Spraypainting a bike.

"Jacobe Hazzard" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Hi, I want to spraypaint my bike, mostly flat colours with stensiled overlays. Does anyone have
suggestions for good types of paint or methods to use?

Best

Quoted message said:

way to clean the (steel) frame? Do I need to remove the existing paint? Do

I

Quoted message said:

need special rust precautions?

I thought an enamel based hobby type paint would adhere directly to the frame, and provide
adequate protection from the elements.

I have painted several bikes over the years. As always, surface preparation is the biggest concern.
There are plenty of sites out there that tell you how to prep a metal surface for paint. Get it
smooth and be sure it is completely clean of dust from the sanding and oil from your hands before
spraying. I prefer to sand down to the metal, although this isn't always necessary. The owner of the
last bike I painted wrapped an uncovered chain around the top tube and let the lock dangle in the
triangle. The top tube was completely covered in rust and the other tubes had rusty spots where the
lock had chipped through the paint. But none of the rust was deep and it was all easily sanded down
to bare metal. I would question the integrity of a frame that had really deep rust pits.

I have found that the automotive-type touch-up paints are just too fragile for bicycle use. They
nick and scratch too easily. Krylon seems to have a much more durable finish. A good base coat of
primer will help the finish layers to bond. As for protection from the environment, Krylon is pretty
amazing. I repainted a wrought-iron bench with semi-gloss black a few years ago. Despite sitting in
direct sun and the Texas heat, it shows no signs of fading, chipping, peeling or cracking. It also
seems to hold up to bicycle abuse as well.

I can't say anything about hobby paints because I haven't tried them. I'm sure they will adhere to a
properly prepped frame just fine, but I would worry about the durability of the finish.

Good luck, Buck

I have used general purpose spray cans with pretty good results... in fact the paint stands up better than the frame I had done at an auto spray shop.🙄