Painting a bike
10-02-08, 09:59 PM
#2
ride when you can
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I've seen lots of posts/responses over the years about how to paint a ****. Be it a bike, a car, a family room, whatever. It really comes down to three things; preparation, tools/materials and skill. I've seen people asking about how to get "professional results". If it is your first time painting *anything*, it is unlikely that you will achieve professional results even with the best tools and materials. Be realistic on your expectations relative to your experience.
For a bike, remove as many obstacles as you are mechanically comfortable with; wheels, brakes,handlebars, seat, chain, crank - as much as you can do. If you can even get down to removing the bearing races, that's even better. Take a lot of time preparing the surface. Get rid of any blemishes at a minimum, such as rust, chips- things that will show through a new paint job. Mask off anything you don't want to paint. I believe in priming before painting. There are always areas where you sand down through all of the paint and even where you don't, priming the whole works will make for a more uniform finish. Before you prime, follow the preparation instructions to remove any residue, such as dust, oil and grease. I like to use automotive grade primer that I can wet sand to make sure that I have a good, smooth base. For the paint I am now using, this requires a rub-down with mineral spirits before priming. Wherever I miss a blemish, I can re-sand and re-prime. Once I'm happy with the base coat, I top coat with the final finish. I wait a while (many days or a few weeks) before I try to reassemble the bike. The longer you let the finish cure, the less likely you are to damage it. I've done this for a few old, sort of classic bikes with positive results using Rustoleum or similar spray paint. If I am ever lucky enough to have something really special, I would leave the task to a professional.
So, if you are already comfortable with the disassembly and assembly of a bike, painting is not really that hard. I am now painting a 1965 Sears Spaceliner and am about to reassemble. It's taken me a few weeks of time in between a lot of other projects, but I'm not really focused on it and I'm in no hurry. I'm doing the same for an early 50's Western Flier for my wife - it needs a little more patience.
At the end of the day, unless you have something that should really be preserved in its original state, it's just metal and paint - you can always start over. Good luck!
For a bike, remove as many obstacles as you are mechanically comfortable with; wheels, brakes,handlebars, seat, chain, crank - as much as you can do. If you can even get down to removing the bearing races, that's even better. Take a lot of time preparing the surface. Get rid of any blemishes at a minimum, such as rust, chips- things that will show through a new paint job. Mask off anything you don't want to paint. I believe in priming before painting. There are always areas where you sand down through all of the paint and even where you don't, priming the whole works will make for a more uniform finish. Before you prime, follow the preparation instructions to remove any residue, such as dust, oil and grease. I like to use automotive grade primer that I can wet sand to make sure that I have a good, smooth base. For the paint I am now using, this requires a rub-down with mineral spirits before priming. Wherever I miss a blemish, I can re-sand and re-prime. Once I'm happy with the base coat, I top coat with the final finish. I wait a while (many days or a few weeks) before I try to reassemble the bike. The longer you let the finish cure, the less likely you are to damage it. I've done this for a few old, sort of classic bikes with positive results using Rustoleum or similar spray paint. If I am ever lucky enough to have something really special, I would leave the task to a professional.
So, if you are already comfortable with the disassembly and assembly of a bike, painting is not really that hard. I am now painting a 1965 Sears Spaceliner and am about to reassemble. It's taken me a few weeks of time in between a lot of other projects, but I'm not really focused on it and I'm in no hurry. I'm doing the same for an early 50's Western Flier for my wife - it needs a little more patience.
At the end of the day, unless you have something that should really be preserved in its original state, it's just metal and paint - you can always start over. Good luck!
10-15-08, 05:43 PM
#3
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I'm interested in the answer to this question as well. I have my eye on a bike, and I love everything about it except the paint/logos. I don't want to get into painting it myself; what I'd like to know is who I could get to paint it for me. Would a local bike shop do this kind of thing?
10-15-08, 05:49 PM
#4
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Short answer:
- You should be able to find a local powdercoating outfit in most cities that will powder coat a bike for $100 to $150 (that would include stripping).
- Plenty of shops/restoration folks will do a quality paint job for $400; much more for fancy jobs.
So:
- $50 bike, do it yourself
- Nice old bike you want to give a professional finish to, powdercoat
- Collectible/valuable/important bike - professional paint
- You should be able to find a local powdercoating outfit in most cities that will powder coat a bike for $100 to $150 (that would include stripping).
- Plenty of shops/restoration folks will do a quality paint job for $400; much more for fancy jobs.
So:
- $50 bike, do it yourself
- Nice old bike you want to give a professional finish to, powdercoat
- Collectible/valuable/important bike - professional paint
10-15-08, 05:52 PM
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Thanks BengeBoy. What exactly does powdercoating look like? I think I might have seen some powdercoated bikes around here... do they have kind of a "matte" finish/look?
10-17-08, 04:09 AM
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11-13-08, 04:29 PM
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bike restoration/paint
Hi-
I am an owner of a very old Lemond bicycle. I've recently decided to repaint it and then put newer parts on it. I have a question about the paint. I was planning on using a spray paint for the base (rust-oleum) but I also wanted to hand paint some designs. I'm curious as to what types of paint I can use over the top of the spray that will dry properly. Can I just use any type of acrylic paint? Should I look into auto paint? I was planning on priming, sanding, spray base layer, hand paint designs, then clear coat. Any information would be helpful. Thanks!
I am an owner of a very old Lemond bicycle. I've recently decided to repaint it and then put newer parts on it. I have a question about the paint. I was planning on using a spray paint for the base (rust-oleum) but I also wanted to hand paint some designs. I'm curious as to what types of paint I can use over the top of the spray that will dry properly. Can I just use any type of acrylic paint? Should I look into auto paint? I was planning on priming, sanding, spray base layer, hand paint designs, then clear coat. Any information would be helpful. Thanks!
