Removing Decals
 

How do you remove the American Classic 420 Aero Track wheelset decals? I heard they are paint since they are the newer models.
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=498640

You don't. :)

http://i.imgur.com/BQKSm5o.jpg

You really cant? I hate how they look with 3 colors all round, want decals like yours. I want to remove em and get new decals. One that just says american classic, not with the 420 aero. Wouls look much cleaner with black rims and 1 color decals.

Mask off the spokes and get out the Krylon!

It's a pain.

If it is indeed painted, you're going to need heavy duty paint stripper like Jasco. The stuff is nasty and you need to do it outside with decent gloves. It will actually eat away at cheap rubber kitchen gloves.

I mounted my rim (no tire of course) on an old fork and stuffed the steerer tube in a car jack stand with the center section removed (kind of like a xmas tree stand but a lot sturdier). It makes it easier to spread this stuff around if the wheel is mounted/can be spun and swiveled around.

Just pour some Jasco/stripper out on an aluminum paint tray (not sure what the stuff will do to plastic) and use a paintbrush to brush it on. Leave it sit for awhile and it will start to bubble up. Then use a PLASTIC scraper to remove the paint.

Usually takes multiple coats of applying the stripper, waiting awhile, scraping, wiping down, reapply, etc..

Then use a something like an odorless mineral spirits to wipe it down to see if you missed any major spots.

At this point you have two options.

-Take it to a shop and have them pull the rim off and then have it powder coated/painted, reassembled.

-Cheaper way: Spray paint. In order to do a decent job, you need to take your time. Mask off EVERYTHING you don't want overspray on. Use good blue 3M painter's tape. That means every spoke nipple, etc..
If you want to be extra careful, clean with acetone or use a sticky painter's cloth. Forget the name but it's just a sticky cloth that removes dust/dirt.

Choose a standard primer...really doesn't matter. Any decent spray primer will do.

Then figure out what kind of finish...gloss, semi-gloss, flat, satin, etc.. I prefer Satin because it hides mistakes a little better than glossy and seems to hold up well. It's also easier to wipe down than matte/flat which seems to easily get stained with oils, grease, etc.. I used Rustoleum Satin since I had good success in the past.

The trick again is to use a stand so you can spin the wheel while spraying. I used an old camera tripod (heavy duty Bogen) and built a wood section to mount the wheel on so it could spin/pivot freely.
Then just spin the wheel, spray off to the side first and then move onto the wheel for a few seconds, let dry. Lots of light coats is better than heavy coats. Also test the sprayer to see how far back you want to be. The spinning wheel method works great because the whole wheel gets covered and you never have to worry about one section of the wheel getting too much paint or the paint can being held in one spot for too long.

I likely did around 4-5 light coats of primer (some were super light to hit just one missed section) and twice as many with paint. LIGHT COATS. Can't express this enough.
You can use clear coat if you want. I didn't but it might better too.

Try to find a contained area with minimal breeze. I used a narrow section at the back of my house and draped a cloth behind everything for overspray.

It's a lot of work but cheap...Jasco paint stripper (small can) is like $8...think I bought one can of primer and 2-3 cans of paint. Whole deal was under $25 but I already had the 3M blue tape/cheap brush/plastic scraper.

I have a friend that owns a car paint shop and he was actually impressed how well they came out for a spray can.

I find this a bit abrasive. :thumb:

Naive question, if you are going to repaint it, why do you need to remove the original paint? can't you just lightly sand the sheen off the existing paint and then repaint?

You can, but if the graphics below are raised slightly -- you'll see them (the edges) through the top coats. Stripping them ensures this won't be an issue.

Black plastidip for that matte carbon-inspired look.

Makes sense, thanks.

PlastiDip is actually ****ing awesome. Used to use it for car stuff all the time back in the day.

I was going to suggest Plasti-Dip as well. Masking off the brake track would be the hardest thing to do in your case. You could just spray the nips and spokes and then peel it off the red one and it would be done. If you decide to do Plasti-Dip, look up DipYourCar on YouTube. They have several extremely informational videos on how to prep, spray, and maintain. To be honest, I don't mind the look of your wheels with the decals and then the red spoke. I think that wheels like that look good in motion and draw attention to the rider, for safety or for bling, whichever you choose.

Hood vents and the pony in the grille are dipped in this picture. Stuff holds up perfectly to Michigan winters as well as the blistering sun. Looks as good today as the day I sprayed it.

http://i.imgur.com/aut9UN9.png

We could really beat this one to death. Sorry I rubbed you the wrong way. :P

Look the whole idea is just nuts. You can't just come in here and blast us with your bad ideas.

You are just upset because he "rubbed" you the wrong way!!!

I am just tired of people thinking they can put on a rubber suit grab a large hose and spray everything with sand or nut shells and their problems will just go away ; )

Of course you are, it has become ubiquitous!

That's a pretty gritty tone there fella.

I just want to get rid of all the layers and just be me. People just want to cover themselves up and have the painted on finish and I say just spray it off.