Stripping Aluminum Frame...polishing

I am about to strip a newer aluminum frame. I want to polish it then have it clear coated. Any
advice would be appreciated.

Bill Indiana

 

Check with the paint manufacture. x-painter; ~h~

 

"Bill in Indiana" <[email protected]> wrote:

> I am about to strip a newer aluminum frame. I want to polish it then have it clear coated. Any
> advice would be appreciated.

Use aerosol paint stripper such as you can get at an auto parts store. Give yourself plenty of time
and plenty of space in which to work. Keep clear of other painted objects.

Aluminum frames are treated with some sort of etchant before painting. Scotchbrite is good at gently
scuffing through this layer. If you are careful in choosing what direction to rub along the tubes,
this results in as attractive a finish as any, and makes it easy to treat future scratches and
surface wear.

I advise you not to clearcoat a polished aluminum frame. Not only will it readily show scratches
and abrasions (and more than likely, fingerprints and smudges that don't emerge immediately), but
it's impossible to touch up or repair short of stripping and respraying. Furniture polish or a good
quality paste wax like Trewax will preserve the shine and make the thing much, much easier to
spruce up later.

Chalo Colina

 

"Bluto" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Bill in Indiana" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > I am about to strip a newer aluminum frame. I want to polish it then
have
> > it clear coated. Any advice would be appreciated.
>
> Use aerosol paint stripper such as you can get at an auto parts store. Give yourself plenty of
> time and plenty of space in which to work. Keep clear of other painted objects.
>
> Aluminum frames are treated with some sort of etchant before painting. Scotchbrite is good at
> gently scuffing through this layer. If you are careful in choosing what direction to rub along the
> tubes, this results in as attractive a finish as any, and makes it easy to treat future scratches
> and surface wear.
>
> I advise you not to clearcoat a polished aluminum frame. Not only will it readily show scratches
> and abrasions (and more than likely, fingerprints and smudges that don't emerge immediately), but
> it's impossible to touch up or repair short of stripping and respraying. Furniture polish or a
> good quality paste wax like Trewax will preserve the shine and make the thing much, much easier to
> spruce up later.
>
> Chalo Colina

I stripped and polished an aluminum mtb frame a few years ago. Originally I just polished the frame
and rode it that way. It showed EVERY little fingerprint, smudge, etc. It looked horrible after one
ride. I wasn't informed about furniture polish or paste wax.

I decided I needed to do something else. I had it anodized in three colors. First the whole frame
was dipped in clear. Then front end in red, rear end in blue. It was done locally at an anodizing
shop. Its not as polished as I wanted, but I didn't take my time with the polishing. There is a
little smudge in the blue to clear transition, but the guy had never tried this before, and its
hardly noticable. Besides its a mountain bike. Its going to get trashed anyway. The whole project
cost me $35 for the anodizing and cost of polishing materials (jewlers rouge, buffeing wheel,
drill) and my time.

dave h

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"Chris Zacho "The Wheelman"" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "I decided I needed to do something else. I had it anodized in three colors. First the whole frame
> was dipped in clear. Then front end in red, rear end in blue. It was done locally at an anodizing
> shop. Its not as polished as I wanted, but I didn't take my time with the polishing. There is a
> little smudge in the blue to clear transition, but the guy had never tried this before, and its
> hardly noticable. Besides its a mountain bike. Its going to get trashed anyway. The whole project
> cost me $35 for the anodizing and cost of polishing materials (jewlers rouge, buffeing wheel,
> drill) and my time. dave h"
>
> It sounds gorgeous, got any pics?
>
> 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
>

None at the moment, but I can take some with the digital camera and on the web this week sometime.
If I don't forget.

dave h

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