Renovating Aluminium Frame

Lionel Scales said:

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

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"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable man persists in trying to
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Bernard Shaw

"Tony Raven" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

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

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

Cheers, Lionel

"Lionel Scales" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

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.

Quoted message said:

Paint stripper or sand-blasting? Enamel, powder-coat, clear lacquer? Just want it looking
reasonable and well-protected. Any thoughts? Cheers.