so, you have a new-to-you SS. you love it, you ride it all the time and then you realize one day that some bozo went at the fram and there is now a huge scratch, like 5 inches long and an .5 to 1 inch wide....

You ask the drunkard neighbor how to rectify this issue and he hands you some sand paper and tells you to strip the paint with that -ok, he was sober at the time - and you go at it.... get half the top tube stripped and decide it is a very slow process...

what do you do?

This is the situation my 16 year old son is in...

How can he get the old paint off faster and what is the best way to paint a frame....

Being like is old man, he just dove into the project head first, no research,... so I am helping him out, guys, help a dad help a son out... what should he/we do?

thanks

Robi

Robi,

There are a few articals on this forum on painting. I do not have any links for you though. Sorry.

I would recommend a product called Aircraft Stripper. I bought some in a massive spray can at Wal Mart in the automotive section. Removes old paint very easily.Or you could toss your local powder coat or custom paint shop a few bucks and have it sandblasted.

As for a paint job, there are a few options. Professional paint job, powder coat, or rattle can.

First two include paying someone to do it. Easy and pretty quick. The rattle can method will require some patience to do right. Couple coats of primer, sand in between coats, couple coats of color, sand in between, couple coats of clear, wax, done.

I know thats not a ton of help but thats about all I can think of at 2am.

Deshi

use the search feature.

Yes, this is what we would all like everyone to do but it has not started happening in the last year and a half iv been around and im sure even longer than that. If you dont have any help for the guy, dont post anything. Dont be an ass.

No Walmarts here in Hungary and not even sure if there is anybody who paints bikes.. I will ask, if I find someone I will ask for info on materials used and try to get some for Aron.. I think he had no idea what he was getting himself into...

BTW... I tried searching, must have messed up because I did not come up with any useful hits.

Thanks all.

Robi

you shouldn't have to strip the bike to the metal. FIrst keep in mind, its a bike and its going to get banged up.

After doing autobody, this is what I would do.

Get some filler primer, prime where the scratch is, sand it with 600 grit or somethign to take the shine off, then from there go ahead and paint it. Use something tough, like an enamel or appliance paint, or go with a basecoat/clearcoat you would get from an autobody shop or go to someone that sprays cars and see if they can hook you up, I know Hungary probably doesn't have the resources we have.

or go to a powder coater, I know somenoe there has to do it, if not let me know so I can tell my relatives to start a business out there.

ok, car powde coaters.... just have to get through their wierd looks we show up with a bike and not a car...

i too, btw, would have just tried to touch up the scratch, but Aron went at it and has sanded off nearly all the paint from the top tube...

now, he either tries to restore that or goes for the whole kit and kebootle (sp?)

robi

STFU with this, you realize this and most forums would probably be pretty boring if everyone used the search feature to its full potential...

Like it was said above, don't be an ass, if you don't have something constructive to add then don't bother.

Anyway, as far as stripping that paint goes, just get some paint stripper and use that. If your having trouble gettin penetration, rough it up with some sand paper.

Then for the paint job, if your doing it with spray cans, just be patient and do lots of thin coats, youll have a much better final product that way. If your putting it on anywhere near thick enough for drips to form, your overdoing it...

i 2nd getting a powder coating. if your son does not like scratches on his bike, then it is VERY difficult to get an amateur paint job to resist scratching. as someone who has done it several times, with layers and layers of primer, paint, and clear and sanding and sanding and sanding between coats, it's just NEVER going to be as durable as a paint job that is baked.

i fear that if we are doing this because of a scratch, the paint will come out looking beautiful and it is going to get a scratch it in within a week if it's used with any regularity.

Almost anybody that does automotive painting should be willing to paint a bicycle. I do recommend the powder coat route if you are looking for a durable paint job. Powder coat is pretty much a plastic coat after all is said and done. I had a BMX bike powder coated along time ago. Beat the frame the **** and after a few years, it still looked decent. The down side to powder coat is that there is no way to touch it up if you do manage to scratch it. Just a though.

Im a big fan of DIY so I think a self done paint job, although not going to look as great or be as durable, is a fun thing to do with your bike. If you dont like the outcome of the finished product, you can always try again.

Just have fun with it.

hey, if this were my bike I would have fun with it and stuff, but this is not mine.

if Aron has the patients to finish what he has started then all will be good. I just wish he would do it rather than letting the bike sitin the car port for days, paint sanded off, etc.

DYI is always cool and educational... that is what I believe and will tell Aron...

thanks for all the help.

robi

i use an angle grinder with a wire wheel to strip any frame i paint... but at very least use a corded drill with a wire wheel.... **** using that liquid stripper stuff its a huge mess

Robi,

Show him some really cool fade paint jobs and stuff like that. It might light a fire under his ass and get him into the project. Just a though. Anyway, good luck and if you have any questions, feel free to message me. I have done a fair bit of painting myself. Bicycle, auto, models when I was younger. I am no expert by any means but I have learned a thing or two so if I can help, im more than willing.

Deshi

Also, Nelzar's suggestion of using an angel grinder with a wire wheel is a good one. I used that method on an old Fuji frame I converted to fixed awhile back. I almost left it raw afterwards because of a really cool swirl effect it left in the metal.

depends on how much you want to spend.
that drunk man was right.
sand
paint
sand
paint
sand
paint
sand
paint

well when aron gets home i will show him this thread and talk to him...


i actually like the way the frame looks where he has stripped the paint... if it were my bike i would leave it like that....does such thing exist as clear primer and paint???

now, swirly patterns from an angle grinder would be even better.


robi

Robi,

There is a protective overing called clear coat. It is exactly what it sound like. I personally like the look of raw steel. Id say do it. All that is required the get that look is to strip the frame of all paint and clear coat it. Done.

Deshi

if you remove the paint to the metal, you'll need to use an etch primer for best adhesion, or at least one designed for metal. build (or filler) primer covers finish irregularites so you can sand them smooth afterward, but for lugged frames it will just fill in the lug joins, which you don't want. however powdercoat will do the same. if it's not yet stripped to metal you should leave the paint— it's already sticking to the frame metal.

take your time, wetsand and tack cloth between coats, wear nitrile gloves so finger oils don't foul the paint, spray using catalyzed auto paint if possible— or take to a professional painter once it's stripped.

the boy went at it with a sander, using plain old sandpaper for wood... it got most of the paint off, covered him n blue paint dust, etc... i think the metal looks ugly now because of the scratches.. Aron is convinced he needs to be rough for the primer and paint to stick....

the durnkard neighbor wants him to stick on a coat of some rust stuff... not prevetnetive stuff, but the stuff that *eats* the rust away, dries black and then you paint on that.... think we should run off to a car body shop and see if they can give us better advice....


thanks for all the help here...

Robi