Paint or strip your bike inexpensively



jose1

New Member
Dec 30, 2004
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Anyone interested in finding out how to paint or strip their bike inexpensively with professional results?
 
Definitely..

I've stripped my aluminum mtb before and it only took a few days including
the polishing afterwards. But, the guy at the local sign shop told me that
painting aluminum is a *****.. it has to go through a lot of processes to
guarantee that the paint will stick. Steel I guess is a lot easier to
paint...

Mike
http://mikebeauchamp.com


"jose1" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Anyone interested in finding out how to paint or strip their bike
> inexpensively with professional results?
>
>
> --
> jose1
>
 
Mike, it's not as hard as he makes it sound. Once you have stripped the bike. Which I reccomend using a product called Tal-Strip. They use it in the auto and aviation industry. It takes paint off in 15 to 30 minutes without harming the metal.

First you have to clean and condition the frame with Dupont metal conditioner 5717s. You have to dilute it with water. What it does is cleans off all of the impurities on the frame like grease and so forth.

Second, you have to dry the frame off. Then you have to paint it with a sandable "etching primer". The etching primer microscopically bites into the metal causing a bond between the primer and frame. Other primers do not have this biting action. Then you can put your base coat (color) on.

I talked to a few pro painters before I started doing it myself.
I 've done it a couple of times already on bike frames and motorcycle frames. I have also set my self up with professional painting tools inexspensively. So now I can use automotive paint. I was posting information on where to purchase the tools and the steps on how to paint, before the power went out in my house. I will try to do this a soon as possible. I will tell you though it is not hard if you follow the steps. It should only take a day.
 
Yeah.. I'm not saying it's impossible, but there definitely is some extra
steps. Infact, he mentioned all the steps you mentioned plus a few other
optional ones he mentioned that he always does when painting aluminum as
well. I think as soon as i buy my new bike, the first thing I'm going to do
is design a paint job for it and paint it up.

Mike

"jose1" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Mike, it's not as hard as he makes it sound. Once you have stripped the
> bike. Which I reccomend using a product called *Tal-Strip*. They use
> it in the auto and aviation industry. It takes paint off in 15 to 30
> minutes without harming the metal.
>
> *First* you have to clean and condition the frame with *Dupont metal
> conditioner 5717s. *You have to dilute it with water. What it does is
> cleans off all of the impurities on the frame like grease and so forth.
>
> *Second, *you have to dry the frame off. Then you have to paint it
> with a sandable *"etching primer"*. The etching primer microscopically
> bites into the metal causing a bond between the primer and frame. Other
> primers do not have this biting action. Then you can put your base
> coat (color) on.
>
> I talked to a few pro painters before I started doing it myself.
> I 've done it a couple of times already on bike frames and motorcycle
> frames. I have also set my self up with professional painting tools
> inexspensively. So now I can use automotive paint. I was posting
> information on where to purchase the tools and the steps on how to
> paint, before the power went out in my house. I will try to do this a
> soon as possible. I will tell you though it is not hard if you follow
> the steps. It should only take a day.
>
>
> --
> jose1
>
 
Mike Beauchamp said:
Yeah.. I'm not saying it's impossible, but there definitely is some extra
steps. Infact, he mentioned all the steps you mentioned plus a few other
optional ones he mentioned that he always does when painting aluminum as
well. I think as soon as i buy my new bike, the first thing I'm going to do
is design a paint job for it and paint it up.

Mike

"jose1" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Mike, it's not as hard as he makes it sound. Once you have stripped the
> bike. Which I reccomend using a product called *Tal-Strip*. They use
> it in the auto and aviation industry. It takes paint off in 15 to 30
> minutes without harming the metal.
>
> *First* you have to clean and condition the frame with *Dupont metal
> conditioner 5717s. *You have to dilute it with water. What it does is
> cleans off all of the impurities on the frame like grease and so forth.
>
> *Second, *you have to dry the frame off. Then you have to paint it
> with a sandable *"etching primer"*. The etching primer microscopically
> bites into the metal causing a bond between the primer and frame. Other
> primers do not have this biting action. Then you can put your base
> coat (color) on.
>
> I talked to a few pro painters before I started doing it myself.
> I 've done it a couple of times already on bike frames and motorcycle
> frames. I have also set my self up with professional painting tools
> inexspensively. So now I can use automotive paint. I was posting
> information on where to purchase the tools and the steps on how to
> paint, before the power went out in my house. I will try to do this a
> soon as possible. I will tell you though it is not hard if you follow
> the steps. It should only take a day.
>
>
> --
> jose1
>
[jose1] I just posted my full process for painting an aluminum frame and where to get everything you need. Check it out.
 
jose1 wrote:
> Anyone interested in finding out how to paint or strip their bike
> inexpensively with professional results?
>
>


Yes! Yes? So what's your advice?
 
> "jose1" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...

-snip-
>>stripped the bike. Which I reccomend using a product called *Tal-Strip*

-snip-
>>condition the frame with *Dupont metal conditioner 5717s.

-snip-
>> dry the frame off. Then you have to paint itwith a sandable *"etching primer"

-snip-
>> put your base coat (color) on.


Mike Beauchamp wrote:
-snip-
> I think as soon as i buy my new bike, the first thing I'm

going to do
> is design a paint job for it and paint it up.



As with auto and motorcycle paint, if you have a basically
sound substrate you're usually better off sanding out the
damaged areas, wetsanding the rest and painting over the
factory finish. Most bike manufacturers paint clean
prepared metal in a controlled environment and get better
primer-to-metal adhesion than you can achieve at home.
Moreover, wetsanding an existing finish will save you
several coats and several sanding sessions for any given
level of smoothness.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971
 
Yes, I understand. I have a 1972 Land Rover. The body is made of aluminium (!)
in an alloy called Birmingbright. The paint has worn off in places and there
is a yellow "primer' showing. In places that primer is also worn through to
the metal. No rust :), but then who would expect it.

The factory manual speaks about an acid-based primer/etch to spray on before
painting. That manual was printed in 1972 so i suppose the technology for
aluminium painting has changed because of environmental reasons. I have seen
land rovers repainted on the aluminium, but they seem to peel that paint. My
LR has no paint peeling anywhere - the primer/etch must be doing it's job
after 32 years.

Ken
Winnipeg, Canada

Mike Beauchamp wrote:

> Definitely..
>
> I've stripped my aluminum mtb before and it only took a few days including
> the polishing afterwards. But, the guy at the local sign shop told me that
> painting aluminum is a *****.. it has to go through a lot of processes to
> guarantee that the paint will stick. Steel I guess is a lot easier to
> paint...
>
> Mike
> http://mikebeauchamp.com
>
> "jose1" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> > Anyone interested in finding out how to paint or strip their bike
> > inexpensively with professional results?
> >
> >
> > --
> > jose1
> >
 
Kyle.B.H. said:
jose1 wrote:
> Anyone interested in finding out how to paint or strip their bike
> inexpensively with professional results?
>
>


Yes! Yes? So what's your advice?
I placed a thread with ful instructuions for stripping and painting your frame in rec.bicycles.tech area. check it out it 8 spaces down from the top of page. If you have any questions contact me.
 
Kyle.B.H. said:
jose1 wrote:
> Anyone interested in finding out how to paint or strip their bike
> inexpensively with professional results?
>
>


Yes! Yes? So what's your advice?
I placed full instructions in the rec.bicycles.tech forum under jose1 "instructions for painting your frame". One of the readers brought up a good point that I did not talk about thoroughly. Using protective gear when you paint. Check out my response to that thread.

If you are going to paint your frame and you have further questions contact me I will set you up with anything you need. I do suggest that you do a little reading on your own. Check out books By Jon Kosmoski, on custom painting techniques. He's been in the business for 30 years plus.
 
A Muzi said:
> "jose1" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...

-snip-
>>stripped the bike. Which I reccomend using a product called *Tal-Strip*

-snip-
>>condition the frame with *Dupont metal conditioner 5717s.

-snip-
>> dry the frame off. Then you have to paint itwith a sandable *"etching primer"

-snip-
>> put your base coat (color) on.


Mike Beauchamp wrote:
-snip-
> I think as soon as i buy my new bike, the first thing I'm

going to do
> is design a paint job for it and paint it up.



As with auto and motorcycle paint, if you have a basically
sound substrate you're usually better off sanding out the
damaged areas, wetsanding the rest and painting over the
factory finish. Most bike manufacturers paint clean
prepared metal in a controlled environment and get better
primer-to-metal adhesion than you can achieve at home.
Moreover, wetsanding an existing finish will save you
several coats and several sanding sessions for any given
level of smoothness.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971
Thats somewhat true. Automakers have electronic means of coating thier automobiles with with primer. A person painting at home could never dream of coming close to that same coating. However, with a bike manafactuer I wouldn't think there methods of primering or base coating are that much different from what one could do at home. If you by good etching primer that would have to spray through a gun you should be able to achieve the same quality coat as the pros do.
 
[email protected] (jose1) Wrote much more but
I edited it to the essentials:

>Mike, it's not as hard as he makes it
>sound. Once you have stripped the bike.
>Which I recommend using a product
>called *Tal-Strip*. They use it in the auto
>and aviation industry. It takes paint off in
>15 to 30 minutes without harming the
>metal.


Fine, I understand why you wouldn't want to use certain chemicals which
may adversely affect the metal. So why do you subscribe to using a
primer that partially dissolves it?

>*Second, *you have to dry the frame off.
>Then you have to paint it with a sandable
>*"etching primer"*. The etching primer
>microscopically bites into the metal
>causing a bond between the primer and
>frame. Other primers do not have this
>biting action. Then you can put your base
>coat (color) on.


Did I miss something? I'm not a metallurgist or professional painter.
But i would think that a substance that is designed to etch (soften,
dissolve) metal would be far worse than one that is only designed to act
on the old paint!

An auto body is not a major structural
component like a bicycle frame is.

- -

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

Chris Zacho ~ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

Chris'Z Corner
http://www.geocities.com/czcorner
 
Chris Zacho The Wheelman wrote:

> [email protected] (jose1) Wrote much more but
> I edited it to the essentials:
>
>
>>Mike, it's not as hard as he makes it
>>sound. Once you have stripped the bike.
>>Which I recommend using a product
>>called *Tal-Strip*. They use it in the auto
>>and aviation industry. It takes paint off in
>>15 to 30 minutes without harming the
>>metal.

>
>
> Fine, I understand why you wouldn't want to use certain chemicals which
> may adversely affect the metal. So why do you subscribe to using a
> primer that partially dissolves it?
>
>
>>*Second, *you have to dry the frame off.
>>Then you have to paint it with a sandable
>>*"etching primer"*. The etching primer
>>microscopically bites into the metal
>>causing a bond between the primer and
>>frame. Other primers do not have this
>>biting action. Then you can put your base
>>coat (color) on.

>
>
> Did I miss something? I'm not a metallurgist or professional painter.
> But i would think that a substance that is designed to etch (soften,
> dissolve) metal would be far worse than one that is only designed to act
> on the old paint!
>
> An auto body is not a major structural
> component like a bicycle frame is....


What primers do aircraft painter’s use on aluminium (where the
structural integrity of the skin is often of importance)?

--
Tom Sherman - Near Rock Island
 
Chris Zacho The Wheelman said:
[email protected] (jose1) Wrote much more but
I edited it to the essentials:

>Mike, it's not as hard as he makes it
>sound. Once you have stripped the bike.
>Which I recommend using a product
>called *Tal-Strip*. They use it in the auto
>and aviation industry. It takes paint off in
>15 to 30 minutes without harming the
>metal.


Fine, I understand why you wouldn't want to use certain chemicals which
may adversely affect the metal. So why do you subscribe to using a
primer that partially dissolves it?

>*Second, *you have to dry the frame off.
>Then you have to paint it with a sandable
>*"etching primer"*. The etching primer
>microscopically bites into the metal
>causing a bond between the primer and
>frame. Other primers do not have this
>biting action. Then you can put your base
>coat (color) on.


Did I miss something? I'm not a metallurgist or professional painter.
But i would think that a substance that is designed to etch (soften,
dissolve) metal would be far worse than one that is only designed to act
on the old paint!

An auto body is not a major structural
component like a bicycle frame is.

- -

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

Chris Zacho ~ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

Chris'Z Corner
http://www.geocities.com/czcorner
Honestly, you have a point. However this is how it's been done for along time now. The primer doen't cause the damage you might think. Otherwise we would have planes with sagging air frames falling out of the sky.