Hey guys and gals, I'm getting ready to do my first paint pen lug lining experiment. The lugs will be pinstriped with a paint pen on bare steel, and then clear powder coat will be sprayed and baked on top.

Does it matter what type of paint the paint pen is? Enamel, acrylic, etc? Will they all hold up fine under the powdercoat?

Thanks!

hmmm, I'm not sure PC-ing over paint is the way to go: typical PC is applied to bare metal right after blasting so there's no contamination that could prevent the PC from adhering, then it's baked at around 400º to melt and fuse. If you have any paint underneath it might burn off or just run into the PC, I am not sure that anything from a paint pen can take that much heat (I'd be looking for a high-heat engine or BBQ paint if I was trying, but I wouldn't try it). Why not apply the lug-lining paint on top of the PC?

+ 1

what he said. ^^^^^

The paint will bubble and destroy the powdercoat.
Apply the paint after powdercoating.

C'mon!! There has been a severe lack of pictures from you sir.

It seems to me that you should be asking the powdercoater that question.

No way you can use a paint pen to line underneath clear coat.

Do it afterwards - then be prepared to remove it when it doesn't go well. I'd also recommend using a pinstriping brush and real paint rather than a paint pen.

The paint pens rub off really easy. You can always go back and fix sloppiness - but a really nice job won't last forever, or even very long if you're scrubbing your bike down all the time.

Hand stripe it with a brush AFTER its PC'd. Just practice, practice, practice and more practice with a brush and you can do anything. In some cases a good beer or scotch can steady a shaky hand.... Here is some inspiration https://www.myrideisme.com/Blog/pulli...w-pinstriping/

I would buy a can of One Shot Enamel and line your lugs with a fine point high quality brush. It will last as long as the bike and look much better.

What about carefully brushing on some clear over the paint-penned linings? I had good luck spraying clear over decals and pain-penned linings when I rattle-canned my whole bike last year.

In terms of minimal flaws, paint penning is excellent.

Testors, who makes some paint pens, also sell compatible bottled clear coat - so brushing clearcoat is an option. The paint pens, however, are not all that easy to use. The ink doesn't flow consistently, it's tricky to follow the multi-plane curve of the lugs to get an even reveal...all in all, if you are looking for permanent, I would agree with everyone who says practice with a brush - it's just as hard as the pens, but lasts a lot longer.

I don't mind redoing my pins stripes and I don't want to permanently alter my bikes, so I stick with the pens.

For me it was a comparative breeze. I used an ultra fine tipped DecoColor pen, and wiped any mistakes away with a little paint thinner on a tissue. My frame with spearpoint lugs took about 30 minutes. I've done it the old fashioned way a number of times. It takes much longer and has a lot of "joins". The hand-done linings done at the factory on old frames, even high end ones, don't always look that great.

Sharpie also makes a paint pen, not just a marker. It's enamel, I believe. I bought a 5-pack last year.
My guess is that it would take about 3-4 applications with one of those. Then I think I'd mask it carefully and shoot a clear enamel. The taping can be tedious, but I don't have the steady hand for brushing a thing.

i've used deco paint pens with real enamel, with good results. it's pretty durable against routine washing, but it can scrub off or scratch off if you're not careful.





the first photo shows paint over enamel; the second photo shows paint over PC. the white outlining took two coats; the bronze took three.

that's exactly the method i used.

Those look darn good southpawboston!

This is a Krylon 18kt gold leaf paint pen over pc. Planning on clear coating the frame, with regular clear coat, not pc clear.

It must be me, then. I can never get the ink to flow. I must be doing something wrong.

If any of you who do this well are close to MSP and want to make $50 and a case of beer, come do my Touring Series III.

While I enjoy such mundane tasks as metal polishing...painting those lug lines is just WAY too tedious for me.

Seriously, I have such unsteady hands that I would just pay someone to do it.

Alright, this clear powdercoating business is turning out to be way too much of a hassle. Finding decals that are the right material for baking is ridiculous, although there is a company who makes a special mylar material... $50 for a headtube decal, though? Child please!

I definitely want everything under a clear coat. I don't have steady hands, and unfortunately, underage drinking is not an option...

Is regular clear coat durable like powdercoat? Is painting the lugs definitely something I should do after even a regular clear coat?

Also, DecoColor Enamel. Got my answer, along with five new questions to ask. I love C&V...

Alex: Yeah, I'm a tease.

Have you read the paint pen's directions? You need to shake them vigorously and then press down on the nib until it goes into the pen body. It'll come back out, and the ink will be flowin' alright...

Oh, and why I want everything under a durable clear coat:

It's a MTB frame, not a road bike. When I ride SS MTB, I ride hard. Powdercoat has been good to me in the durability department, which is why I thought a clear PC would be genius...

Clear coat will be about as durable as car paint, they have a good one at SL color. But you might need someone 18+ to buy it for you.