Paint Job
 

Ive decided to give my bike a new paint job. How do I go aorund to doing that? Anyone know what kind of paint you need?

Have a read of this: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...threadid=33664

You might find some handy hints in there :)

You cant match the finish of a professional paint shop, but you can do a workmanlike protective paint job suitable for a commuter/hack bike.
I used 2 cans of spray paint from an auto-shop:undercoat and colour top coat.
You need to strip off the outer coat of your frame. Use emery cloth and/or a wire brush.
With an Al bike you would need some different surface preparation, since Al forms an oxide layer.
Think very carefuly before removing the old undercoat. Factory undercoats are much better than home-applied ones, and you can remove the outer paint and leave the old undercoat in place.
Clean with detergent and water.
Suspend with coat-hanger wire through head-tube /bottom bracket in a clean place. Put bolt through any threaded holes to keep paint out.
Apply the paint in a speckle pattern to avoid running and dripping. Several speckle coats will provide a continuous coating.

I agree with Michael. I have hand-sprayed a couple of bikes in the past, with reasonable results, but the professional repaint job on my Capo looks "better than new"!

A handy way to strip off the old finish off a steel frame/fork is sandblasting. One of your local monument (aka headstone/gravestone) dealers will probably be willing to rent you some time with their equipment... just be sure to cover anything you don't want blasted (like threads, etc.). Also, you may want to consider powdercoating... I got a single color (red) job done for $70. Good luck with your project.