Re: Paint stripping

[Donald Gillies]

[email protected] writes:

>The frame has no chrome. I was considering chroming the rear triangle,
>but I'm not sure if that would ruin the bike.

To put down shiny chrome, you must polish the bicycle tubes. This
polishing operation eats into the metal. If the tubes are new, then
the amount of metal lost is insignificant because the tubes are so
uniform that very little polishing is needed.

If the tubes are already painted, then the operation of stripping 100%
of the paint, and then polishing the steel to a significant flatness /
shine, will significantly erode the steel. If there are ANY dings in
the steel (and these could even be from manufacture, hidden by bondo
at the factory), then the results will be mediocre or disappointing.

To chrome your bike, you're going to need to 100% strip and polish
every exterior atom of the rear triangle. The results will probably
not be nearly as uniform as a frame that was chromed to begin with,
and rechromed later.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

 

[Leo Lichtman]

"Donald Gillies" wrote: To put down shiny chrome, you must polish the
bicycle tubes. This polishing operation eats into the metal. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
If you don't mind spending the money, you copper plate the steel first.
Then, after polishing, apply the chrome. It used to be common practice, but
you know...cost.

 

[[email protected]]

Leo Lichtman wrote:
> "Donald Gillies" wrote: To put down shiny chrome, you must polish the
> bicycle tubes. This polishing operation eats into the metal. (clip)
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> If you don't mind spending the money, you copper plate the steel first.
> Then, after polishing, apply the chrome. It used to be common practice, but
> you know...cost.

I was more thinking about how chroming the rear triangle would ruin it
aesthetically, not technically. If I do get it chromed, it will be
copper first, no expense spared.

Joseph