I looked at the pieces more carefully and it turns out they were anodized black and not painted.... so now I have a two-toned seatpost clamp...which actually turned out looking real nice!

Chombi
84 PeugeotPSV
85(?) Vitus Carbone Plus 7

No sticky or gunk, just a lot of scratches. Thought I'd strip it down and start over.

I'm pretty sure the bars are steel - can you anodize steel? I say steel because they pass the "magnet test" - so definitely not aluminum.

No sticky or gunk, just a lot of scratches. Thought I'd strip it down and start over.

I'm pretty sure the bars are steel - can you anodize steel? I say steel because they pass the "magnet test" - so definitely not aluminum.

Paint stripper is for removing paint, and skin. That's about it.

I'm not sure what you're trying to say here. I am trying to strip paint. I just don't think the paint stripper is working right and want to know if I might be missing something.

Take a magnet to the handlebars. If they are steel, then stripper should work. If they are alloy, then they are probably anodized as others have mentioned. No need to speculate whether the bars are aluminum or steel.

Maybe they're powdercoated? That stuf can be really hard to get rid of, though sometimes it falls off on it's own.

I mentioned this in an earlier post. The magnet sticks which is why I think they are steel. Definitely not aluminum. Stripper does nothing.

...so this stuff removes aircraft?
Sweet.

Handlebars are rarely painted. I suspect powdercoat as well. Stripper will not work well on pc.

Sorry Bob, but I beg to differ.....

Chemical stripper is the BEST way to remove powdercoating!

Last PC I stripped had been clear powdercoated as well as color, so it took 3 applications of stripper to get the PC off.
Before I sprayed the primer for painting, I cleaned the frame using a pressure blaster and #60 mesh sand.
This gets all the residue out of the nooks & crannies.

My prefered brand is Jasco Paint & Epoxy Remover (the WATER RINSEABLE variety)

my $0.02 ... maybe the bars are black chrome?!?

Just do it the old fashioned way - sand then paint.

About 90% of the aluminum handlebars I've seen are anodized so stripper will do nothing other than make a mess.

The OP has stated twice that a magnet sticks to the bars.

Sounds like it may be black chrome to me, too.

[QUOTE=Dirtdrop;10062878]The OP has stated twice that a magnet sticks to the bars.
QUOTE]
You don't expect people to actually read others post on a thread before giving their opinions now do you?

He could have been using an aluminum magnet, I've seen that mistake before.

I must have become a loyal devotee to the Dr.D technique! I was about to reccomend Jasco to the guy.

OP- Pictures are a wonderful assistance to your problem.