Painting a bike

Doug said:

I'd quite like to paint my bike because the colour scheme is a bit
fussy, it's a bit scratched/chipped/crazed, and I'd really like it matte
black.

Is spraying it matte black a bad idea?

No, it's quite forgiving of less than perfect application.

Quoted message said:

Should it be sprayed with anything on top of the paint (e.g. varnish of
some sort)?

Yes, several light coats of add Matt lacquer over the black paint.

Quoted message said:

Is there anything I should beware of apart from making sure the paint
doesn't go anywhere it shouldn't?

I mask off the inside of the head tube, seat tube and BB shell - other
than that, I don't bother masking - with care, you can just put a bolt
back through the threads even if they've got paint in them. At worst,
you can clean them up with a tap before putting the bolts back in. I
find this easier than trying to mask off every opening in the frame.

Quoted message said:

Is this a stupid idea from the word go?

No, I've done several, and the latter ones have come out fine.

Don't remove the old paint - its a PITA to do properly, and it makes a
good base for the new top-coat anyway.

Ordinary car paint, from the motor factors, works well. Avoid
PlastiKote in particular - I've never had good results with that
particular brand. One large or two small cans of topcoat, and the same
of lacquer (matt or gloss) is sufficent for any frame I've tried.

More than 90% of the work is preparation, the actual painting is the
easy bit.

Strip *everything* off the frame, clean and degrease it thoroughly
before doing anything else.

Remove the existing decals (sand off and/or use a heat gun or
hairdryer.

Sand off the "gloss" on the existing paint - you want a good, flat,
matt coat to put the new top coat on top of.

Fill any chips with undercoat, sand back level with the existing
paint - repeat if necessary.
Sand back any rust as far as is possible, then give it a coat of
phosphoric acid based rust killer (e.g. Jenolite), then build up with
undercoat/sanding routine as above to level.

Before spraying, I hang the frame up, then vaccum clean the last of
the dust off the frame, then wipe it down with white spirit. I try
not to touch the frame with my bare hands during or after that last
clean.

I hand the bike from the washing line and about chest-height, so that
you can get 360deg. around the frame, can spray down from above, and
there's plenty of room underneath to get below the BB and spray
upwards.

If you're doing the forks, I've found that it's easiest to clamp the
steerer tube in a vice and do them "upside down"

First coat, I try and get 75% coverage - you can still see the
"undercoat" colour through the new paint here and there. I leave that
dry overnight.
I've found if I go for 100% on the first coat, I end up with runs and
thick paint, and that's really hard to fix. Leave it lighter than you
think you should.

Next, I cut that back a little with 1000 grit wet and dry paper, used
wet. Allow to dry, wipe down with white spirit, do second coat,
trying to get to 100% coverage. You may like to cut back again and
add a third coat - I've never bothered.

Now leave it to dry for a couple of days. The paint can be completely
dry to the touch, but it's still soft, and won't sand properly, for
2-3 days.

Next I get out the fine polishing compound (T-Cut for cars is good),
and polish with that, just to get rid of any dust that settled into
the paint.

Now 2/3 coats of clear lacquer (matt or gloss, whichever you prefer),
but don't cut back between coats.

Again, leave it to try for a couple of days. It's really easy to race
into rebuilding it the next day, but it's to asy to gouge the new
paint with the slip of a spanner, and it'll drive you mad.

I'd reckon it takes about 6 hours work to get the frame ready for the
first coat, then maybe 3 hours more over the course of a week to do
the actual painting and cutting back the coats. About €20 in materials
(paint, lacquer, wet and dry paper, masking tape)

That's my routine anyway, and the last couple I've done have come out
pretty well. It does take a long time to do a proper job, but it
shows in the results.

Alternatively, you can get a roll of masking tape, a tin of
Smoothrite, and a 1 inch brush, don't bother stripping the frame down,
and have at it.

hth,

bookieb

"Doug" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'd quite like to paint my bike because the colour scheme is a bit fussy,
it's a bit scratched/chipped/crazed, and I'd really like it matte black.

Is spraying it matte black a bad idea?

Should it be sprayed with anything on top of the paint (e.g. varnish of
some sort)?

Is there anything I should beware of apart from making sure the paint
doesn't go anywhere it shouldn't?

Is this a stupid idea from the word go?

Consider having it sand blasted & powder coated. Relatively cheap (£30'ish)
and a thoroughly almost bomb-proof finish. My son's hack/tourer was done
thus and into three years of almost daily college commute in all weathers
where it's spent much of the day locked to a railing, the finish is
absolutely fine. I've got a bike that requires a new paint jobbie to the
frame and that's what'll be done to it.

wafflycat wrote on 26/03/2007 22:10 +0100:

Quoted message said:

Consider having it sand blasted & powder coated. Relatively cheap
(£30'ish) and a thoroughly almost bomb-proof finish.

Bead blasted please.

--
Tony

"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there
is no good evidence either way."
- Bertrand Russell

bookieb said:

Alternatively, you can get a roll of masking tape, a tin of
Smoothrite, and a 1 inch brush, don't bother stripping the frame down,
and have at it.

Doesn't Hammerite give a "better" finish?
Did the metal fence in the back green a lovely shade of green and it has
given a lovely pearlecent finish, would imagine on a frame the colours
would almost "dance" as the dappled light shimmers ... ahem ... and the
frame would look bombproof with a hammered (looking) finish. Would make
the local toerags think twice about half inching it too.

--
www.cheesesoup.myby.co.uk

"Tony Raven" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

wafflycat wrote on 26/03/2007 22:10 +0100:

Quoted message said:

Consider having it sand blasted & powder coated. Relatively cheap
(£30'ish) and a thoroughly almost bomb-proof finish.

Bead blasted please.

Especially if it's aluminium.

soup said:

bookieb said:

Alternatively, you can get a roll of masking tape, a tin of
Smoothrite, and a 1 inch brush, don't bother stripping the frame down,
and have at it.

Doesn't Hammerite give a "better" finish?
Did the metal fence in the back green a lovely shade of green and it has
given a lovely pearlecent finish, would imagine on a frame the colours
would almost "dance" as the dappled light shimmers ... ahem ... and the
frame would look bombproof with a hammered (looking) finish. Would make
the local toerags think twice about half inching it too.

--www.cheesesoup.myby.co.uk

Smoothrite is the same paint, equally tough, just doesn't do the same
"crinkling" when it finishes.

You can get a good "utility" finish by brush painting with Hammerite/
Smoothrite or machinery paint, or similar, and as you say, it doubles
as an anti-thft measure.

What I do is fairly OTT, it's more for my own amusement/interest than
out of necessity. I must have too much free time on my hands...

bookieb.

bookieb wrote:

A very comprehensive reply.

Thanks for the reply.

It looks as if you can achieve a better quality than I even thought
possible.

I'd planned on a couple of hours preparing the frame and three coats
(which I've found from experience works well with spray paint) and some
varnish.

Now I must decide if I want to attempt the professional type of job you
describe 🙂

Thanks again.

bookieb said:

Smoothrite is the same paint, equally tough, just doesn't do the same
"crinkling" when it finishes.

All together now " inside Smoothrite
outside Hammerrite
iron, old iron "

Makes it look more "home made". Everyone is going to see you did it
yourself (if done by brush),in my case anyway, ;-) so why try to hide
it, emphasise it?

Have seen bikes where someone has spent days airbrushing some
design/picture onto it, that isn't for me. One maybe two colours max
and I would go the professional route as I don't have the skill/patience
to get a decent finish.

--
www.cheesesoup.myby.co.uk

bookieb said:

soup said:

bookieb said:

Alternatively, you can get a roll of masking tape, a tin of
Smoothrite, and a 1 inch brush, don't bother stripping the frame down,
and have at it.

Doesn't Hammerite give a "better" finish?
Did the metal fence in the back green a lovely shade of green and it has
given a lovely pearlecent finish, would imagine on a frame the colours
would almost "dance" as the dappled light shimmers ... ahem ... and the
frame would look bombproof with a hammered (looking) finish. Would make
the local toerags think twice about half inching it too.

--www.cheesesoup.myby.co.uk

Smoothrite is the same paint, equally tough, just doesn't do the same
"crinkling" when it finishes.

You can get a good "utility" finish by brush painting with Hammerite/
Smoothrite or machinery paint, or similar, and as you say, it doubles
as an anti-thft measure.

What I do is fairly OTT, it's more for my own amusement/interest than
out of necessity. I must have too much free time on my hands...

bookieb.

Someone once told me that if brush painting with smoothrite or hammerite
to stand the tin in hot water - the heated paint either gives a better
finish or is easier to apply.

I've never tried it, just something I remembered whilst forgetting stuff
I shouldn't.

wafflycat said:

Consider having it sand blasted & powder coated. Relatively cheap
(£30'ish) and a thoroughly almost bomb-proof finish. My son's
hack/tourer was done thus and into three years of almost daily college
commute in all weathers where it's spent much of the day locked to a
railing, the finish is absolutely fine. I've got a bike that requires a
new paint jobbie to the frame and that's what'll be done to it.

That cheap? Nice!

I remember when I painted my bike a long long time ago when I was in
school... Dismantled everything, sanded everything down, primer, then
cos I wanted a two tone the same as before, I sprayed with white first,
then green over the other half.

Yeah, I had a Halfords Apollo.

Can't remember what paint I used. Might have been that enamel type stuff
that you can get in the DIY shops... Or might have just been car spray
paint.

Anyhow, got a really great finish.

Lacquer, several times, left to harden and set.

Apply new decals

Put everything back together.

Took it to school... some bugger then nicked it that very same day IIRC.
Must have bought a pair of bolt cutters in to chobble through the chain.

Ended up getting more locks and permission to leave my NEW bike in one
of the store rooms! (nice staff at the school I was at).

Cya
Simon