How do I strip the paint from an alluminum frame?

[Boyd Speerschne]

Is there a way to do it that doesn't require a lot of elbow grease and time ? Product referals,
experiences appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

- Boyd

 

[Chris Zacho "Th]

The same thing I use for a steel frame, paint remover. You may still have to do some sanding, but
nowhere near as much. Be sure to wash ALL of it off before repainting (inside and out).

If you're wary of using chemicals, you could have it bead-blasted (sand-blasted).

May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear for the hills! Chris

Chris'Z Corner "The Website for the Common Bicyclist": http://www.geocities.com/czcorner

 

[Squid-In-Traini]

"Chris Zacho "The Wheelman"" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The same thing I use for a steel frame, paint remover. You may still have to do some sanding, but
> nowhere near as much. Be sure to wash ALL of it off before repainting (inside and out).

A better alternative is a product called "Airplane Remover" (yes that's correct). Find it at your
auto parts store.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

 

[Js]

"Chris Zacho "The Wheelman"" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The same thing I use for a steel frame, paint remover. You may still have to do some sanding, but
> nowhere near as much. Be sure to wash ALL of it off before repainting (inside and out).
>
> If you're wary of using chemicals, you could have it bead-blasted (sand-blasted).
>

I wouldn't recommend sand/bead blasting for paint removing since both methods are very consuming for
a light-wall aluminium frames.

A paint remover is preferable way.

-juuso

 

[Fakhina Sohl]

Boyd Speerschneider <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Is there a way to do it that doesn't require a lot of elbow grease and time ? Product referals,
> experiences appreciated.

I took the paint off my frame partly because it was doing a reasonable job of coming off by itself.
I later stripped the paint off the slider of a suspension fork (to match), and it was a much more
difficult process, assumedly because the paint was better to start with.

I just used a gel-state paint stripper. The cheapest little tin my local hardware had. I cut some
"scrapers" out of a handy bit of plastic, and sacrificed a $1 paintbrush.

Paint the gel on, wait for the paint to blister and wrinkle, then scrape off with a bit of plastic.
Easy for the tubes, can get fiddly around the welds and dropouts. Some areas might need several
applications to get the layers of paint off. Mine still has a few little flecks of paint in hard to
reach places.

Be very careful to wash the stripper off before you touch the bike with bare skin. The stuff I used
stung like a stingy thing.

I left my stripped frame (and now fork) in a bare, unpolished, raw Al state. It's generally known as
The Cleanskin. It's been ridden regularly in an unpainted state for about 4 years now with no ill
effects. The top tube is shiney and polished from being rubbed with my legs, but the rest of it is
still dull, with tooling marks visible on the tubing. Very post-modern.

fs

 

[Boyd Speerschne]

[email protected] (Fakhina Sohl) wrote in news:[email protected]:

<snip>

> effects. The top tube is shiney and polished from being rubbed with my legs, but the rest of it is
> still dull, with tooling marks visible on the tubing. Very post-modern.
>
> fs

Cool... I'm going for that post-modern look as well All though I might apply a clear coat after I
apply the decals.

- Boyd S.