Naked finish on steel frame?

Suppose I have a steel frame, and I want to strip off all the existing paint, buff and polish it,
and then have a bare steel finish that won't rust. What kind of clearcoat could I put over the
steel, and how durable would it be? I am of course willing to do multiple layers or multiple
compounds, just interested if this can be done and how one would go about
it.

jacobe

"Jacobe Hazzard" <spamsink@ATeudoramail.DOTcom> wrote in message
news:yIwvb.146095$HoK.118206@news01....ble.rogers.com...
> Suppose I have a steel frame, and I want to strip off all the existing paint, buff and polish it,
> and then have a bare steel finish that won't rust. What kind of clearcoat could I put over the
> steel, and how durable would it be? I am of course willing to do multiple layers or multiple
> compounds, just interested if this can be done and how one would go about
> it.
>
> jacobe

IMHO, you're best off going to a pro painter and getting it done. He can give you a good clear coat
paint to use and do the job for you. If you like the look of your bike it's worth getting done
professionally. I'm not saying it isn't possible to do it yourself, but of the 30-40 home painted
bikes I've seen, 99% were crap. If you're going to go through all the trouble of stripping, buffing
etc, get a pro to do the paint.

Cheers,

Scott..

You could use this product:- http://www.fredparrcycledesign.com/picklex20.htm which will prevent the
frame from rusting and also help your clearcoat to adhere.

Freddy Parr has a very interesting website and has been building bikes for many years.

--
Lewis.

http://tinyurl.com/r3r6 .........................

*******************************

"Jacobe Hazzard" <spamsink@ATeudoramail.DOTcom> wrote in message
news:yIwvb.146095$HoK.118206@news01....ble.rogers.com...
> Suppose I have a steel frame, and I want to strip off all the existing paint, buff and polish it,
> and then have a bare steel finish that won't rust. What kind of clearcoat could I put over the
> steel, and how durable would it be? I am of course willing to do multiple layers or multiple
> compounds, just interested if this can be done and how one would go about
> it.
>
> jacobe

Jacobe Hazzard wrote:

> Suppose I have a steel frame, and I want to strip off all the existing paint, buff and polish it,
> and then have a bare steel finish that won't rust. What kind of clearcoat could I put over the
> steel, and how durable would it be? I am of course willing to do multiple layers or multiple
> compounds, just interested if this can be done and how one would go about
> it.

BTDT.

After you get it beautifully polished simply oiling it daily is functional. Daily being the
operative word.

If you shoot a clear on it without a primer, the steel will rust right through the clear. Takes a
couple of months.

But you should do it anyway. It's a fine learning experience.

No real harm is done and you can sand it out and paint it later.

--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Fri, 21 Nov 2003 22:54:22 GMT "Jacobe Hazzard" <spamsink@ATeudoramail.DOTcom> wrote:

>Suppose I have a steel frame, and I want to strip off all the existing paint, buff and polish it,
>and then have a bare steel finish that won't rust. What kind of clearcoat could I put over the
>steel, and how durable would it be? I am of course willing to do multiple layers or multiple
>compounds, just interested if this can be done and how one would go about
>it.

Everything you want to do can be done, except for one little problem. To the best of my knowledge
there is no type of clear coat that will go over bare metal and give a durable finish.

Good adhesion to steel requires a primer, and all primers are opaque.

You can certainly spray a clear coat right on steel and if you do a good job it will look nice for a
few months. Then it will start to peel and rust. The amount of time that passes before this happens
will depend on your climate.

-
-----------------------------------------------
Jim Adney jadney@vwtype3.org Madison, WI 53711 USA
-----------------------------------------------

Jim Adney wrote:

> On Fri, 21 Nov 2003 22:54:22 GMT "Jacobe Hazzard" <spamsink@ATeudoramail.DOTcom> wrote:
>
>
>>Suppose I have a steel frame, and I want to strip off all the existing paint, buff and polish it,
>>and then have a bare steel finish that won't rust. What kind of clearcoat could I put over the
>>steel, and how durable would it be? I am of course willing to do multiple layers or multiple
>>compounds, just interested if this can be done and how one would go about
>>it.
>
>
> Everything you want to do can be done, except for one little problem. To the best of my knowledge
> there is no type of clear coat that will go over bare metal and give a durable finish.
>
> Good adhesion to steel requires a primer, and all primers are opaque.
>
> You can certainly spray a clear coat right on steel and if you do a good job it will look nice for
> a few months. Then it will start to peel and rust. The amount of time that passes before this
> happens will depend on your climate.

Salsa used to (and maybe still do) offer a clearcost on their steel frames. Maybe they were all sold
to Californians who don't know what rain is?

Zog The Undeniable <ggg@hhh.net> wrote in message news:<bpnd98$huh$4@news7.svr.pol.co.uk>...
> Jim Adney wrote:
>
> > On Fri, 21 Nov 2003 22:54:22 GMT "Jacobe Hazzard" <spamsink@ATeudoramail.DOTcom> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Suppose I have a steel frame, and I want to strip off all the existing paint, buff and polish
> >>it, and then have a bare steel finish that won't rust. What kind of clearcoat could I put over
> >>the steel, and how durable would it be? I am of course willing to do multiple layers or multiple
> >>compounds, just interested if this can be done and how one would go about
> >>it.
> >
> >
> > Everything you want to do can be done, except for one little problem. To the best of my
> > knowledge there is no type of clear coat that will go over bare metal and give a durable finish.
> >
> > Good adhesion to steel requires a primer, and all primers are opaque.
> >
> > You can certainly spray a clear coat right on steel and if you do a good job it will look nice
> > for a few months. Then it will start to peel and rust. The amount of time that passes before
> > this happens will depend on your climate.
>
> Salsa used to (and maybe still do) offer a clearcost on their steel frames. Maybe they were all
> sold to Californians who don't know what rain is?

Good idea I paid $20 more for my mongoose for clear paint this allows me to inspect every weld.
Chromemoly does not rust very fast consider using weigle frane saver on the inside or at least spray
some oil inside your frame and inspect the inside of the bottom bracket once a year.

"Jacobe Hazzard" <spamsink@ATeudoramail.DOTcom> wrote in message
news:yIwvb.146095$HoK.118206@news01....ble.rogers.com...
> Suppose I have a steel frame, and I want to strip off all the existing paint, buff and polish it,
> and then have a bare steel finish that won't rust. What kind of clearcoat could I put over the
> steel, and how durable would it be? I am of course willing to do multiple layers or multiple
> compounds, just interested if this can be done and how one would go about
> it.
>
> jacobe
>
>

You might consider having the frame nickel plated. It will still be the same or a similar color and
will not rust or corrode. IRRC, some of the old great racers at the turn of the last century liked
to have their frames and forks nickel plated rather than painted.

Vol

RE/
>Suppose I have a steel frame, and I want to strip off all the existing paint, buff and polish it,
>and then have a bare steel finish that won't rust. What kind of clearcoat could I put over the
>steel, and how durable would it be? I am of course willing to do multiple layers or multiple
>compounds, just interested if this can be done and how one would go about

I did that on a Panasonic road bike a long time ago.

Used a spray can of clear (laquer?)....

No problems at all for about about four years....until the frame finally failed.

My guess is that the kind of finish and appearance desired would be important when deciding how to
do it. I didn't really care - just wanted something different and functional-looking. To sombody
else, the quality of the finish might have been unacceptable.

OTOH, I tried painting my old StumpJumper Chinese red. Used a friend's equipment to sand blast the
frame, shot it with primer first, the whole nine yards. Still have it to this day as my utility bike
- but the most anybody could say about the paint job is that it probably reduces theft-appeal
significantly. Never again with the paint. Anytime with the clear stuff.
--
PeteCresswell

A Muzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote in message
> If you shoot a clear on it without a primer, the steel will rust right through the clear. Takes a
> couple of months.

ive seen a number of current model BMXs which at a glance look like steel + clearcoat. I assume it
was to get a certain industrial look, which came from not wirebrushing the weld discoloration off
the joints.

so are these bikes going to rust? is there such a thing as a clear primer? is picklex the holy grail
of steel preservation and maintenance as Freddy would have me believe? (i have no reason to believe
otherwise, i just dont know if i ever heard him mention this application)

anthony

"(Pete Cresswell)" <x@y.z> wrote in message news:fukvrvof1mltq16smof0ffpc3jmsk76pam@4ax.com
> RE/
> >Suppose I have a steel frame, and I want to strip off all the existing paint, buff and polish it,
> >and then have a bare steel finish that won't rust. What kind of clearcoat could I put over the
> >steel, and how durable would it be? I am of course willing to do multiple layers or multiple
> >compounds, just interested if this can be done and how one would go about
>
> I did that on a Panasonic road bike a long time ago.
>
> Used a spray can of clear (laquer?)....
>
> No problems at all for about about four years....until the frame finally failed.
>
> My guess is that the kind of finish and appearance desired would be important when deciding how to
> do it. I didn't really care - just wanted something different and functional-looking. To sombody
> else, the quality of the finish might have been unacceptable.
>
> OTOH, I tried painting my old StumpJumper Chinese red. Used a friend's equipment to sand blast the
> frame, shot it with primer first, the whole nine yards. Still have it to this day as my utility
> bike - but the most anybody could say about the paint job is that it probably reduces theft-appeal
> significantly. Never again with the paint. Anytime with the clear stuff.

The frame failed for reasons unrelated to the finish I hope? Would also be helpful if you could
remember what you used.

"Jacobe Hazzard" <spamsink@ATeudoramail.DOTcom> wrote in message
news:ZvSvb.158788$HoK.23934@news01.b...ble.rogers.com
> "(Pete Cresswell)" <x@y.z> wrote in message news:fukvrvof1mltq16smof0ffpc3jmsk76pam@4ax.com
> > RE/
> > >Suppose I have a steel frame, and I want to strip off all the existing paint, buff and polish
> > >it, and then have a bare steel finish that won't rust. What kind of clearcoat could I put over
> > >the steel, and how durable would it be? I am of course willing to do multiple layers or
> > >multiple compounds, just interested if this can be done and how one would go about
> >
> > I did that on a Panasonic road bike a long time ago.
> >
> > Used a spray can of clear (laquer?)....
> >
> > No problems at all for about about four years....until the frame finally failed.
> >
> > My guess is that the kind of finish and appearance desired would be important when deciding how
> > to do it. I didn't really care - just wanted something different and functional-looking. To
> > sombody else, the quality of the finish might have been unacceptable.
> >
> > OTOH, I tried painting my old StumpJumper Chinese red. Used a friend's equipment to sand blast
> > the frame, shot it with primer first, the whole nine yards. Still have it to this day as my
> > utility bike - but the most anybody could say about the paint job is that it probably reduces
> > theft-appeal significantly. Never again with the paint. Anytime with the clear stuff.
>
> The frame failed for reasons unrelated to the finish I hope? Would also be helpful if you could
> remember what you used.

Mm and what kind of use in what climate did the bike have to tolerate?

RE/
>The frame failed for reasons unrelated to the finish I hope? Would also be helpful if you could
>remember what you used.

Yes. One of the rear dropouts finally cracked from my 220# thumping on it.

What I used is lost forever - but it was nothing special, Pep Boy's Finest sort of stuff....
--
PeteCresswell

RE/
>Mm and what kind of use in what climate did the bike have to tolerate?

Philadelphia PA, USA. Almost-year-around commuting within the city - 23 miles round trip racing city
traffic....ahhhh, those were the days....half-crazy from overtraining, had to get up from my desk
and jog up to the 27th floor and back every couple of hours just to let off the nervous energy...
dunno how my wife put up with it...
--
PeteCresswell

You could have it sand blasted, exposing the braze, then have it gun blued or browned, an oxidizing
process, then, like the man says, oil it daily.

Or I think you could enamel it with clear glass frit. This could heat damage the frame.

The other guy said clear will let it rust. I know a Krylon clear will rust, but there are Imron
clear top coats. Consider that, or equivalent, it's a two part epoxy. Or ask the paint shop.

One decorating you can do to bare steel is to flame-camo it, producing small or large patterns of
straw yellow through blue and purple. These are the temper colors of steel and each segment will be
tempered to a different degree. Now if it all starts annealed, great. If not, you have issues. It
could warp. Or weaken. Depends on how critical your tubing is regards the factory temper, and
subsequent brazing.

You may overnight color a bare frame with some fading in a pizza oven. How about a nice even
bare gold?

Yours,

Doug Goncz (at aol dot com) Replikon Research, Seven Corners, VA

1100 original posts at: http://groups.google.com/groups?as_e...uthors=dgoncz@