DIY paintjob

[Scuzzer]

Has anyone painted a frame at home? I've always wanted to ever since my dad bought me a used Schwinn Typhoon kickback 2 speed when I was in fifth grade but I hadn't gotten around to it until today. Yeah, I'm 50 so it's been awhile.

I bought a 1987 Japanese touring bike off of CL a few months ago for $50 that had a rather decent but chipping rattle can paint job on it so I stripped it to bare metal and decided to start from scratch. My motivation here is to have a gravel bike I can leave at my 11,000 ft cabin and not really care (too much) if it gets stolen so I went super cheap at each step.

I already had the epoxy primer, primer surfacer and goofy blueish purple paint that would be perfect for a bike of this era so instead of spending cash on supplies I decided to just use what I had.

Here's the epoxy primer shot:

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee168/lamamandemma/bikepaint.jpg (http://s230.photobucket.com/user/lamamandemma/media/bikepaint.jpg.html)

Wow, I really like that color and if I had clearcoat on hand I might have just shot it in clear and left it as is but I don't have that so I guess I'll have to stay with the program.

As you can probably tell I built a temporary paint booth in my basement and the blackish stuff on the plastic behind the bike is the overspray from the the conversion of my neighbor's golden oak cabinets to espresso colored. I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone here, he paid me to build the booth so I might as well use it.

Any tips, suggestions or comments on the process? I've got it to primer surfacer now and I'll sand it out tomorrow and probably paint it on Friday. My paint is really old so I'll let it dry for a week before doing the prep for assembly.

I think the frame is Tange #2 however the serial number screams Fuji but I don't think they used Shimano vertical dropouts on any of their frames nor did they equip them with a Shimano MT-60 group. The fork came with Tange #2 stickers and a Tange number so it's certain that part is Tange. I'd like to put a few decals on it just to get some experience but maybe I'll just put a Fuji headbadge on it and call it done.

[druptight]

Speaking from experience, if you're spraying out of a rattle can let it dry for far longer than a week.

You can get 2 part expoxy clear coat in a rattle can for $25. It's nasty stuff and requires proper ventilation and respiratory equipment, but gives a nice finish for a fairly reasonable price. One can was enough for one frame in my experience on 2 separate frames.

http://www.eastwood.com/spray-max-2k-high-gloss-clearcoat-aerosol.html

[F150]

On the fence, thinking of doing the same. The subject is an '87 Fuji Del Rey that had a cracked bottom bracket shell that was subsequently TIG welded. Looks like ned but after about 2,000 miles seems to be holding just fine. Rather attractive black headtube/gunmetal grey main and rear triangle in generally good condition, so I will likely just buy some touchup paint and avoid the hassle. Only real flaws are occasional chips and a few bubble-over caustic soda damaged areas where I cooked out the stuck seatpost.

If I could only decide on a color scheme I might go ahead and take the plunge. Thought long and hard about white with red headlugs and authentic Japanese hand lettering on downtube, in red. But the stealthy grey look works, and for the $110 or so I have invested, hard to justify making the investment of time. Kinda like a Timex.

I may just get a piece of tubing and practice laying down thin, run-free layers for now.

[Scuzzer]

Speaking from experience, if you're spraying out of a rattle can let it dry for far longer than a week.

Nope, hvlp with the appropriate materials. Really old single stage color so I'll let it dry for awhile.

[Scuzzer]

If I could only decide on a color scheme I might go ahead and take the plunge.

That's the issue. The colors I wanted to paint in a two stage process would have cost over $200 and since I already had the blue final coat I almost had to use it. If it was a bike I wanted to make special it would have been different but this one is going to be ridden around 15 times a year. I look at this as practice in case I ever want to paint a nice frame.

[ultraman6970]

What paint are you going to use?? Polyurethane or rattle can?

If you use rattlecan lacquer that thing will take centuries to cure. If you use polyurethane the bike will be ready for clearcoat in a couple of hours, then car polyurethane, and probably the frame will be ready for assembly after 10 to 24 hours.

[zennmotion]

Nope, hvlp with the appropriate materials. Really old single stage color so I'll let it dry for awhile.

I've done about 6 frames with the last couple looking pretty good, complete with panels and home made decals using art from the internet printed on waterslide decal paper using a laser printer (Kinkos, not mine as the paper can gum up the printer after a while!) The decals can be (carefully) clear coated. I responded to another thread on rattle can paint jobs where I offered a few hard-learned tips so you can search for that. I put my new painted frames in the back seat of the car for a few hot days to bake , and it greatly shortens the curing time. The car stinks a bit but rolling the windows down for a minute when I start to drive before I turn on the aircon and it's fine. Probably no worse than the code Orange air quality that is the norm around here in DC in June.

[john903]

I did a rattle can paint job on two bikes about 6 and 8 years ago. The first was my old racing bike (Torpado Super Light) and friend of 25 years. What I found is it all about the prep work. I used a chemical stripper to remove all the old paint then used soap and water wash then baking soda and water wash to clean off and and neutralize any residue. I then let it dry outside for a day and liberally wiped it down with acetone then put it in the dry heated shop to really dry out for a couple days. Then I sanded the whole frame with 400,200,100, and then double 00 steel wool wiped it down with acetone again let dry overnight. In the afternoon I used a real good automotive primer put several light coats on and between each coat I would steel wool then light coat repeat. I then let this dry for several days then I did the same with the paint I did several light coats and steel wool let dry a week then I finished it off with a clear coat let dry another week. I then put it together and road it for about a year until I went to visit my dad in a assisted living center parked the bike behind some bushes when I came out an hour later and it was Gone someone had stolen my old friend. Morel of the story, it is all about the prep work. Have fun and take your time and use ventilation and a mask.
Have a great day.

[F150]

That's the issue. The colors I wanted to paint in a two stage process would have cost over $200 and since I already had the blue final coat I almost had to use it. If it was a bike I wanted to make special it would have been different but this one is going to be ridden around 15 times a year. I look at this as practice in case I ever want to paint a nice frame.

House of Kolor (?) has a nice variety of automotive paints in cans for $20-$30 ea. kolorhouse.com perhaps? SEM appears to be another option. Might want to check them out.

[F150]

Anyone cure their paint job in the attic? Nashville hitting mid 90s this week, attic likely over 120-130 for much of the day, below 90 only for a few hours in the early morning hours. Seems like an ideal spot to hang a frame and let er bake.