DIY Frame painting- any tips?

[argonsixar]

I want to have a go at painting a frame at home. I did it years ago without stripping it first but want to have a proper attempt and do it better by taking all the old paint off and using rattle cans. Anyone got any tips ? I am particularly interested in whether those sand blaster guns for home use are any good (seem to start at under £40 on ebay)

 

[Cloverleaf]

The only home ones I've seen at that cost have been so poor that you'd have better luck throwing the media at the frame. Even the entry level 'proper' setups aren't that great. Personally I'd find somewhere that can acid dip it for you - check out wheel refurbers and powdercoaters as they often do this. It's not as cheap as it used to be though unfortunately, but then the chemicals you can buy to strip paint that way at home are so neutered these days as to be almost useless. An acid dip will leave the aluminium bare, which will be as it was when it was made but the downside is getting paint to stick to bare metal can be tough. If you go down the route of commercial blasting, I'd speak to those same places rather than industrial places as they tend to deal with aluminium a lot more and will use a finer blasting media - steel girders require a very different setup to a frame with <1mm tubing!

If it's aluminium then a good etch primer like Upol will be necessary to help your paint stick.

 

[pigman]

Thread here

https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads...ther-a-shiny-frame-the-rattle-can-way.388995/

 

[longun]

recently found that a plumbers blow torch strips paint of a kona Kilauea really well take your time, dont be afriad to experiment. done most of mine myself now, theyre not perfect but im satisfied with how most have turned out. doddy gave mine a nod from last years malverns

9m 20 sec ish

 

[Nabeaquam]

I use one of those inexpensive sand blast guns on my bike frames. They aren’t anywhere near powerful enough to do a frame but they are great for getting all the remaining residue out of tight spots. The torch method works on big box cheap frames but won’t touch quality paint. On an old 70s road frame I got the paint off by putting it in my fire pit. A touch wouldn’t touch it. The best way to remove bicycle paint is 1. If it’s a steel frame and it has rust I put it in a bath of diluted Ph down. All the paint comes off from the rusted areas, even if you can’t see it. Ph down won’t remove any paint if the frame is rust free. Don’t use it on anything but steel. 2. A angle grinder with a cupped wire wheel works fast and gets pretty well into tight areas. 3. Then paint remover in tight spots, followed by the inexpensive sand blaster. I use beach sand.

The frame will have a lot of sand inside that has to be completely removed as the paint blast will dislodge it and ruin your paint. The net has a lot of info on using rattle cans. Primer, sand, primer sand, light top coats 15 minutes apart. I use a homemade spray booth but you can get by real well, on a calm day, using poles in the ground and wrapping it in plastic sheets.

 

[d8mok]

Just give your local powder coater £50 and save the hassle and expense. It’s one of those jobs not worth doing yourself

 

[PhillB]

I use paint stripper and then do the rest by hand, although I admit I have thought about getting a media blaster, if only I had room for one . As @d8mok says it would be easier to go to a local professional, but I've yet to find one that regularly strips bikes. Don't want the firing rocks at my frames

 

[Nabeaquam]

Just give your local powder coater £50 and save the hassle and expense. It’s one of those jobs not worth doing yourself

I’ve used powder coating. Use the ones that the motorcycle restorers use, they’re picky. Around here it takes 3 months for a powder coating job. The lugs tend to fill in a little more than paint. It also cost more, $200. They also can’t do pearl over candy. It’s expensive to do a quality home paint job. Compressor, low volume low pressure gun, not LPHV gun, then two stage paint and all the chemicals. I use a company that mixes custom colors for motorcycles. It’s cheaper because you buy small amounts of paint this way. Paint booth, heat control, paint booth filter and exhaust system, personal protective equipment.

 

[d8mok]

The guy I use is the best powder I’ve seen. It would pass as paint and he’s very good with his attention to detail. I’m sure if you you search around you’ll find a good one at reasonable money. It took me a while


@PhillB If you ever want some powder doing I can help you mate.

 

[Nabeaquam]

The guy I use is the best powder I’ve seen. It would pass as paint and he’s very good with his attention to detail. I’m sure if you you search around you’ll find a good one at reasonable money. It took me a while


@PhillB If you ever want some powder doing I can help you mate.

We’re too remote to have much choice. There is only one good powder coater and he is 400 km round trip away. Most coaters do it in their garages. This is a job I had done. Excellent but I had to drive two 12 hour days to get there, two more to get back. It was worth it.