Renovating Aluminium Frame

[Lionel Scales]

I want to renovate my 5 y-o Scott aluminium MTB frame - loads of flaking paint and bare patches
where sweat and the aluminium/steel interfaces have ruined it. Not looking to restore it to original
condition. Appears structurally sound. Paint stripper or sand-blasting? Enamel, powder-coat, clear
lacquer? Just want it looking reasonable and well-protected. Any thoughts? Cheers.

 

[Tony Raven]

Lionel Scales <[email protected]> wrote:
> I want to renovate my 5 y-o Scott aluminium MTB frame - loads of flaking paint and bare
> patches where sweat and the aluminium/steel interfaces have ruined it. Not looking to restore
> it to original condition. Appears structurally sound. Paint stripper or sand-blasting?
> Enamel, powder-coat, clear lacquer? Just want it looking reasonable and well-protected. Any
> thoughts? Cheers.

Bead blasting is the way to go. Sand blasting will damage the frame as will some paint strippers.

Tony

--
http://www.raven-family.com

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable man persists in trying to
adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man." -- George
Bernard Shaw

 

[David E. Belche]

"Tony Raven" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
>
> Bead blasting is the way to go. Sand blasting will damage the frame as will some paint strippers.
>

Re. paint strippers; Nitromors or similar should be OK, as it's based on dichloromethane and is
pretty much neutral. Ones which are acid or alkaline (particularly the latter, being likely to
contain ammonia, NaOH, or similar) ought to be avoided, as they will certainly attack Al.

David E. Belcher

Dept. of Chemistry, University of York

 

[Lionel Scales]

Tony & David - Many thanks for the info. (What type of beads are used in bead-blasting?)

Cheers, Lionel

"Lionel Scales" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I want to renovate my 5 y-o Scott aluminium MTB frame - loads of flaking paint and bare patches
> where sweat and the aluminium/steel interfaces have ruined it. Not looking to restore it to
> original condition. Appears structurally
sound.
> Paint stripper or sand-blasting? Enamel, powder-coat, clear lacquer? Just want it looking
> reasonable and well-protected. Any thoughts? Cheers.