Project Kona ....

[Muddy paw]

Cartridge bearings eh! , i just didn't think of that and that's because i guess i've never had cartridge bearings in headsets as yet :? which just goes to show that i'm not that upto date as i thought i was in bike tech .

I've got a B & M store local to me so i'll pop in there for some caustic soda and thanks for the info regarding the difference in the brands as that'll saves me wasting cash so with luck i'll be giving the saddle stem a good bath tomorrow evening and report back on wednesday eve ..

Lines on forks are where the tubings been curved.
The clamp should be fairly easy to strip. Rub the dye off by hand then carry on. It's starting to get pitted though so will only get worse.

Well i'd of never of guessed that curving the forks would cause the lines in the metal but i suppose the process requires a fair amount of pressure in order to get an equal curve on each fork leg .

 

[Davichin]

Hats off to you for the work on this project and for showing/teaching us the process. Thank you and keep going!

 

[surfingpolzeath]

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nice work, great techniques, looking forward to seeing the end product, may even try one myself when i get some free time, feeling inspired

 

[Dare]

Put more caustic soda in the mix or leave it for a bit longer time. I used water and ofc after it goes without saying that you need to polish it with abrasive means ie. Wet sandpaper, autosol...

 

[enc]

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Thanks very much for the encouraging comments. It's extremely rewarding doing the work myself.... With the help of info gained on here of course I'm well underway with stripping the frame of paint (pics on the way) need to pace myself as thos is moving along much quicker than I had intended.
I'm reluctant to dip the seat post clamps again, I'm wary of the caustic eating away at the clamp splines.. without the splines the clamp is US.
I'll probably have a go at wet sanding and polishing with the Dremel.

 

[Rampage]

Was the dye rubbing off by hand at the stage you got to with it?

Can you most some more pictures.

 

[enc]

Was the dye rubbing off by hand at the stage you got to with it?

Can you most some more pictures.

Holding the clamp with pliers i was scrubbing at it with an old tooth brush. any anodising that was coming off was off at that stage

no more pics, ive posted all pics i took of the process.

 

[enc]

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I'd carried out a bit of research and apparently good old Nitromors in its "new and improved formula" is is pretty rubbish. Its improved in respect that its nice and friendly to the environment but not very good at shifting paint from metal in light of this i decided to strip the Konas paint by hand. I found the paint to be quite soft and apart from the nooks and crannies pretty easy to remove with p80 wet, wet and dry paper .

nooks and crannies are being attacked with a brass wire brush wheel, drill attachment. Super tight spots will be handled with the dremel.
some areas of the frame look pretty scratched up but this is only the first level of sanding, i'll gradually refine the surface with progressively finer grades of paper. once im happy with the surface ill coat with acid etch primer and any areas of pitting (there are a couple) will be built up with high build primer...

 

[enc]

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[Mike Muz]

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I'm loving this thread!

A lot of work involved, and I'm learning new techniques too! Especially painting - those forks look amazing! - and the washing up liquid for wet and dry paper.
I may invest in a Dremel at some stage, as it takes an age to polish up cranks by hand! They come up well though, just takes for ever!

Looking forward to updates!

Where do you do the spraying? Have you got a workshop?

Years ago, I sprayed a frame in my kitchen :shock: Thought I was being careful having a dust sheet behind it. Til I saw the paint 'dust' all over the kitchen ! Lesson learnt!

Mike