I have recently been humbled by the factory paint on an 86ish PX-10 - After multiple applications of paint stripper the blueish paint did not peel but had a waxy type surface to it that required good old scrapping to get down to the primer coats...

The tip is that when I was using a wire brush on my electric drill to get the stubborn parts of primer paint off, the areas where my sweat was falling on to cleaned off much faster...

Now when trying to get some stubborn areas scraped off I just squirt a little water onto the wire brush and off comes the paint...

I am not sure if this is due to surface tension, surfactant, chemical reaction with the residual paint stripper or just good luck...

The paint stripper I am using is called Rustoleum Aircraft Paint Stripper...

stripping a bike is not easy.

I guess the best advice is buy the best stripper
"aircraft remover" is the trade name and I think many will agree it is the best.

I go at it like this as not to cause me too much stress

strip one of the big tubes at a time, then strip only small sections at a time.

the last is to do each lug separately, I used small wire brushs and small dental picks at the end.



the bottom took 2 afternoons, very tricky

I just stripped a Trek 610 that had Imron as the original paint. It is tough paint. I am glad I don't have the cable guide braze ons! I have used a wire wheel on a 3/8 drill and then follow up with a dremel for the hard to reach places. I have gun smithing files that I have been using to get to the really tough places while cleaning up the brazing. I was surprized how much is hidden with paint!

Has anyone tried soda blasting for this? If you have I would like to hear your experience.

TIP: If you have a heat gun, heat the frame before applying chemicals. Also, I will take the can of stripper and place it (lid cracked open) in my garage work sink filled with hot water and heat the can up a while before using - almost all chemical reactions work better and faster with heat.

If you apply the stripper to the frame and cover or wrap with plastic to keep it from drying out too quickly, you can also continue to use the heat heat gun (of course just for warming, so as not to melt the plastic !

If the first application doesn't do much, sometimes going over the paint with wire brush or wheel attachment to scuff up good - then apply paint stripper again, will often yield decent results.

Cheers,

Joe

Yes. And it works great ! Especially if you have good chrome areas you don't want mucked up ! Soda formulations are also evolving, so be sure to check what you are getting closely ! I also like the fact that I can clean up my outside blasting area much easier than with any other blasting media. You do need to be sure you have adequate air supply though !!

Joe

* oh, wanted to mention, this process will strip paint- not rust ! You will need other blasting media or chemical treatment for that.

Getting off topic... but I saw a new process on TV the other day... "dry ice blasting". The blasting media is little beads of dry ice. When it melts, there is no mess at all. (other than the paint that was blasted off.)

Thanks Joe, I will try soda blasting for an old Univega Gran Rally with many old layers of pant. I have already bought the equipment but I will probably also need a new and stronger air compressor.

Great technology with no harmful chemicals if you ask me!

This must be the most environmentally friendly method of them all. But has it reached the consumer market yet?

Yep - I used gun smithing files, sand paper, dremmel brush. pocket knife and ice pick to finally get all the cooks and crannies clean - Poor bike was trying to rust on me as I was working - Just got a thin coat of primer on it now but man was that frame beautiful just bare - Reminded me of how good those chromed and copper plated frames look...

Now that the primer is on I'll hang it in the attic for a few days to bake on...

If I was dead sure of the color I wanted a would powder coat - Rattle can paint is much easier to strip off when I decide to do this again...

last frame i stripped i used a steel scouring pad and had great results with crap stripper

When refinishing a 1982 Trek 614 with paint in horrible condition, I sandblasted it with a very fine grade silica carbide. It worked great, though I had to take the floor out the sandblast booth the make room for the frame. My powdercoater loved it; he said the texture left was great for his process. Here's a pic of it 'naked":

I use aircraft stripper applied heavily, then a 2500psi pressure washer to knock the bulk off I then use scouring pads and stiff wire brushes for the rest of it.

How pretty - If I ever get one this clean maybe I'll just shoot it with clear...

I had a hard time also with this frame. I did multiple coats with paint stripper blasting with a pressure washer between each coat, then I used various sized wire wheels on a drill for the rest and that was the hard part.



This all chrome frame was much easier. All I had to do was four coats of stripper using a knife to scrape it off, this one seemed easy.

this is how i strip paint on my frames

Soda Blasting works great. It will not remove Rust.

I put plastic on the floor to work on, use lots of stripper then wrap the plastic sheet over the frame while it sits, the plastic keeps the stripper from evaporating. After the top layer of paint has lifted it also helps to score the remaining paint with a scraper so the stripper can get under the paint. After that its just a question of patience and elbow grease.

I have only stripped one frame with paint stripper - what a long and messy job. Once was enough to have me revert back to my preferred method:

My much preferred method is to use a oxy-acetylene kit with a heating torch and simply burn the paint off. It usually takes about 20 mins to do and is far less messy. A simple rub over with a wire brush is all that is needed to clean off the paint residue. You're now back to bare steel.

After the frame cools down, a wipe down with metho or thinners on a rag and you're ready for undercoat. I always introduce frame saver into the tubes prior to the wipe down with the metho of thinners. I will undercoat within a day or two of stripping to beat the rust.

What's that you're saying? It will overheat the frame. No it wont! It is very easy to keep the torch moving over the tubes. They shouldn't change colour at all. If anything, a gentle heat may stress relieve the frame.

I was just going to say, "fire works good" but you beat me to it. Propane with a roofer's wand works well. Method shown to me by a "famous" frame builder.

Sounds like an episode of 'Survivor'. Survivor Painted Frame Island.

If you do use stripper. Planer chips (sawdust) works really well rubbed in to lugs and tight spots to help lift out the paint and stripper. It also absorbs all the wet crap on the floor to make clean up easier. An old furniture refinisher trick...