I have a bike that I would like to paint.
Have you done this?
Do you have suggestions?
Should I just save up monies and have someone do it for me?
Thanks!
[quote=littlebear]I have a bike that I would like to paint.
Have you done this?
Do you have suggestions?
Should I just save up monies and have someone do it for me?
Thanks![/quote]
I would save up monies and have someone do it right.
Yeah, unless you intend for it to be a beater of sorts, having it done pro would probably be bestest.
My rattlecan job after about 6 months:
i rattle canned one bike and i primed it and sanded it and all that did it nice
but spray paint just doesn’t hold up
it has tons of chips and scrapes from locking and the paint job isnt even a year old
but most of them haven’t scratched to the metal just to the primer
i think original paint is always best (even if its beat) but someone stripped my bike before i got it
i think rattle can is fine if it just a beater and you want to ride it
i will get my bike repainted eventually cuz it a nice bike
Heath has a place he really likes for powder coating – i think it’s in Michigan or Missouri or Montana or something
I would go with a powder coat if you are willing to spend a little money.
i painted the wifes bike but it chips badly.
befriend someone who works at a auto body place and get that crap done for free when they have some extra of the color you want. (thats what I am doing with my Fuji Track)
I feel a little bad painting this bike, the paint job is still nice on it, I just really don’t love the color. Its a centurion mixte. I really want to paint it girly and have be a townie and get a littlebear decal to put on it.
A friend of mine knows someone in DC that does powdercoating for about $200, is that good?
[quote=littlebear]
A friend of mine knows someone in DC that does powdercoating for about $200, is that good?[/quote]
That’s a little steep, I can get a frame sandblasted and painted for $80-$100.
Still, not bad when you consider how much time and effort is involved in painting it right. If I were to paint a frame and I wanted it to be perfect and last for years, this is how I would do it:
- wash it thoroughly to remove dirt an oil.
- sand it really well, start with 80 grit to remove rust and flaking paint. . You want to finish with 600 grit or finer. You don’t need to sand it to bare metal, just till it’s nice and smooth.
- Use compressed air or a tack cloth to remove all the dust from sanding. Double check to make sure you did a good job on your prep at this point, because this will make or break a paint job.
- Clean the frame again this time with acetone, brake parts cleaner or a product designed for cleaning metal that is prepped for paint. USE A LINT FREE CLOTH.
- Go to your local automotive paint supply place. Have them mix you up some single stage automotive paint and put it in a spray can. They will sell you primer to go with it as well. 4 cans of paint and one of primer should do the job. If you ended up with lots of bare metal you may need two cans of primer.
- Primer the frame. Go nice and slow, be sure to get good even coverage. If it starts to run, stop. Let the primer dry, sand it back down and start over. You don’t need to primer painted surfaces, just the bare metal.
- Lightly sand the frame again with 1000 grit. Clean with whatever you used in step 4.
- Hit it with the paint. I like to hang the frame by the bottom bracket and head tube so I can paint it from all sides. Take your time, painting bike frames is difficult. If the paint starts to run, stop. Let it dry, sand it back down and try again. I can’t emphasize this enough, TAKE YOUR TIME.
[quote=littlebear]I feel a little bad painting this bike, the paint job is still nice on it, I just really don’t love the color. Its a centurion mixte. I really want to paint it girly and have be a townie and get a littlebear decal to put on it.
A friend of mine knows someone in DC that does powdercoating for about $200, is that good?[/quote]
i think Heath’s place was like $150
I would defiantly recommend a professional sand, bead, or soda blasting, followed by a powdercoat. I have attempted to strip and paint many frames I owned(mainly bmx back in the day), and finally decided to put up the cash and had my alien frame blasted and coated for $140. Totally worth the money. Try to find a place that’s done alot of bike frames before and not just what everyone will recommend you do and find a cheap body shop…all this assuming it’s not just for teh beatings.
Rattlecanning never looks as good as you would imagine before you do it. Locking it up starts to get chip the paint super quick.
Next person who says ‘rattlecan’ is going to catch a PITD courtesy of me.
RATTLECAN!
you’d probably just be better off with powder coat. they can do some pretty sweet stuff these days with flakes and clearcoats to my understanding.
APPLY TO YOUR GENITALS
Littlebear, call up some auto body shops and see if they will paint your frame. I got a garage to paint a frame for $90 . The quality was ok. Make sure to ask what kind of paint they are going to use, etc.
I’ll confirm what everyone else is saying. A rattle can job will eventually chip if you plan on locking this bike up at all. Get a powdercoat.
So, here’s the deal. Wet paint if you want to spend the money have have beautiful results. Good wet paint is more expensive than powder. Powder is cheaper and attractive enough for all but the most high-end rides. Powder is also more environmentally friendly, no VOC, no overspray. Powder is also more durable, though really good wet paint is also very durable. You can’t get auto-quality wet paint for <$100. I’d recommend
CyclArt for wet paint.
Spectrum Powder Works for high-end powder stuff (sublimated!)
http://www.spectrumpowderworks.com/
I use Maas brothers in Livermore (for bay area peeps):
I’ve seen a couple Rivendell frames sitting in their lobby, I’m not sure that Rivendell uses them, but they sure are close by.
CyclArt is $300 and up
Spectrum is $300 and up
Maas charges me $100 for frame and $20 for fork (single color). Pookie’s bike was a 2-color (rainbow-sparkle black plus clear overcoat) job for $180. This is really a pittance given the thousands I’ve given them for motorcycle parts.
I recommend finding a local place that has experience doing bicycle frames and will powder coat for ~$100-150ish. There are plenty of places out there. If you want help finding a place, let me know. All of these prices include stripping services (sandblasting or chemical bath). For most of the places that I go to, they don’t offer any kind of discount if you do the stripping yourself.
I want to toss you into a wood chipper